By Vivek Wallace: The Super-6 Super Middleweight tournament has given fight fans quite a few recent memorable moments in the sport. The element most intriguing about the tournament itself is the fact that when the best meets the best, you literally have no intelligent idea relative to what could take place, setting the stage for what HBO’s Jim Lampley ofter refers to as the “theater of the unexpected”. Thus far, we’ve witnessed everything from Taylor’s unfortunate exit, to Kessler’s fall and subsequent rise, to a drama filled night in Michigan that left some calling their native son Andre ‘Denzel’ Dirrell for what a few ignorant minds perceived to be “acting”.
Saturday night, fight fans around the world of boxing will turn the page, yet again, as Andre Ward (21-0, 13KO’s) takes on newcomer Alan Green (29-1, 20KO’s). Although not a household name in the sport, Ward has done everything one could ask a rising star in the sport to do. A dominant amateur career that culminated with a 6 year unbeaten streak carried over to an Olympic Gold Medal, and subsequently to a professional record that also remains unblemished..
In just a few hours, that unblemished record will be put to the test as the power-hitting Allan Green will attempt to make what amounts to a very grand entrance in the tournament at the expense of Ward. It’s no secret that the powerful Green has allowed few men to see the final bell in his near eight years in the ring, professionally. Some would question the level of competition he has faced, but to his credit, a quick glimpse at the resume of Andre Ward doesn’t seem to offer much of a distinguished separation, either.
In an era of the sport when so many competitors look at an opponents triumphant moments of the past to learn what makes them effective in the present, perhaps the best way to narrow things down here would be by looking at a few of those closer fights on the resumes, and in the case of Green, perhaps even that lone “L”. Only a few years ago, Alan Green found himself in a scene best described as “Friday the 13th” walking down “Elm Street”, when he barely escaped a KO at the hands of Colombian Edison Miranda. One of the key attributes of a fighter is the question of how he performs in the championship rounds. For Green, good thing this particular fight was not a championship fight, as he would have arguably never heard the final bell, himself.
A deeper analysis presents a little more trouble, as it tells a harsh truth that Green has NEVER gone 12 rounds in a professional fight. This particular stat is intriguing for the mere fact that Green has actually been a pro longer than Ward, who has gone 12 rounds a hand full of times.
When the smoke clears and the dust finally settles, the tell-all-be-all in this fight will all come down to how well Green can adapt to a man viewed (in my mind) as the second best pure fundamental boxer in the sport, (behind only Floyd Mayweather jr.). Inside…..outside….box…..brawl….the kid can do it all! Ward simply has a very uncanny ability to adapt and overcome. This truth leads many to think this fight will be dull and uncontested, but it should be noted that Green is far greater as a boxer than many give him credit for, and rarely in his career has he lost a round, as well, (Miranda fight aside). Based on a better than considered boxing ability, one can expect the colorful personality of Green to come well equipped and ready for anything Ward brings. Well……almost anything! Ward is no pure power puncher so one theory boast that he (Ward) won’t be able to keep Green off of him. Another theory – (made popular by Roger Mayweather) – is that you simply “can’t hurt what you can’t hit”!
Prepare for a good fight with lots of back and forth action, and an end that resembles an NFL Championship game. (Remember that whole “defense wins championships” theory). I can envision Green giving a very spirited effort, but the defense of Ward will be too slippery, and that deceptive power certainly won’t help either. Former Bantamweight IBF title holder KingKong Agbeko once said “there’s a lot in a name”, when asked about the origin of his own. For Allan Green, this testament could be no more true, as Saturday night, clearly he may learn “it’s not easy being green”!
Tune in to SHOWTIME Saturday evening at 10PM EST for Andre Ward vs Allan Green (Check local listings for regional info)
(Vivek Wallace can be reached at vivexemail@yahoo.com, 954-292-7346, Youtube (VIVEK1251), Twitter (VIVEK747), Facebook, and Myspace).