By James Slater: First Mikkell Kessler, now Andre Dirrell. Two fighters this year have now pulled out of the ongoing “Super-Six” Boxing Classic due to injury. Kessler, though, withdrew due to a serious eye injury, Dirrell, who announced he was withdrawing from the tournament today, is doing so because of an undisclosed injury.
What this means is, is the on/off/on fight between Dirrell and good friend Andre Ward will not now be happening (some, more cynical fans never thought it would take place, what with all the troubles the fight was having with finding a home and a site. Indeed, did the two buddies ever want to get in a ring and exchange venomous blows?) Fightnews.com reports that Ward, the tournament leader, will still fight on Nov. 27th (which was the latest date set for Ward-Dirrell, although no site had been agreed), against a TBA. A decision will be made as to whether or not this fight will be included as part of the tourney. However, win or lose, the unbeaten Ward will advance to the semi-final due to the points he picked up in previous “Super Six” wins.
Back when the tournament began in October of last year, the “Super Six” adventure was both promising and a breath of fresh air. Fans and experts knew the tournament would almost certainly encounter the odd problem; but did anyone know it would turn out quite like it has? We’ve had postponement after postponement, we’ve had fighters withdraw and we’ve had controversial results. One of these controversial moments came in switch-hitter Dirrell’s last fight, the DQ win over former middleweight king Arthur Abraham.
Dirrell, who some say was robbed of a win over fellow “Super-Sixer” Carl Froch, when the Detroit stylist lost a very close decision in “The Cobra’s” hometown of Nottingham last year, was out-boxing Abraham, only to be belted whilst on one knee in round-11. Badly hurt, Dirrell was awarded the disqualification victory – and rightly so. However, one of Dirrell’s trainers, Leon Lawson Senior, Dirrell’s grandfather as well as his assistant trainer, told The Flint Journal that after effects Andre has suffered from as a result of the traumatic incident may have prompted him to pull out of the Showtime tourney.
“It still bothers him and there are times when he just hasn’t been himself (while sparring),”Lawson said. He’ll get headaches. A neurologist told us that he needs to take some time off.”
Lawson also told Flint Journal that he believes his fighter WILL face Ward one day, at some point in the future after the “Super Six” has finished.
“These two are on a collision course,” Lawson said of Dirrell and Ward. “We’ve been talking with their people and we know it’s something that’s going to happen at some point.”
But it won’t be happening this year, and it won’t be happening as part of the Boxing Classic as planned. At this point, you’d probably be hard-pressed to find many fans believing the two Andres will ever get it on.