By James Slater: While top class super-middleweights, Mikkel Kessler, Carl Froch, Andre Dirrell, Andre Ward, Jermain Taylor and the moving-up Arthur Abraham are all excited, pumped and looking forward to the upcoming Super-Six tournament created by the Showtime network, one man is feeling badly disappointed at not being asked to participate.
Sakio “The Scorpion” Bika, the Cameroon-born Australian is the fighter in question, and the 30-year-old has been unable to hide his anger and dismay at not being asked to fight in the tourney that begins in October. Bika, 27-3-2(18) is used to boxing in top class tournaments, having won 2007’s series of The Contender. Looking good in his last fight, when he made pretty short work of fellow Contender star Peter Mandredo Junior in November of last year, Bika feels he would have had a great shot at winning the eagerly awaited Super-Six competition.
Instead, feeling snubbed, the tough warrior who once gave Joe Calzaghe all he could handle for 12-rounds in a world title fight must look elsewhere for action. Bika says a move up to light-heavyweight is now an option.
Speaking to The Sydney Morning Herald, “The Scorpion” expressed his dismay at not being invited to fight in the upcoming tournament.
“I am really disappointed not to have been asked to be in this tournament,” Bika said. “If this is about the best fighters then Sakio Bika should be there. I am a world champion. I have fought the best around. I have challenged Jermain Taylor so many times and he doesn’t want to fight me. Ever since I sparred four weeks with Mikkel Kessler to prepare him for fights, he has not wanted to fight me.”
It’s true Bika reportedly gave Kessler all he could handle in training camp, and it’s also true that Bika has called out Taylor a number of times. Fights between the Australian and either guy would be interesting fights, and had he been involved in Super-Six Bika would have got the fights he craves. Now, however, the 30-year-old says he may leave the talent-rich 168-pound division to find himself a big fight.
“I will stay positive,” Bika said. “Moving up in weight is an option, I could go to light-heavyweight and challenge the best fighters there. Jean Pascal has just won the WBC light-heavyweight title, and we’ve been trying to make a fight with him for a long time.”
Bika, who has never been stopped as a pro, had better hope he has better luck finding satisfactory fights at 175. Bika’s problem is, and has been, the fact that he is dangerous yet offers little in the way of a reward for a defending champion. Can you say too dangerous for his own good? It’s not always fair in boxing, and no doubt Bika, with his iron chin and his above average punching power, would have been a worthy entrant in the Showtime tourney.
Maybe the man who Calzaghe said gave him one of his most difficult and physical fights will be able to entice Pascal into making a defence against him.
Bika is next scheduled to fight, against an as yet unannounced opponent, on July 30th in Australia.