Wednesday December 30th, 2009
by Nino Celic

Everybody following boxing knows that German boxing includes boxers from nations such as Russia, Ukraine, Armenia, Hungary, Cuba and many others. Due to its economic power Germany has become a melting pot for boxers, whose home nations lack the capabilities to promote them appropriately. Though Germany itself has produced some successful but sometimes also controversial champions like Max Schmeling, Henry Maske, Sven Ottke and Markus Beyer, most of today’s boxers weren’t born in Germany or come from a different cultural background. One example would be Arthur Abraham, who became a household name due to his Super Six participation. The focus of this article however, is not on the already established champions, it wants to examine who could become one in the not too distant future. These are some of the more noted prospects fighting out of Germany:

Kubrat Pulev: former Bulgarian amateur star Pulev made his pro debut in 2009 and stepped up in competition quickly. In his third fight he already faced the 17-2 Brewster-conqueror Gbenga Oloukun and beat him decisively on points. Pulev could become a major force in the heavyweight division, the biggest threat to his career could be his reported celebrity lifestyle.

Denis Boytsov: this 23-year-old Russian is Universum’s biggest heavyweight prospect. The 6’1’’, 225 Boytsov, who is trained by Fritz Sdunek, is an aggressive puncher, who can box as well, which surely suits him well if he can’t knock his opponent out early. He has yet to meet a real top 20 guy, with his biggest win so far being an impressive 6th round stoppage of Taras Bidenko. Ability wise Boytsov could be one or two fights from a title shot, but it’s unlikely that he will face the also Sdunek-trained Vitali Klitschko. Therefore, he will probably go after the WBA title, the organization rates him as their number 5 heavyweight.

Yoan Pablo Hernandez: highly talented Cuban cruiserweight Yoan Pablo Hernandez is trained by Arthur Abraham’s coach Ulli Wegner. He is aspiring to become Sauerland’s second cruiserweight champion after Marco Huck. His only loss so far was caused more by a lack of experience than a lack of talent. Hernandez had the former champion Wayne Braithewaite down and nearly out in the first round, he failed to close the deal and got knocked out himself. Since then he has won six fights straight.

Francesco Pianeta: this Italian-born boxer is also trained by Sauerland’s Ulli Wegner. At 6’5’’ and 240 pounds his physique somewhat resembles Wladimir Klitschko, though he lacks the firepower of the Ukrainian champ. In 2009 Pianeta defended the European heavyweight title against the rising Polish heavyweight Albert Sosnowski in a contest that ended in a draw. He also defeated Matt Skelton, who gave up after the 8th due to an injury. Italy surely would love to have a second heavyweight champion after Primo Carnera, but this more than likely won’t happen…Pianeta now has a German passport, and will probably stay at European level for the next two or three years.

Edmund Gerber: at only 21-years old Edmund Gerber caught the imagination of many boxing observers on the Valuev vs. Haye undercard. Gerber is an all-action slugger who tries to get the KO as soon as possible. One has yet to see what happens if someone withstands his early onslaught and takes him into deeper waters. His next fight is a crossroads-fight with another German boxing talent, Rene Dettweiler. The winner could be looking into a bright future.

Jack Culcay: former world amateur champion Jack Culcay made his pro debut on the Brähmer vs. Sukhotsky undercard. Failing to deliver a knockout, Culcay was the winner of a clear unanimous decision. Though looking very promising offensively, this light middleweight looks like he still has defensive issues. We’ll have to see how he fares in the pretty stacked 154-pound-division.

All in all the German boxing landscape looks pretty interesting, but not because of its often protected champions like Felix Sturm, Sebastian Sylvester or Jürgen Brähmer, but because of the much more exciting prospects, that could restore Germany’s reputation in the boxing world.

Tuesday December 1st, 2009
by K.M. Stansen – OnThEGRiND BOXiNG

Let’s hold all of the generic comments – this has turned into a totally bad ass tournament beyond what we first expected. Although the first round of action has barely been completed, it has been filled with the surprises that tend to happen when top notch warriors duke it out in the ring. We’ve seen a massive knockout, a display of grit by a fighter who’s heart and and chin were questioned, and one of the most brilliant uses of skills seen in all of 2009. I am of course, talking about Abraham KO 12, Dirrell robbed, and the beautiful domination of Andre Ward over the favorite to win the whole thing. Hell of a first round if I may say so myself.

The best part of this tournament is that it gives the fighters who don’t win, an immediate follow up match against another top level super middleweight that may match up with them better. There is not even enough time for the childish haters to spew nonsense that degrades the integrity of real warriors. The winners however are on path to establishing a resume second to none, that will for certain place them into the pound for pound top 10 upon completion of this tournament, if not sooner. I for one, feel that what Andre Ward did is relevant enough to give him a top 10 pound for pound ranking right now, much less after a few more wins, but others may feel a bit more on the conservative side, to which all is well and fine.

I’m a major Kessler fan, people know this if they follow the radio broadcasts of the greatest boxing show on the net, OnThEGRiND BOXiNG, but am I sour? No. A great fighter was schooled by an even greater fighter in a coming out party to compliment a brilliant late round KO. This is good for the sport and nobody has anything to be ashamed of, fans and fighters alike. There will be more surprises, and you can bet on that with the fullest confidence.
Up next is Ward vs. Taylor, Kessler vs. Froch, and Abraham vs. Dirrel. Of interest in regards to these bouts, is the fact that all have backyard changes as well. Abraham must come out of Germany, Froch must go to Denmark, and Ward must fight in Taylor’s backyard to the best of my knowledge, as stated in the contract.

I look forward to more with the highest level of anticipation. Hail boxing, hail the super six. I cannot wait to watch the rest of this breakthrough tournament, and write up detailed analysis’ on each fight from here on out.

On a side note, Lucian Bute ought to replace Jermain Taylor if Taylor loses in his next match.

Regards,
KM Stansen

C’est maintenant une habitude, à chaque grand événement de boxe, il y a un gala de la UFC.

Deux gros combats ont ouvert le tournoi du Super Six le 17 octobre dernier. Une victoire sans équivoque d’Arthur Abraham sur le plus gros nom du tournoi, Jermain Taylor, et une victoire douteuse de Carl Froch sur Andre Dirrell. D’ailleurs, je ne crois pas que ce dernier va réussir à obtenir à nouveau une victoire à l’intérieur de ce tournoi s’il se bat à l’extérieur de son Angleterre. Ce soir, Mikkel Kessler affronte Andre Ward. En plus d’obtenir la victoire plus tard aujourd’hui, je vois Kessler comme grand gagnant de ce tournoi.

Le UFC 106 marque le retour de deux anciens gros nom avec l’organisation : Tito Ortiz et Phil Baroni. Il me semble que la buisiness du UFC se porte très bien. Pourquoi ramener des vieux croulants? Je comprends que Ortiz attire beaucoup de monde, mais est-ce nécessaire? En espérant que leur retour ne sera pas aussi pénible que celui de Mark Colmen. J’ai bien hâte de voir Anthony Johnson contre Josh Koscheck.

Étant donné qu’on ne peut pas tout voir dans la même soirée, heureusement qu’il y a internet pour nous permettre de tout voir  le lendemain!

Read Sports Geek’s argument and Loyal Homer’s argument about the which game this weekend is the one that you CANNOT miss.

He is absolutely right!

Consider the teams currently ranked as the top-10 in BCS standings right now, and look at their matchups…

#1 Florida hosts Florida International
#2 Alabama hosts Chattanooga
#3 Texas hosts Kansas (1-5 in the Big XII)
#4 TCU visits Wyoming
#5 Cincinnati is off
#6 Boise State travels to Utah State
#7 Georgia Tech is off
#8 LSU travels to Ole Miss (unfortunately, LSU has virtually NO shot at playing in a BCS game)
#9 Pitt is off
#10 Ohio State heads to Michigan (which WOULD have been exciting, except for the fact that Michigan has lost six of its last seven games, and Ohio State has already clinched the Big Ten BCS berth).

Unless you are a fan or alum from one of those schools, none present any real intrigue or excitement.

The NFL matchups this weekend are not much better, either. In fact, I am actually giving up my football Sunday because I would RATHER watch my alma mater, the University of Akron Zips, as their top-ranked soccer team (which earned the #1 seed in the national tournament) plays host to South Florida in the second round of the NCAA College Cup tournament. That’s right, I would rather watch a college soccer game between Akron and South Florida than watch the NFL (Go Zips!).

Does that mean that I have sworn off football? No. What it does mean is that there are more entertaining and intriguing matchups slated to take place this weekend than those on the gridiron. One such matchup actually takes place inside of the ring, rather than on the field.

Saturday night in Oakland, Mikkel Kessler is putting his Super-Middleweight Title on the line against former U.S. Gold Medalist Andre Dirrell in the scheduled final fight from the first round of the Super-Six boxing tournament.

The Super-Six World Boxing Classic

The Super-Six World Boxing Classic is an organized boxing tournament featuring the six top fighters in the world at the 168 pound Super-Middleweight division – Mikkel Kessler, Arthur Abraham, Carl Froch, Jermain Taylor, Andre Ward, and Andre Dirrell. These six world-beaters have combined over their very impressive careers for 165 wins (120 by KO) to only six losses and one draw. Of those six losses, three came at the hands of a fellow Super-Six fighter, with the remaining three coming during title bouts against current Middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik and the former pound-for-pound champion, Joe Calzaghe. With those impressive stats comes equally impressive hardware – four of the six fighters are world champions, and the other two (Ward and Dirrell) are Olympic medalists.

Good for the Sport

The Super-Six is an event that the sport of boxing has needed for a long time. The sport, which has not enjoyed the fan support in recent years that it once did, has struggled to create a new identity for itself. The Heavyweight division (normally considered the marquis weight class) has been so dominated by the Klitschko brothers that the lack of competition has cost the sport its notoriety in the United States. With that lack of American publicity, the sport seems constantly wrapped up in scandal and controversy, either over the political dealings of the various sanctioning bodies or the controversial behavior of the fighters.

Even among the championship ranks, fighters are more often motivated by paychecks than prestige. Far too often a reigning champ will publicly state this, often turning down fights that may be more entertaining (I am talking to YOU, Floyd Mayweather, Jr.). So, when it was announced that the top six fighters in this weight class were all willing to put their reputations (and titles) on the line in a multi-year tournament that was designed to find out who was truly the best of the best, fans were very impressed! Each of the 12 fights scheduled to play out over the course of this tournament will be a world championship caliber fight, and every time a current champion steps into the ring his belt is up for grabs!

The first bouts of the tournament took place last month, and were both very entertaining. Carl Froch went on to defeat Andre Dirrell in a 12-round split-decision victory, and Arthur Abraham stopped Jermain Taylor by KO in the 12th round (Taylor ended up having to be hospitalized after the bout). The stage is now set for Mikkel Kessler to take on Andre Ward as the first round of the tournament draws to a close. Following this bout, the six fighters will be re-paired for another round of world-class fighting.

If you are looking for some REAL excitement and action on Saturday night, trust me, football is not going to be the answer. Instead of watching Nevada travel to New Mexico State, take my advice and check out the Super-Six World Boxing Classic to watch as two of the world’s best fighters square off on the biggest stage in boxing… you’ll thank me for it!

Friday October 23rd, 2009
by Jannik Nielsen – OnThEGRiND BOXiNG North Europe

There was once a time when Nordic power meant more than technological innovation, dynamism, economic wealth and great diplomatic sway. That time was the era of the vikings, who were equally known for their brutality, seamanship and trade amongst broad excursions throughout the known world. The aftermath of which left deep wounds that acted as trademarks of their importance in European history.

This old world magic has been awakened and embodied in a single man. His name is Mikkel Kessler, a pugilist of the highest order, and fittingly recognized by the name “The Viking Warrior.” He is a phenomenal European style boxer-puncher hailing from Denmark, and one of the craftiest super middleweights of this time. Period.

Ever since Kessler was offered the opportunity to step in for the injured Mads Larsen for the WBA title against the defending champion from Puerto Rico, Manny Siaca, he has sought out to prove to the world that he fears no one, and is willing to fight abroad; in short no challenge is too big. With relative ease he removed Siaca in November 2004, then two former champs in Anthony Mundine and Eric Lucas. He then went on to stop WBC champ Markus Beyer in Germany in only 3 rounds, becoming the WBA Super Champ. He continued his rampant path and removed the dangerous and vastly underrated iron-man, Mexico’s huge, awkward, and then undefeated Librado Andrade as his mandatory defense. The fight was fought at a blistering pace over the entire 12, with Kessler winning every single round in a valiant display.

There would only be one obstacle left, the final piece in obtaining all of the significant belts…the undefeated WBO champion with 20+ defenses recorded, recognized Ring Magazine Champ Joe Calzaghe. He was the one Kessler had been aiming for the previous three years, calling him out routinely. Calzaghe had claimed the IBF belt from the feared (at the time) US boxer Jeff Lacy in a devastating one sided victory, but then vacated it to get out of a ridiculous mandatory in Robert Stieglitz. The scene was set for one of the most promising super middleweight clashes in the division’s explosive, but relatively short history. It was a clash of styles, each a master in their given area, with a huge amount of superlative intangibles and technical skill on each side.

In front of the biggest boxing crowd ever assembled in the Welshmans backyard, Calzaghe masterfully defeated Kessler in an incredibly intense and fast paced fight, going back and forth over 12 rounds; the kind that defines the legends from the peons. A battle that paid homage to the long-gone battles taking place between historical Danish Vikings and the Inhabitants of the British Isles. With his ring intelligence, versatility, speed, and experience Joe altered his game plan, forcing Kessler out of his comfort zone, and won the fight by some margin. A fight that Calzaghe has admitted was his most difficult ever, despite defeating other great fighters in the past.

As Calzaghe moved up in weight to beat legends in Hopkins and Roy Jones Jr. before retiring, the belts were once again scattered. The super middleweight division was left in a bit of a vacuum, since both Calzaghe and Kessler had removed most of the top ranked fighters in their quest to be the man. Or so it seemed for a while.

Great name fighters such as Arthur Abraham, Jermain Taylor, and highly recognized Edison Miranda moved up from the thinly talented middleweight division. Also talented Allan Green resurfaced, US light heavyweight gold winner Andre Ward, and middleweight bronze medalist Andre Dirrell of the 2004 Olympics were slowly making their mark at 168.

The Romanian born Lucian Bute had already claimed the IBF title from Columbian hardhitter Alejandro Berrios, and Anthony Mundine beat Sam Soliman for the WBA belt. Now without a title, Kessler was considered too much risk for a small reward, except for the fearless Edison Miranda. However, with Miranda and Kessler’s teams unable to come to an agreement, Kessler eyed Mundine’s WBA title. The WBA’s number 1 challenger Braehmer moved up to light heavyweight, forcing Mundine to face Kessler yet again or lose the belt. Mundine refused and eventually moved down to middleweight..
Instead Kessler was paired with a German based fighter and undefeated prospect Dimitri Sartison for the WBA title. In a one sided bout Kessler stopped him in 12th round, and followed suit with 2 defenses against journeymen Haussler and Perdomo by way of devastating early round knockouts. While the two were good opponents, they were a step back from the impressive run that Kessler had previously. Doubters of Kessler point that out as a crutch and are gaining in numbers, but that notion is as witty as a man who can’t tie his own shoes.

Being unhappy with longtime promotor Mogens Palle, Kessler signed with the powerful German agency Sauerland. Sauerland had a vision few had ever thought of; a tournament featuring the best supermiddleweights, labelled The Super Six World Boxing Classic, divided evenly in numbers between fighters from the USA and from Europe. Representing the USA side is Jermain Taylor, undefeated Andre Dirrell, and Ward, while Europe consists of Mikkel Kessler, undefeated and heavy fisted fighters such as WBC champ Carl Froch of England, and Germanys former IBF-middleweight champ Arthur Abraham. The only name missing is IBF champ Lucian Bute of Canada, who rejected the format and is looking toward a rematch against Librado Andrade.

The format of the Super Six provides for a minimum of 3 fights for each participant, giving 2 points for a win and 1 extra point for a knockout. The two with the least points are eliminated from the semifinals which takes place in January 2011, the finals follow in May or June of the same year.

Arthur Abraham has already knocked out Jermain Taylor in the few remaining seconds of their championship rounds, while Carl Froch in a disputed split decision beat Andre Dirrell. Froch-Dirrell wasn’t short on controversy, or opinions as to who “really won.”

On the 21st of November The Viking Warrior, who is the huge favorite of the tournament, will be squaring it off against the multi-talented Andre Ward, before he faces Carl Froch, and then Jermain Taylor. Going off of skills, intangibles, and experience, this writer has no quarrels with claiming that Mikkel Kessler will win all three in his usual superior manner, and will be well on his way to proving that he is simply the best super middleweight in the world.

Mikkel Kessler is an honorary representation of his people’s grand past in European history, and has arrived to conquer this division and the world…just like the good ol’ days.

In der O2-Worl fand der erste Kampf der World Six statt, Hauptakteur: Arthur Abraham. König Arthur, bekanntlich sein Rufname, hat gegen jeden möglichen Gegner gekämpft und gegen jeden gewonnen.

Damit Deutschlands neuer Darling im Ring (Ein Emigrant, wie Sarazin ihn sich wünschen würde!) sich nicht langweilt und vielleicht noch arme Zivilisten vermöbelt, wechselte er in eine höhere Gewichtsklasse.

Man erdachte die World Six und nun balgen sich sechs Anwärter um den Titel des Weltbesten, der König hat wieder jemanden zum spielen. Dabei springt vor allem eines ab: Weltweite Annerkennung und Aufmerksamkeit, die sich auch der in letzter Zeit durch Niederlagen auffallende US-Amerikaner Jermain Taylor wünschte.

Zunächst war der Spaß imposant anzusehen, mit beeindruckender Lichtshow und der Vorfreude auf einen Kampf der Giganten. Aber dann: Taylor läuft zu Michael Jacksons „Bad“ ein…hallo? Leise, lasch, lau. Respekt vor dem Riesen möchte sich nicht recht einstellen.

Und dann erst Abraham! In einem lächerlichen, ans Grenzdebile reichenden Kostüm marschiert er zu einem selten langweiligen Lied der Skorpions ein.
Immerhin das Gitarrensolo für die Nationalhymnen war Super Bowl-reif, endlich Gänsehaut! Und dann: Let’s get ready to rumble!

Abraham gegen Taylor, 12 Runden. Abraham schaut überlegen, Taylor kann nur nach Vorn. Wenn er jetzt verliert, ist es für ihn vorbei, das macht ihn auch gefährlich. Der mexikanische Ringrichter wirkt gegen die Muskelprotze wie eine Puppe.

Die ersten fünf Runden passiert Nichts, wenn man von dem Tiefschlag Taylors absieht. Der Kommentator bezeichnet es als Krimi, ich empfand es als Krampf. Abraham wird immer genervter, Taylor hingegen immer aggressiver.

In der sechsten Runde dann reißt auch noch des Königs Hose und damit wohl auch sein Geduldsfaden, ab der siebenden wird’s endlich heiß, in der achten tänzelt Abraham um Taylor herum, verspottet ihn fast und teilt vor allem gewaltig aus. Taylor gibt nicht auf, beweist erstaunliche Kondition. Der Gewinner erhält zwei Punkte, durch K.O.-Sieg drei.

Die zwölfte Runde wird ein einziger Faustregen für Taylor, doch er scheint Abraham keinen dritten Punkt zu gönnen und dann, 15 Sekunden vor Schluss! Da geht es nur BAM! und Jermain Taylor fällt wie ein Baum. Artur Abraham gewinnt wieder einmal durch K.O. und entschädigt mit einem so unerwarteten, spektakulären Ausgang für die ersten öden Runden. Darum nennt man ihn wohl König. Auf höchst majestätische Art lieferte er eine bombastische Show und einen sensationellen Auftakt der Word Six Series. Und er lässt keinen Zweifel daran, wen er für den Besten der Welt hält:

♥Hoch lebe König Arthur!♥

Exclusive and authentic hood flavor boxing footage & commentary from friend of OnThEGRiND BOXiNG, Mr. BaNGOuT. The Super Six World Boxing Classic, as well as the Punch Out at the Palms event in Las Vegas are covered. Fight 2 Tha Finish TV is part of the OnThEGRiND BOXiNG Family.

To check out what’s really going on in the world of boxing always go to Fight 2 Tha Finish TV @ www.Fight2ThaFinish.info

Boxen in der ARD: Arthur Abraham hat sich als Vogel verkleidet und wird von den Scorpions live musikalisch begleitet. Die uncoolste Rockband aller Zeiten darf auf dem uncoolsten Sender der deutschen Fernsehlandschaft spielen – DAS nenne ich Ironie! Was viele von euch vielleicht noch nicht wussten: Die Scorpions sind in Wirklichkeit die lädierten Mutterkuchen der Rolling Stones. Erklärt einiges, hm?

Einmarschmusik Jermain Taylor: Michael Jackson “Bad”
Einmarschmusik Arthur Abraham: Scorpions

Runde 1: Es geht los, mal schauen Arthur sieht gut aus, Taylor etwas unruhiger. Abraham schon direkt mit im fight, kontrolliert und ausgewogen. Taylor auf die Deckung von Abraham, hat selbst die Fäuste ziemlich weit unten. Taylor versucht es vielleicht etwas häufiger, aber wenig effektiv.

Runde 2: Taylor wieder aktiv und engagiert, aber leider ziemlich ergebnislos, Abraham hat ne solide Deckung jetzt sehr tief von Taylor. Jetzt darf Abraham ruhig ne Schippe drauf legen – wooooh linker Haken gegen Arthur. Heftiger Angriff von Abraham, der mal kurz zum Rundenende zeigt wer Herr im Haus ist

Runde 3: Jermain Taylor hält Abraham fern, der bleibt relativ passiv und kommt absolut nicht auf Temperatur und Tuchfühlung, geeeh jetzt box ihn doch mal – also ehrlich, da hab ich mehr erwartet. Huuuiii was war das denn? Da sind aber zwei kräftig sauer und übel aneinander geraten kurze Aufregung.

Runde 4:Taylor eröffnet die Runde, Abraham macht jetzt glaub ich ernst und ist plötzlich wach geworden. Tiefschlag von Taylor, nicht so toller Stil! Aber jetzt kommt Abraham wieder, der jetzt auch offener am taktieren, lässt jetzt aber weniger zu und reagiert aktiver und früher.

Runde 5: Jetzt clinchiger, aber auch Abraham steckt einige Treffer ein. ob die wirken ist was anderes aber bei den Punktzetteln wird das enge … Taylor aktiver, deshalb auch mehr Punktmöglichkeiten. Abraham verschenkt Zeit und Möglichkeiten. Jetzt geht er wieder mal etwas ran, kurz vor Rundenende dreht er immer noch mal auf!

Runde 6: Abraham war von vornherein auf K.O. aus und lässt Taylor sich austoben und spart selber Kräfte? Arthur immer nur minimalistischen Aktionen, wieder ein Tiefschlag von Taylor. Aber Abraham kommt rein – langsam macht er Taylor mürbe, zumindest psychisch. Auch wenn der sich immer wieder aufbäumen kann. Nach der Runde wurde wegen des Tiefschlag übrigens ein Punktabzug für Taylor verkündet.

Runde 7: Taylor wieder mit einer Attacke zum Beginn, aber Abraham jetzt viel früher dabei und das mit Effekt. Abraham macht jetzt die Musik im Ring. Taylor agiert, aber das bringt ja alles nicht viel, jetzt legt Abraham los, und macht dem Taylor mal etwas Angst!

Runde 8: Taylor immer der Erste der ran geht, aber Abrahan gibt immer mehr Kontra und lässt immer weniger zu. Das war in der Tat leichtsinnig einfach aufs Maul hauen lassen – dumm. Arthur versucht jetzt auch mal was anderes als passives abwarten und reagieren in aussichtsreichen Situationen. Arthur im Vorwärts-Gang, mehrere harte direkte Treffer. Taylor ist in Bedrängnis. Wenn der nicht wegkommt ist es Essig und gleich gelaufen…

Runde 9: Taylor kommt, und nu? Abraham läßt die Deckung unten und geht etwas raus aus der Distanz *riech ich da etwa ‘ne Finte? Abraham gibt jetzt wieder mal Gas, diesmal kommt Jermain Taylor nicht mehr weg. Wenn er sich nicht mehr fängt, macht Arthur jetzt den Sack zu. Das letzte was er aufbieten kann, der Taylor, jetzt lässt Arthur ihn (und sich) ja doch erstmal wieder in Ruhe durchatmen.

Runde 10: Ich glaub so komplizierte taktische Manöver wie ihm seine Ringecke empfohlen hat, braucht Taylor jetzt auch nicht mehr. Diese Runde etwas langsam, aber Taylor hat Erholung nötiger als Abraham – das heißt nun müßte der nochmal richtig Tempo machen, Abraham hat den fight jetzt weitgehend unter seiner Kontrolle hat sein Ziel aber noch nicht erreicht.

Runde 11: Abraham treibt Taylor in die Seile, aber er muss noch mehr machen und Wirkung und Treffer(Punkte) erzielen Taylors Gesicht sieht auch schon etwas verquollen und geschwollen aus, jetzt treibt King Arthur den Taylor zum Rundenende wieder vor sich her. Mag ja ökonomisches Boxen sein, aber ob das immer das ist was die Zuschauer sich wünschen?!

Runde 12: Jetzt kann der King es ja mal richtig zeigen, gucken wir mal, die letzte Runde läuft. Nicht mal mehr 3 Minuten … 3 oder 2 Punkte mitnehmen, Arthur?
Abraham bearbeitet Taylor wieder und serviert ihm ne schöne Gerade ans Kinn. Jetzt heißt es: noch ein paar Sekunden am Ball bleiben und weiterarbeiten -
Das dürfte es gewesen sein, trocken und kalt erwischt. K.O. Jermain Taylor liegt total knocked out am Boden. Das kam jetzt, also da liegt der plötzlich dar nieder – hossa, das sah aber gar nicht gut aus, autsch.
Ja Hauptsache der gute Mann berappelt sich schnell wieder. das war nun aber echt ein klarer Fall. Und im Replay nochmal schön zu sehen: -Zonk- und ordentlich auf die Bretter geschickt. Kapitaler Treffer von Abraham, königlich

Ein ansehnlicher, netter Box-Fight Arthur Abraham wieder einmal siegreich. Jermain Taylor hat sich wacker geschlagen. Diese Super Six Serie scheint ja einige gute Kämpfe zu bieten, mal sehen wie das noch wird. Es war auf jeden Fall ein guter Boxabend!

Außerdem wurde an diesem Abend auch das Sauerland-Stallduell zwischen Enad Licina und Juan Pablo Hernandez ausgetragen, das Hernandez für sich entscheiden konnte.

EDIT: Die Wiederholung und Highlights aus dem fight Froch vs Direll zeigt der MDR am 16.10. ab 09:00 Uhr, später dann wohl auch in der ARD Mediathek!

Meine Güte, was für ein Kampf!  Echt filmreif, einer der besten Boxkämpfe, die ich seit langem gesehen habe!

Die ersten 4 Runden gingen ganz klar an Taylor.

Runde 1 & 2:

Runde 3 & 4:

Dann aber wachte Abraham auf und feuerte dem Amerikaner seine Handschuhe förmlich um die Ohren.

Als alle schon mit einem Punktesieg für Abraham rechneten, wollte dieser aber den Knock-out und setzte diesen mit einem Volltreffer 10 Sekunden vor Kampfende!!

Runde 11 & 12:

Eins muss ich noch loswerden: Ich war schon für Abraham, aber das Ende hat Taylor nach dem Kampf nicht verdient! Punktniederlage war klar wenn er Abraham nicht mindestens einmal niederschlägt, darum wäre es eh egal gewesen. Wäre gut für den Rest des Turniers gewesen, wenn Taylor mit etwas Vertrauen in die nächsten Kämpfe gegangen wäre.

P.S.: Nach dem Kampf mit Taylor versteigert Arthur Abraham seine original handsignierten Boxhandschuhe zu Gunsten krebskranker Kinder.  Zur eBay-Auktion geht es HIER!

The much anticipated Super Middleweight ‘Super Six’ series starts this weekend with two of the three first round matches taking place. For those of you not in the know, pictured above are the six competitors (from L-R Arthur Abraham, Mikkel Kessler, Carl Froch, some promoter, Andre Ward, Jermain Taylor and Andre Dirrell). I’m not sure how the entire format will work, but these men will fight off over the next year to see who is the best. The only top 168lbers not in this tournament are Lucian Bute and Librado Andrade who will fight their rematch later this year. Fighting this weekend are Arthur Abraham and Jermain Taylor as well as Carl Froch vs Andre Dirrell with Kessler-Ward taking place next month.

 This is the first time in a while I’ve gone back and forth so much on not one fight in a weekend, but two big fights. Both of these matchups are even and there’s a lot of variables to take into place such as the fight locations, the fighters weights and their recent results. It’s hard to make any sort of confident prediction with these two fights.

Arthur Abraham vs Jermain Taylor
When these two held their respective belts at 160lbs I always thought Taylor would beat Abraham should they meet. My tune has changed over time and now, especially at 168lbs, I think Abraham is the strong favourite but I’m not at all confident in that prediction for a number of reasons. Abraham is still yet to face someone in the league of a Jermain Taylor. Most of his wins have been over 2nd rate Middleweights with the odd exception (mainly being Edison Miranda who was a dangerous contender when he fought Abraham the first time). However, Abraham has to be the more confident of the two going in with Taylor losing his last fight by knockout to Carl Froch and losing two fights not long before that to Kelly Pavlik. Taylor’s been saying that he has fixed his conditioning problem but if this fight gets to the 6th and 7th rounds again I’m sure we’ll see Taylor revert back to fighting only 30 seconds of each round as he’ll start to question his conditioning again. Abraham has said for a while that he’s been struggling to make 160lbs and this can be backed up by the performance in his one fight north of middleweight in the rematch with Edison Miranda. Another factor to take into account is that this fight is in Germany and will be the first time that Taylor has fought outside of the USA. Taylor should dominate early with his jab and Abraham is a slow starter who likes to get his defence set before launching his offence, but I think come the 4th and 5th round Abraham will take over and his punching power should be too much for a fatigued Taylor around the 10-11 round mark. Arthur Abraham by 11th round knockout.

Andre Dirrell vs Carl Froch
I’ve been scratching my head about this fight for the last few weeks. Froch is such an ugly fighter to watch with his hands down, chin in the air lunging style of his but he’s so effective at it. His defence is horrendous early in a fight but he seems to figure out his opponents angles and adjusts his defence as the rounds go on as he did against Jean Pascal and Jermain Taylor. Dirrell is your typical ex-amateur star who has excellent footwork, handspeed and combinations without the devastating one punch power. There’s no doubt who the more experienced of the two is and it’ll be interesting to see how Dirrell makes the adjustment from fighting guys like Anthony Hanshaw and Victor Oganov to fighting one of the big names in the division. The other big factor here is that Dirrell is fighting in Froch’s backyard which is good to see from a young prospect, especially an American one as the US fighters tend to like to fight in their country. I think two big questions that could decide this fight are how Froch deals with Dirrell from the southpaw stance as his awkward defensive approach could spell trouble against a straight left hand from a southpaw and how Dirrell’s conditioning will be in the second half of a tough fight against a world class fighter like Froch. I’ve been leaning towards Dirrell to pull off the upset and I’m going to stick with it. I think his handspeed and footwork combined with the youth and hunger that Jermain Taylor didn’t have against Froch will see Dirrell be able to repeatedly hurt Froch throughout the fight and score a stoppage in the mid-late rounds. Andre Dirrell by 8th round knockout.`

Idag (lördag) är det premiär för den omtalade Super Six turneringen där de sex bästa super mellanviktarna möts. Detta är en av de mest spännande och innovativa idéer inom proffsboxningen på flera år. Helt klart något som kan sätta lite färg på boxningen och skapa ett stort intresse världen över. De bästa boxarna i viktklassen från både Europa och Amerika möts så ett globalt intresse skulle på så sätt kunna skapas. De länder (England, Tyskland, Danmark och USA) som är boxarnas hemvist har redan en ganska stor skara boxningsfans. Men jag menar på att detta är så pass spektakulärt och spännande att det skulle kunna generera ett intresse även i andra länder.

Idag lördag kommer Carl Froch och Andre Dirrell mötas i England och i Tyskland kommer Arthur Abraham och Jermain Taylor mötas. Jag skulle verkligen önska att svenskarna kunde ha tillgång till dessa matcher på någon av de stora svenska tv-kanalerna. Dessa två matcher utspelas i Europa med en tidszon som gör att man inte behöver sitta vaken till fem på morgonen. Det är en följetong där det ska koras en vinnare av dessa sex och det finns utrymme att spekulera över nästkommande vinnare efter man sett och bildat en uppfattning av boxarna. Det är ett format som skulle funka ypperligt för en kampsportsintresserad publik . Intresset för K1 och MMA verkar vara relativt stor i Sverige så jag tror att dessa skulle uppskatta många av dessa fighters som är med i turneringen. Jag tycker super six skulle vara ett perfekt tillfälle att generera ett boxningsintresse hos de svenskar som tittar på UFC och K1. Därför måste jag säga att det är väldigt tråkigt att ingen svensk kanal sänder detta. Men tyvärr hade jag kanske inte räknat med det.

photo by Howard Schatz

Thursday October 15th, 2009
by Igor – OnThEGRiND BoXiNG Special Analyst

Nearly every type of article has been written about the highly anticipated Super Six tournament coming up this weekend, so I decided to try something new and avoid my usual lengthy write-ups. I believe the first round is a fairly simple one to analyze, so I limited myself to one haiku per fight.

Froch vs Dirrell

face-off of flawed fighters . . .
I’ll choose no skill, but a chin
over skill, but no chin

Taylor vs Abraham

yes, Jermain will gas, but
will Arthur stop him in time?
likely, but I’m unsure

Kessler vs Ward (and anyone else)
in a league of his own
stands the Viking Warrior
it’s his tourney to lose