By Scott Gilfoid: With WBA super middleweight champion Andre Ward (24-0, 13 KO’s) on the brink of fame after he soundly beats WBC super middleweight champion Carl Froch in December in the Super Six finals, Ward will be turning his attention to his next fight in 2012.

Ward wants to fight Mikkel Kessler again, especially if Kessler defeats WBO super middleweight champion Robert Stieglitz to capture his World Boxing Organization strap. However, I don’t believe for a second that Kessler will get anywhere near the same ring as Ward again, not after the schooling he received in his loss to Ward in 2009.

But Kessler not interested in fighting him, Ward may be foced to turn his attention to his number #3 ranked WBA contender Anthony Dirrell (23-0, 20 KO’s), the brother of former 2004 U.S Olympian and Super Six contestant. Andre would likely nothing better than to be the one that takes on Ward to capture his WBA title, but Andre is still slowly getting ready for action and it may be a little while longer before he’s ready to go. But in the meantime, the unbeaten Anthony Dirrell will be ready to take on Ward in 2012 sometime.

Anthony Dirrell is a marvelous talent, with the same amazing hand speed of Andre but with a more aggressive nature. Anthony doesn’t hit any harder than Andre, but he’s more interested in blasting apart his opponents instead of boxing his way to a win the way that Andre sometimes does. Ward will have his hands full against Anthony Dirrell, because he’ll have received pointers from Andre in how to beat Ward and that will make him so much more dangerous than he already is.

I rate Anthony’s speed and power as being better than Ward. Anthony has huge advantages in those areas, but he needs experience and that’s where Ward will have a huge advantage. I’m really not sure who will win, but I can say this: I think Anthony Dirrell will give a much better account of himself than Froch will in his fight against Ward. Anthony is much more talented than Froch, and naturally will give Ward a tougher fight because of those talents.