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, Oakland, California’s Ward (25-0, 13 KOs) scored an impressive victory, which 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 through the two-plus year 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 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.
The event was promoted by Goossen Tutor Promotions, Matchroom Sport and Antonio Leonard Promotions, in association with Caesars Atlantic City and sponsored by Corona.
Also on the card tonight, highly ranked welterweight “Special K”, Kell Brook of Yorkshire, UK put on an impressive performance against Luis Galarza (18-3, 14 KOs) of Antioch, TN. Brook (26-0, 18 KOs), a product of Matchroom Sport, said after the fight “The jab worked beautifully tonight and it set everything up for me. There is no rush to go for a world title, it’s about being brought on at the right pace and I trust Eddie Hearn and the team to get me there in the right way. It’s only a matter of time but I’m not panicking”
Despite a cut in the opening rounds that seemed to be caused by a headbutt, Houston’s Cornelius White (18-1, 15 KOs) scored a unanimous decision over Yordanis Despaigne (9-2, 4 KOs) in a 6-round attraction. Despaigne also received a laceration on the top of his head in the bout, and the two opponents white trunks quickly turned to red.
Edison “Pantera” Miranda of Buenaventura, Colombia would improve his record to 35-5, with 30 KO’s after dropping Floridian challenger Kariz Kariuki (24-10-2, 19 KOs) in round 5. Pantera connected with a series of strong left hooks and sent Kariuki to the canvas once before the referee was forced to stop the bout.
In the first fight of the night, Bowie Tupou (22-1, 16 KOs) went the 10-round distance with Donnell Holmes (33-2-2, 29 KOs). Despite a strong showing in round 10 by Holmes, it was Tupou who was awarded the unanimous decision victory.
In a special 4-round heavyweight attraction the referee may have let Jeremiah Witherspoon (2-2, 1 KO) take a few too many of John Lennox’s punches when he was floored by a heavy barrage of fire at 50 seconds of round 3. It was the fourth knockout of the New Jersey natives career, putting Lennox at 8-1, 4 KOs.
Also on the card in a walkout bout, Boyd “Rainmaker” Melson (7-0, 4 KOs) kept his record unblemished with a knockout victory over Daniel Lugo (1-3).
The outcome of this fight shouldn’t have really ever been in doubt, Ward with far superior speed and natural ability. Ward certainly looks like the complete package, only thing missing is that one-punch KO ability.
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