By Chris Williams: At Tuesdays’ media conference call between Allan Green and Andre Ward, both fighters got to chime in on their thoughts about their upcoming June 19th stage 2 Super Six bout at the Oracle Arena, in Oakland, California. Green, 30, seems really comfortable stepping in to replace the departing Jermain Taylor, saying “I think I belonged in the tournament originally. As far as [Andre] Dirrell goes, I don’t think he was ready. The thing I didn’t understand was Jermain Taylor getting into the tournament. No offense against Jermain but we fought on the same show and I won my fight and he lost his fight. I got pushed back to ShoBox and he got put into the tournament. That’s what I didn’t understand.”

Green may have been overlooked for the Super Six tournament because he still hadn’t really fought anyone in his career, even though he was 30-year-old. Green had has fought two fringe contenders Tarvis Simms and Edison Miranda, and won one of them and lost the other. The majority of the rest of Green’s resume if filled with B class fighters.

It was probably a really decision to pick fighters like Dirrell, who looked very impressive in most of his fights after turning pro in 2005. Dirrell has better hand speed, defense and foot speed compared to Green. He’s also a lot younger, so I can understand that pick. Jermain Taylor is just a lot more experienced and better known by fans compared to Green.

That’s just the way it is. Taylor has been fighting top level fighters for years, whereas Green has still only fought two fringe contenders during his entire career. Green has taken things way too slowly in moving his career ahead, and this probably the biggest reason he wasn’t selected. If Green had been fighting top level opposition for the past five years and doing well, he would have no doubt been picked. But Green is just now stepping up to the big time at the ripe age of 30.

Green says “I understand how to fight him [Ward] because I fought a lot of those guys in the amateurs. I understand his style.” I think its one thing to say that he understands Ward’s style and a whole different thing actually going out and proving it on June 19th. I think Green is a little too confident about his changes in this fight. In fact, I think Green is way too confident coming into this fight for what little he’s actually achieved in the ring. He simply hasn’t taken on and beaten anyone like Ward. Green tried to fight Miranda but got totally dominated by him, losing a 10 round decision in 2007.

Ward says “I expect Green to be better than what I’ve seen on tape.” This may be Ward’s way of saying that he wasn’t too impressed with what he’s seen of Green in his fights. The problem for Green is he didn’t look at all good in his last fight against 38-year-old Simms, so it’s hard to have much to look at because he’s only faced Simms and Miranda as far as top level opposition.