Outline · [ Standard ] · Linear+ Gut-check Time For Andre Ward, Keith Idec, North Jersey

[Glax0r]

Gut-check time for Ward
Friday, November 20, 2009
The Record

This is the international competition that will define Andre Ward's career.

Five years after he captured gold in Athens, Ward can change the perception that he's just another overhyped American Olympian destined to underachieve as a professional prizefighter. The undefeated super middleweight from Oakland, Calif., can prove that the cautious pace at which his promoter, Dan Goossen, has moved him helped develop an elite-level boxer capable of beating anyone in Showtime's "Super Six World Boxing Classic."

Along with Armenia's Arthur Abraham, Denmark's Mikkel Kessler is one of the favorites to win this six-fighter, 168-pound tournament. Kessler (42-1, 32 KOs), who'll battle Ward (20-0, 13 KOs) in his hometown on Saturday night (Showtime; 10 p.m.), has lost only to Wales' Joe Calzaghe (46-0, 32 KOs) and he isn't a prototypical European champion.

Kessler, 30, is a powerful puncher who has demonstrated a granite chin and a fearlessness that made him readily accept an assignment to travel halfway around the world to defend his World Boxing Association title in his opponent's hometown.

"This is just like Andre Ward's run to the gold medal, but in the pro ranks," Goossen said. "On his path to gold, no one gave him a shot. Everyone else was the favorite, and this is the same situation. They are all picking Kessler, and for good reason. He's a great champion."

Nevertheless, Goossen is certain Ward, 25, will become the first American to win a fight in the first stage of the "Super Six."

Abraham (31-0, 25 KOs) knocked out former middleweight champ Jermain Taylor (28-4-1, 17 KOs), of Little Rock, Ark., in the 12th round Oct. 17 in Berlin. Carl Froch (26-0, 20 KOs) outpointed previously undefeated Andre Dirrell (18-1, 13 KOs), of Flint, Mich., that same night in Nottingham, England, Froch's hometown.

"I have promoted five Olympic gold medal winners," said Wilfried Sauerland, Kessler's promoter. "But that does not mean that you become a world champion. So Andre can try in his second world title fight to leave the ring as the winner. He is a strong fighter, but he has never been in the ring with someone of Mikkel's class."

MAKE MANNY-MAYWEATHER: There shouldn't be a promoter, manager or television executive involved in the Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Manny Pacquiao negotiations that should even consider allowing either fighter to oppose another boxer before they face each other next year.

Rumors have circulated regarding Mayweather meeting an unspecified foe in England early in 2010, while Bob Arum, Pacquiao's promoter, has discussed a possible third fight against Mexico's Juan Manuel Marquez as Pacquiao's next option. Mayweather's domination of Marquez completely devalued Pacquiao-Marquez III, however, and Mayweather's British ambition is idiotic at this stage of his career.

Both boxers can make more than twice as much by facing each other than they could against any other opponent. It is realistic to expect purses in excess of $30 million apiece, especially if a rare bout between the top two pound-for-pound boxers in the sport approaches the record 2.4 million pay-per-view buys generated by Mayweather's win against Oscar De La Hoya in May 2007.

In addition to the fighters' financial incentives, this is the fight boxing fans want to see, the most anticipated showdown since Lennox Lewis and Mike Tyson finally fought in June 2002. Forget a loss, even a sub-par performance or an injury can ruin all this momentum if Mayweather (40-0, 25 KOs) or Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 KOs) boxes a reasonably capable opponent before their representatives make Mayweather-Pacquiao.

That's a ridiculous risk to take when there's no conceivable reason they couldn't fight next.

Mayweather claims he is more than willing to box Pacquiao next, but he'll surely ask for more than a reasonable 50-50 split once negotiations really get going. Arum anticipates an aggravating contractual struggle with Mayweather, an adversary he promoted for nearly 10 years, in the coming weeks.

Let's just hope the egomaniacal Mayweather means what he says and doesn't use money as an excuse to avoid the fight that means more to boxing than any other.

BRYAN BACK DEC. 4: Paterson's Jeremy Bryan (12-0, 5 KOs) will return to the ring Dec. 4 at Essex County College in Newark.

The unbeaten junior welterweight prospect will oppose veteran Richard Lee Hall (10-21-3, six KOs), of Rocky Mount, N.C., in the first eight-round bout of Bryan's two-year pro career. The 23-year-old Bryan, a two-time national Golden Gloves champion as an amateur, most recently stopped New Orleans' Gary Bergeron (10-5, six KOs) in the fourth round Sept. 19 in Atlantic City.

Tickets to the Dec. 4 card can be bought by calling 973-297-1299.

E-mail: idec@northjersey.com

This is the international competition that will define Andre Ward's career.

Five years after he captured gold in Athens, Ward can change the perception that he's just another overhyped American Olympian destined to underachieve as a professional prizefighter. The undefeated super middleweight from Oakland, Calif., can prove that the cautious pace at which his promoter, Dan Goossen, has moved him helped develop an elite-level boxer capable of beating anyone in Showtime's "Super Six World Boxing Classic."

Along with Armenia's Arthur Abraham, Denmark's Mikkel Kessler is one of the favorites to win this six-fighter, 168-pound tournament. Kessler (42-1, 32 KOs), who'll battle Ward (20-0, 13 KOs) in his hometown on Saturday night (Showtime; 10 p.m.), has lost only to Wales' Joe Calzaghe (46-0, 32 KOs) and he isn't a prototypical European champion.

Kessler, 30, is a powerful puncher who has demonstrated a granite chin and a fearlessness that made him readily accept an assignment to travel halfway around the world to defend his World Boxing Association title in his opponent's hometown.

"This is just like Andre Ward's run to the gold medal, but in the pro ranks," Goossen said. "On his path to gold, no one gave him a shot. Everyone else was the favorite, and this is the same situation. They are all picking Kessler, and for good reason. He's a great champion."

Nevertheless, Goossen is certain Ward, 25, will become the first American to win a fight in the first stage of the "Super Six."

Abraham (31-0, 25 KOs) knocked out former middleweight champ Jermain Taylor (28-4-1, 17 KOs), of Little Rock, Ark., in the 12th round Oct. 17 in Berlin. Carl Froch (26-0, 20 KOs) outpointed previously undefeated Andre Dirrell (18-1, 13 KOs), of Flint, Mich., that same night in Nottingham, England, Froch's hometown.

"I have promoted five Olympic gold medal winners," said Wilfried Sauerland, Kessler's promoter. "But that does not mean that you become a world champion. So Andre can try in his second world title fight to leave the ring as the winner. He is a strong fighter, but he has never been in the ring with someone of Mikkel's class."

MAKE MANNY-MAYWEATHER: There shouldn't be a promoter, manager or television executive involved in the Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Manny Pacquiao negotiations that should even consider allowing either fighter to oppose another boxer before they face each other next year.

Rumors have circulated regarding Mayweather meeting an unspecified foe in England early in 2010, while Bob Arum, Pacquiao's promoter, has discussed a possible third fight against Mexico's Juan Manuel Marquez as Pacquiao's next option. Mayweather's domination of Marquez completely devalued Pacquiao-Marquez III, however, and Mayweather's British ambition is idiotic at this stage of his career.

Both boxers can make more than twice as much by facing each other than they could against any other opponent. It is realistic to expect purses in excess of $30 million apiece, especially if a rare bout between the top two pound-for-pound boxers in the sport approaches the record 2.4 million pay-per-view buys generated by Mayweather's win against Oscar De La Hoya in May 2007.

In addition to the fighters' financial incentives, this is the fight boxing fans want to see, the most anticipated showdown since Lennox Lewis and Mike Tyson finally fought in June 2002. Forget a loss, even a sub-par performance or an injury can ruin all this momentum if Mayweather (40-0, 25 KOs) or Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 KOs) boxes a reasonably capable opponent before their representatives make Mayweather-Pacquiao.

That's a ridiculous risk to take when there's no conceivable reason they couldn't fight next.

Mayweather claims he is more than willing to box Pacquiao next, but he'll surely ask for more than a reasonable 50-50 split once negotiations really get going. Arum anticipates an aggravating contractual struggle with Mayweather, an adversary he promoted for nearly 10 years, in the coming weeks.

Let's just hope the egomaniacal Mayweather means what he says and doesn't use money as an excuse to avoid the fight that means more to boxing than any other.

BRYAN BACK DEC. 4: Paterson's Jeremy Bryan (12-0, 5 KOs) will return to the ring Dec. 4 at Essex County College in Newark.

The unbeaten junior welterweight prospect will oppose veteran Richard Lee Hall (10-21-3, six KOs), of Rocky Mount, N.C., in the first eight-round bout of Bryan's two-year pro career. The 23-year-old Bryan, a two-time national Golden Gloves champion as an amateur, most recently stopped New Orleans' Gary Bergeron (10-5, six KOs) in the fourth round Sept. 19 in Atlantic City.

[titodasav]

Kesslers a solid boxer, but fighting in Oakland, Ca is going to be intimidating. I think the Calzaghe fight showed he can have issues dealing with a fighter who has good hand speed. Dre brings this to the table, plus a solid amateur background and experience fighting on the big stage(Olympics). He should win on points.