Don't miss all the action this Saturday, June 19, when the second round of the Super Six tournament continues as WBA super middleweight champion Andre Ward defends his title for the first time against Allan Green at the Oracle Arena in Oakland, California and televised live on Showtime at 10PM ET/PT. What's at stake? How will the fight play out? Check out the FightHype Breakdown to see why you don't want to miss this fight!
WHAT DOES IT MEAN...
The Super Six tournament continues and the story is always the same. For those of you who are new to my column, I will go over it again. Win or lose, the next fight is set for both men; there are no options and there is no ducking. Andre Ward will fight Andre Dirrell in an interesting clash of styles, while Allan Green will fight Mikkel Kessler in what could be a loser goes home match-up.
Again, what it means scoring-wise is 2 points to the winner and a bonus point should they score a KO. If there's a draw, both fighters get a point, and naturally, if you lose, you walk away empty-handed.
A win for Ward will advance him to the knockout round and a loss will keep everyone tightly bunched with the third and final fight meaning so much. Allan Green is in as close to a "must win" situation as possible because a loss will make him the only man in the tournament with no points at all.
WHEN THE BELL RINGS...
Allan Green is a very strange fighter. He does not lack ability, or skills, or heart, or power...yet, no matter when you see him challenged, it becomes clear that something is missing. What is it? He is a little quirky in there and does some things that make you scratch your head, like staring at his feet or popping his head up when he jabs. Why? Don't get me wrong, Allan Green has shown grit, like he did against Donny McCrary when he came back from a brutal knockdown. But he looked bad most recently against Tarvis Simms and Edison Miranda had his way with him in there, with the exception of an 8th round knockdown.
Andre Ward, on the other hand, is not only smooth, but he is also difficult as hell to deal with in there. He sets a very good distance to avoid shots, slips punches very well, and will step inside and maul in order to avoid being on the end of a punch. Offensively, he moves well, has a nice jab, good handspeed, and is a very good counterpuncher. Up to this point, Ward has yet to truly be challenged in there, but it isn't because he has faced complete nobodies. At the age of 26, he holds dominant wins over Jerson Ravelo, Edison Miranda, and most recently Mikkel Kessler. Each of those fighters were unable to find their groove against Ward.
Early on, Ward is going to look to set a tempo that Green is not only uncomfortable with, but also unable to match as he looks to unload his big shots and land the left hook. Green will do his best to time Ward, but as soon as Ward senses potential danger, he will work his way inside, get a little rough and put a stop to any potential offense coming back his way.
As the rounds wear on, expect Andre Ward to continue to show Allan Green respect, because he is athletic, he can punch, and he can probably match Ward's handspeed. Ward does not suffer lapses in concentration in there and, realistically, that might be Allan Green's best shot.
THE CALL...
I know some people think Allan Green is live here, but I am not one of them. I expect Andre Ward to mix boxing, holding, and maybe a little roughhousing to grind Green down and render him unable to do much but look for one big shot. While Allan Green is chinny, I go back and forth on whether or not Ward is going to look to get him out of there and, at the same time, lock up an extra point. Clear decision or stoppage? Tough call, but I am going to say that Andre Ward has that extra something inside of him and is able to get Green out of there. The call here...Andre Ward wins by 10th round TKO in a fight he controls from the outset.
QuestionsÂ…commentsÂ…agreeÂ…disagree? Send me an email at jdemaria@fighthype.com.