With the fourth installment in our “Super Six” series, Andre the “Matrix” Dirrell defeats “King” Arthur in front of his hometown crowd at the famed Joe Louis Arena, in what was a strange night in Detroit, Michigan, that ended in controversy.
To start off the second stage, “King“ Arthur Abraham ( 31-1, 25KO) faced off against Andre “The Matrix“ Dirrell ( 19-1, 13KO), in Dirrell’s hometown of Detriot, Michigan on March 27, 2010, at the famed Joe Louis Arena. The fight was postponed due to a back injury suffered by Dirrell in practice. This postponement made it possible for the fight to be rescheduled in Dirrell’s backyard. With Arthur wanting to become a star in the US market and with extreme confidence in himself, I do not think it bothered Abraham a bit, he was excited to beat the Detroit native on his home turf but things turned out wildly differently than what “King” Arthur probably ever could have imagined.
Dirrell came out and was not giving up any ground holding the center of the ring popping jabs and throwing straight lefts to Arthur’s mid section. Abraham came out slow and measured holding his gloves high in his peek-a-boo stance, studying his opponent, while less busy but employing his jab. Andre went around the guarded gloves and popped Arthur with a right-hook to the head one minute in. This was the problem Jermain Taylor could not adjust to against Abraham, Jermain could not go around Arthur’s guard or straight through it. The studious Dirrell seemed to have that problem solved after one round of the fight.
Dirrell landed good right-hooks to the body and threw straight-lefts to the head trying to split the guard and at the end of round one, Dirrell switched to righty and landed a hard straight-right to Arthur’s chin down the middle penetrating the high guard. Arthur landed nothing of signifigance in the opening three minutes. In round two, Arthur came out a little more aggressive throwing straight-rights with a couple landing on Andre’s chin. Dirrell mixed up his punches from body to head well while moving and just floating his jab out there which kept Arthur from getting set. Most of the round Arthur was coming forward, backing up Dirrell but landing little while Dirrell was landing right and left hooks to the body and head and making a home for his straight-left to the mid section of Arthur.
At the end of round three, Arthur threw a wild three punch combo, with the last punch a hard right-hook landing square on Dirrell’s chin, by far Arthur’s best punch and Dirrell took it unphased. Arthur went after Dirrell who was moving all over and popped Andre with a few more hard rights. Andre came back good in round four using lateral movement making Arthur chase and miss while continually landing body shots and hooks around the guard of Arthur to the head.
Midway through round four, Arthur landed a few hooks up top and at the end of the round, he landed a huge three punch combo only to see himself get dropped to the canvas by a big Dirrell counter straight-left off the ropes. It was a hard punch and good knock down for Dirrell, ringing Arthur’s bell, though not badly hurting him. A nice ebb and flow began in the middle rounds between the fighters, alternating rounds, then Dirrell started using great lateral movement switching from lefty to orthodox and Arthur couldn’t find him in the mid to late rounds. At the end of seventh, Dirrell landed another big counter-left off the ropes to Arthur’s jaw that sent Arthur crashing against the ropes in what would have been a sure knock down but referee Laurence Cole didn’t rule it a knock down. Arthur finished the round cut and bleeding over the right eye from a Dirrell left.
In round ten, Arthur came out stalking and pressing the action and with the round up for grabs, Arthur landed a big right to Andre’s chin that sent him to the canvas, though once again referee Laurence Cole missed the call ruling it a slip. Arthur went for the finish, throwing big rights and lefts but could not follow up due to Andre’s good movement. Arthur came out pressing again in the eleventh with Dirrell on his bike and at 1:13 of the round, Dirrell slipped in the corner falling to the canvas and while down and with Arthur clearly looking down at him, Arthur clocks his downed opponent with a downward right-hook to the jaw which in a delayed reaction dropped Dirrell’s head to the canvas and momentarily knocked him out. Dirrell couldn’t continue and referee Laurence Cole had no choice but to disqualify Abraham, giving Dirrell the victory in a fight that he was well ahead of on my card and was cruising to a victory, barring he didn’t get caught with a hail mary in the championship rounds.
Although Abraham unjustly in the heat of the moment called Andre an actor, implying he was faking being knocked out, I do not think the punch was malicious but a reaction mistake. I would like to think that a few days later Arthur regretted his actions and comments. Arthur seems to be a nice respectable gentleman who got caught in the heat of the moment, I would give him a mulligan. However, he got beat up thoroughly, leaving Andre with his first two points and Arthur remained at a tournament leading three points.