By Scott Gilfoid: Andre Dirrell (19-1, 13 KO’s) has a big opportunity to capture both the WBA and WBC super middleweight titles against fellow American World Boxing Association super middleweight champion Andre Ward (22-0, 13 KO’s ) in their next Super Six tournament fight. The fight doesn’t have a venue or date, although it’s still technically on schedule for September 25th of this month. Dirrell, 26, is facing easily the best opponent for him in the entire Super Six tournament.
Dirrell has already fought the other two Super Six tourney contestants Arthur Abraham and Carl Froch, and did a great job against both of them. Those guys are really who Dirrell needs to worry about in the finals. It’s Ward. This is the toughest opponent of Dirrell’s career by far, largely because of combination blazing fast hand speed, superb boxing skills and excellent defensive ability.
In a way, Dirrell is fighting a carbon copy of himself out there in his next fight. He’s got to try and figure out a style that would beat his own style of fighting. What’s obvious in looking at these two fighters is that Dirrell needs to take the fight to Ward from the outset and needs to make sure that he stays on Ward the entire fight. Dirrell can’t let Ward back him up to the ropes and he can’t let Ward be first.
Ward is an excellent counter puncher, but he’s a lot more effective when he’s the one that’s coming at his opponents and taking the fight to them. Dirrell has to make sure that he makes Ward defend the entire time. Dirrell can really help himself if he loads up on his shots and throws three to four punch combinations. He won’t beat Ward throwing only one or two punches at a time. Ward is too good at picking off shots for that to work Dirrell.
Mikkel Kessler’s World Boxing Council super middleweight title will be on the line for this fight. The WBC has taken his title and voted to have it up for grabs in this fight rather than the October 2nd bout between Froch and Arthur Abraham. This is a big plus for Dirrell-Ward, because it further validates their fight as the best two guys in the tourney. It’s not that Froch and Abraham are bad, but both of them have lost and they both appeared to be beaten by Dirrell already.
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