Are Dirrell and Ward Overrated?
August 28th, 2009
By Ed Watson: Is it me, or are the American boxing fans and so called experts having themselves on about the quality of Andre Dirrell and Andre Ward. All I hear coming from America is how Dirrel and Ward are the best fighters at Super Middleweight. But who have they actually fought against?
In the U.S., fighters seem to get built up when they are unbeaten after 20 fights, but it doesn’t strike them that the trainers want it this way and handpick the opponents.
They talk about how Andre Ward dominated the brilliant Edison Miranda, but he isn’t the same fighter since he was KO’d by Arthur Abraham in the 4th Round a year earlier. And this is the same Arthur Abraham who they are saying has no chance of winning the Super Six tournament.
I heard someone question Mikkel Kessler the other day and say he will struggle to beat the Americans.
These up and coming Americans are only included in this Super Six tournament to get the TV viewing and crowd attendances up in the United States.
Carl Froch is also overrated and Jermain Taylor past it. I’m not sure what drugs Taylor was on when he beat Bernard Hopkins, but he has never been the same since those wins.
For me, there are only two fighters who can win this: Arthur Abraham, or Mikkel Kessler.
Tags: Dirrell vs. Froch, Dirrell-Froch, Super Six tournament, Ward vs. Kessler, Ward-Kessler ,Andre Dirrell, Andre Ward15 Responses to “Are Dirrell and Ward Overrated?”
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I agree kessler or abraham to win
I think Kessler is a shade above all of the fighters he has it all speed and power and a great chin. Froch has a good chin and decent power but he needs to step up his game now and stop fighting with his hands down.
Ward and Dirrell are both stepping up in terms of competition so we will find out more about them than any of the other fighters but they do have decent skills so its sink or swim time. They may just rise to the occasion as some up and comers do or they may fall short.
Abraham is also a very dangerous proposition for anyone here even though the smaller man I think he is a good outside bet.
Taylor will get KTFO most likely he is not the same fighter he was and he cant ride on the back of his Hopkins victories any more.
Going for Kessler though to emerge the top of the tree.
I agree but it’s a very biased article, you should at least weigh up both sides of the arguement.
Ward will beat Kessler,and Dirrell will KO Froch!
I think Ward is a vastly under rated boxer, though he is partly to blame as his inactivity certainly added to that perception. I don’t know if he can win the tournament, but I would not be surprised to see him do well in it either.
Ward and Dirrell could be the real deal, just cuz they aint fought anybody at Froch or Kesslers level yet doesnt mean its cuz they cant. When Froch or Kessler had the equivelent records they werent facing the top level fighters either.
Personally i dont think they are up to the standard, they needed to be involved in this tournement for American audiences cuz if this didnt have Americans in it it wouldnt sell half aswell in boxing biggest money churner America.
But im just sayin that these aint a couple of bums these are good quality boxers who havnt been tested or proven at the top level but that doesnt mean they cant cut it.
Froch will knock Dirrell out, no doubt.
i think all the fighters r great but i think taylor has to be weakest for me.tippin direll to win i think d kid is very talented
LOL i agree with Jason… come out from over seas with 35+ no one can tell you even one opponent you have fought.. that’s sad
yea jason ur an idiot! how is kessler a cherry picked opponent??
thk god a writeer with some sense and understanding of boxing! good wrk
well this article has a lot of truth in it. Having watched both ward and dirrel a few times i don’t think they are totally overated but they are built up too much and this only leads to a bigger fall. I think they needed to have a few more stepping stones before they tackled the big guns but only time will tell… Kessler will win this whole thing in my opinion
Jason…Fool! Kessler is Danish!
Maybe the Americans should do like the UK fighters (Calzaghe-Kessler) and fight 40 hand picked nobodies instead of 20 to get built up.
At least one is gonna turn out to be a hype job and I think its Ward.