All six superstars, their promoters and SHOWTIME Sports Senior VP & GM Ken Hershman were present in Berlin today as the Super Six World Boxing Classic PR Tour hit Germany. After an official press conference in the Grand Ballroom of the renowned Hotel Adlon, the six fighters posed in front of the Brandenburg Gate in the Berlin sun. It certainly was an event to remember, with six top athletes and their famous promoters sharing the same podium. Undefeated Olympic gold medal winner Andre Ward came face-to-face with his rivals for the first time after missing the previous presentations due to the flu. “It is great to be here,” he said. “I really wanted to make the effort and come here after I could not attend the events in New York and Copenhagen. I am thrilled to participate and I am very confident I will win..”
All six fighters were asked to pick the finalists. While WBC Super-Middleweight Champion Carl Froch believes in a showdown with WBA Super-Middleweight Champion Mikkel Kessler, the American stars – namely Jermain Taylor, Andre Dirrell and Ward – voiced their confidence, stating that they will definitely be in the final and that the opponent does not really matter to them. Undefeated IBF Middleweight Champion King Arthur Abraham came up with a special answer: “They all said they will be in the final. They can say whatever they want but once they have been hit by the first punch it will be an entirely different story. I know the answer to the question but I will keep it to myself.”
New Team Sauerland superstar Mikkel Kessler spoke to the German press for the first time since joining the Berlin-based promoters. “I am happy to be here,” he said. “I have been with Team Sauerland for five days now and I am already standing here to take part in this great tournament, which pits the best fighters in our division against each other. That is fantastic. Boxing needs something like that and it will be a huge success. I am the WBA World Champion, the most experienced fighter in the tournament and I will prove my class.”
Froch also believes he got what it takes to win it all. “I have the punching power, I have superior boxing skills and I will stamp my authority on the tournament from the first bell on,” he said. “I already look forward to winning the first three points.” His opponent Andre Dirrell has a similar plan. “I will beat Froch,” he said. “First I win the WBC belt, then the WBA belt and then I win the tournament. It will be spectacular and I am thrilled to participate.”
Former undisputed champion Jermain Taylor said he was already looking forward to coming back to Germany for his first-round match-up against Arthur Abraham. “It will be a great fight,” he said. “I will outbox him. I am confident I will win this tournament.” Abraham´s promoter Wilfried Sauerland knows that the American superstar will be tough to beat when the duo clashes in Germany. “Taylor is such a big name and we don´t yet how Arthur will do in the new weight class but I am very optimistic he will continue his winning streak,” Sauerland said. “We are proud to have two fighters in this great tournament and once again want to thank Ken Hershman for putting everything together.”
Hershman revealed it was a “tough task” to get five promoters and six fighters agree to participate in such a ground-breaking tournament. “We are thrilled that we have everybody on board,” he said. “It took a lot of hard work but in the end everything was worked out. There is so much talent at super-middleweight. This tournament guarantees big fights right from the start and in the end there will be a true champion. We cannot wait to get started.”
Photos: SE – Winfried Mausolf