ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (Dec. 18, 2011) – Andre Ward is the Super Six World Boxing Classic champion and the No. 1 super middleweight in the world. Ward dominated England’s Carl Froch to win a unanimous decision by the scores of 118-110, 115-113 two times in front of 5,626 at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J. The victory unified the World Boxing Association and World Boxing Council super middleweight titles and also earned Ward The Ring Magazine belt as well as the inaugural Super Six World Boxing Classic cup.
A frontrunner for Fighter of the Year, Ward’s (25-0, 13 KOs) exploit has anointed him as the man to beat at 168 pounds. After the hard-fought unification bout, Ward had one word for his impressive evening and undefeated run thought the tournament: Supernatural.
“It’s supernatural. These are all great fighters. That’s why you don’t hear me talking badly about them before the fight. I know what I’m getting into. I just want to be a little bit better on the night of the fight.”
Ward, of Oakland, Calif., was more than a little bit better and proved once again that he can fight any type of fight and win convincingly. Despite being the faster, slicker boxer, Ward stayed in the pocket at many times throughout The Final and exchanged with the heavy-hitting Froch. However, Ward also displayed his superior defense and boxing ability.
“He’s very good defensively,” Froch said of Ward. “I couldn’t get my shots off. I never found myself in the range. Ward was either too close and smothering me or too far away.”
Ward was too quick for Froch. Froch (28-2, 20 KOs) seemed tight throughout the fight and frustrated by Ward’s ability to slip punches.
“Right away, I was actually surprised how slow Froch was,” said Ward. “We were just able to beat him to the punch and that’s what won us the fight.”
Froch was gracious in defeat and offered no excuses. “I lost tonight, fair and square. I had a bad night.”
He elaborated, “I couldn’t get anything going. He’s very slippery. It was very frustrating for me. It was a bad night.”
After the final bell of the Super Six World Boxing Classic rang, Ward raised his hands in victory when judge John Keane (United Kingdom) awarded him the bout 118-110 and both Craig Metcalfe (Canada) and John Stewart (United States) scored the 12-rounder for Ward at 115-113.
Ward’s arduous journey through the Super Six tournament included dominant victories over former champion Mikkel Kessler (TD11), Allan Green (UD12), Arthur Abraham (UD12) and Froch (UD12).
For Froch, the tournament provided mostly ups but some significant downs. He scored a split decision win over Andre Dirrell before losing his WBC title in a unanimous decision loss to Kessler. He rebounded by winning back the vacant WBC belt by unanimous decision over Abraham and then scored a majority decision victory over Glen Johnson in the Semifinals.
What either fighter will do next is uncertain – but tonight’s culminating bout provided certainty in the division. As SHOWTIME intended when the network launched the tournament, the Super Six World Boxing Classic has determined the No. 1 super middleweight in the world. And that man is Andre Ward.
Tonight’s telecast of The Final will replay on Tuesday, Dec. 20 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME EXTREME and will be available on SHOWTIME On Demand from Dec. 20 to Jan. 2, 2012.
Gus Johnson served as blow-by-blow announcer with Al Bernstein and Antonio Tarver as expert analysts and Jim Gray as ringside reporter. David Dinkins Jr. is the Executive Producer of SHOWTIME Sports with Bob Dunphy directing.
The event was promoted by Goossen Tutor Promotions, Matchroom Sport and Antonio Leonard Promotions, in association with Caesars Atlantic City and sponsored by Corona.
Banner year for Boxing 360
NEW YORK (December 19, 2011) – In only its third year of operations, Boxing 360 experienced a banner 2011, highlighted by Amanda “The Real Deal” Serrano capturing the New York City-based promotional company’s first world title.
Boxing 360’s Fighter of the Year clearly was 23-year-old Serrano (12-0-1, 8 KOs), a native of Puerto Rico who lives in Brooklyn, was 6-0 this past year with only one fight going the distance. Amanda twice defeated world title challenger Ela “Bam Bam” Nunez (DEC6) and TKO4) to complete their trilogy, in addition to knocking out Jennifer Scott in the opening round to capture the North American Boxing Federation (“NABF”) featherweight title. In September, Serrano put Kimberly Connor (9-1-2) to sleep in the second round for the International Boxing Federation (“IBF”) Super Featherweight Championship.
“I’m very happy with the progress and accomplishments our promotional company and its stable of fighters made this year,” Boxing 360 founder and CEO Mario Yagobi said. “Amanda is our first world champion but we expect to have many more crowned in the years to come. We have a very good mix of multi-talented contenders and prospects. All of us at Boxing 360 are looking forward to a great 2012.”
Veteran heavyweight Maurice “Sugar Moe” Harris (25-15-2, 11 KOs) split a pair of matches in 2001, however, his last action in a United States Boxing Association (“USBA”) title defense resulted in an impressive victory by 12th round technical knockout of 25-4 Derec Rossy. Harris is rated No. 5 by the IBF and remains a world title contender.
WBC #5 super bantamweight Leon “Hurry Up” Moore (28-2, 22 KOs) moved from Guyana to New York City but, due to his record and experience, fought only once this year, winning a six-round decision versus Felipe Almanza. The reigning WBC CABOFE (Caribbean) and NABA champion, Moore is in position for a world title shot in 2012.
Buffalo light welterweight Nick “Hands of Gold” Casal (22-4-1, 17 KOs) resurrected his career, winning his two 2011 fights by knockouts, including a third-round TKO win of previously undefeated Michael Anderson (11-0-1).
One of the hottest prospects in the country is unbeaten junior featherweight Joel Diaz, Jr. (6-0, 5-0), who won all four of his fights this year by first-round knockout. The exciting 19 year old had three other fights cancelled this year and he is expected to have a breakout 2012.
Former world super middleweight champion Alejandro “Naco” Berrio (32-5, 29 KOs) isn’t high on any top fighter’s list of opponents, which is the primary reason for him fighting only once this year, a third-round TKO win against three-time world title challenger Antwun Echols.
Another Guyana fighter living in New York City, Lennox “2 Sharpe” Allen (15-0-1, 9 KOs), captured the WBC CABOFE super middleweight title with a 12-round unanimous decision over Kwesi Jones, to go along with his New York State title.
Undefeated middleweight DonYil Livingston (7-0-1, 4 KOs), who was an outstanding amateur who took off several years off before turning pro, was victorious in five of six fights this year with one draw. The 27-year-old boxer bounced back from his draw with a strong six-round decision against previously unbeaten (6-0) Kurtiss Colvin.
Power-punching Eudy “AK 47″Bernardo (11-0, 6 KOs), who moved to New York City, won all of his fights this year, including an eighth-round TKO of John Nolasco for the Dominican Lightweight Championship, and a six-round decision against former U.S. amateur standout Darnell Jiles (8-2-1), Jr. this past weekend in Rochester.
Visa problems prevented undefeated Kazakhstan welterweight Vitaly “Demyan” Demyanenko (19-0, 12 KOs) from fighting in 2011. The former PABA and WBO Asia Pacific champion will make his Boxing 360 debut in 2012.
Boxing 360 recently signed three more fighters from the Tri-State area: super middleweight Aleem “The Hammer” Whitfield (3-0, 3 KOs), super middleweight Travis “The Notorious” Peterkin (3-0, 3 KOs) and lightweight Bryan Acaba (2-0, 1 KO).
Go to www.Boxing360.com for more information about any of its other fighters.
Margules: Pulling Donovan George Was Hardest Decision of my Career
Leon Margules, President of Warriors Boxing and co-promoter of super middleweight contender Donovan “Da Bomb” George (22-1-1, 19 KO’s), says pulling George out of his fight against Librado Andrade was the hardest decision he’s had to make during his career as a promoter… but it was definitely the right one.”
George was scheduled to face the tough veteran Andrade (30-4, 23 KO’s) in a 12-round IBF super middleweight title elimination fight Saturday night at the Froilan Lopez Baseball Field in Cozumel, Mexico, but a huge discrepancy in the size of the ring forced Margules to make a very tough call.
“The contract said (event promoter) Golden Boy will use their best efforts to get a 20’x20′ ring. The ring was exactly 15′ inside. I’ve never even heard of a ring that small. So, we talked about it as a team and decided to pull the fight. The IBF stood behind us. Donovan’s father and fiancée thanked me for standing up for them. Raul Jaimes and Robert Diaz from Golden Boy were very understanding. Even Andrade’s trainer said he would have done the same thing.”
Margules says George would have fought anyway because it’s his nature, but part of his function as promoter is to care about his fighters’ well-being. “This was the kind of thing any father would do for their kid. When I’ve got a fighter who is supposed to fight in the middle of the ring and there is no middle of the ring because it’s smaller than any ring I’ve ever even seen – it’s not right to push him out there against a world-class guy who thrives on phone-booth warfare. That’s not doing my best to protect my fighter and give him an even chance at winning every fight.”
“I do not believe Golden Boy Promotions would do something like this intentionally, but relied on others to handle obtaining an adequate ring for a world-title elimination fight”, says Margules. “The fact is, Golden Boy are very competent promoters. They told me a local promoter made the mistake. I give them the benefit of the doubt. As a company with tremendous integrity, all they need to do now is figure out how to make it right for both fighters.”
While a decision like this is not made easily or often, Margules says the congratulations and recognition he has received from other boxing insiders has been reassuring. “I haven’t heard one competent boxing guy tell me I did anything but the right thing. When my fighter gets to the venue on fight night and says ‘How am I going to fight in that ring, I thought you told me the ring would be 20 feet?’ he’s already mentally handicapped. He would have fought if we asked him to, but there was no way I was going to let him. This is the biggest fight of his life and he’s worked very, very hard to get here. There’s no way I’m going to let him risk it all in a fight when the other guy has an unfair advantage based on styles. That is why I insisted on a 20 by 20 foot ring in the contract. I would protect my fighter the same way if it ever happened again.”