by Cliff Rold

The favorite proved why but he had to work for it.  The defeated man showed the world so many of the characteristics that make him easy to respect.  Then he took it up a notch with a display of sportsmanship and class in the post-fight interviews.  He took his loss like a man, the same way he fights. 

Andre Ward (24-0, 13 KO) was the better man in the ring.  By night’s end, Carl Froch (28-2, 20 KO) could stand side by side with Ward as a man outside it.  The Super Six Super Middleweight tournament was over. 

Ward ended as the only man of eight official competitors in the field to exit without a defeat.  The silver cup, pair of belts, and lineal crown Ward collected along the way was well earned.  In besting Mikkel Kessler in the opening round, and Froch in the final, Ward posted wins over arguably the two best fighters in the class.  He may have lost three rounds total to both of them.

Froch was the soul of the endeavor.  For all the fighter quality to speak of, there weren’t an abundance of excellent action fights.  Froch made the difference there, narrowly losing a Fight of the Year candidate to Kessler in round two, defeating the rugged Glen Johnson, and, even in a losing final, bringing drama in the late stanzas.  He endured the toughest overall draw of the tournament and, along with memorable wars and wins prior to the tournament against Jean Pascal and Jermain Taylor, has emerged 5-2 against a full range of world-class foes.

Now he says he’s ready for undefeated IBF titlist Lucian Bute.  Ward says Bute can wait for now.  The tournament is done.  Welcome to tomorrow. 

Let’s got to the report cards.

Grades

Pre-Fight: Speed – Froch B; Ward A/Post: Same

Pre-Fight: Power – Froch B+; Ward B/Post: Same

Pre-Fight: Defense – Froch B; Ward A/Post: B-; A

Pre-Fight: Intangibles – Froch A; Ward A/Post: Same

The edge in speed for Ward was complimented, early and throughout, by accuracy, well-timed counters, and superior physical strength in the trenches.  Much of the fight was contested inside and Ward proved his versatility there once more.  He can go inside and outside with equal affect, unafraid of the rough stuff. 

His punching power remains the lone area where he can be seen as lacking but Ward certainly hits hard enough to beat tough men.  Froch was rocked more than once.  It was easy to miss, but Froch caught Ward’s attention enough times to keep it interesting as well.  Late in the fight, Ward showed fatigue, even nodding at some hard Froch rights.  Froch was rallying late.  Ward took the blows and came back to finish well in the final two stanzas.

He’s a winner.  To his credit, Froch never fought like a loser.  He appeared frustrated around the seventh and eighth but dug deep.  He never seemed to give up the way the rest of Ward’s foes have.  There is no shame in losing when one leaves it out there.  Froch did.  That he lacked the full on go for broke energy he needed late spoke to how much he’d taken from Ward all night.

The scorecard here read 119-109 with the first even and the ninth to Froch.  A couple other rounds were close, particularly the fifth.  The final scores, with two judges 115-113, were appalling, a reminder of a year full of questionable scores.  Only the British judge saw the fight fair, at 118-110.  Despite the scores, it was never uncompetitive.  Ward won decisively, but someone marked his face up.  He had to put in a superlative effort.  Beating Carl Froch is an all day affair.  Ward remembered to pack a lunch.

As tomorrow begins, both men can look at exciting futures.  Froch, at 34, surely has the shorter one.  He stated a willingness to face Bute (30-0, 24 KO) and, with Ward unlikely to go straight to his number one contender, it’s a great match.  Froch would test the toughness of Bute while also giving the Romanian battler a chance to burnish his credentials.  It would be stern test for both.

Ward and Froch seemed open to a rematch with Kessler (44-2, 33 KO).  Kessler has a WBO belt to win versus Robert Stieglitz (40-2, 23 KO) next April.  Kessler-Froch II would be outstanding, as their first fight was.  Ward may want to answer Kessler cries of foul in their first fight.  Given some of the improvement Kessler showed inside his last time out, Ward-Kessler II might be a better fight than most assume.

Just for fun, if Froch wanted to move to 175 lbs., could a fight with IBF titlist Tavoris Cloud  (23-0, 19 KO) miss?  Just throwing it out there.

Sometimes lopsided losses result in the same a second time.  Sometimes fight fans get a shocking return like Martin Castillo-Alexander Munoz II.  Ward-Kessler II has its intrigues.  If Froch can win a fight or two, he could earn a return as well. 

Ward has a WBC mandatory looming against Anthony Dirrell (24-0, 21 KO).  The brother of Andre Dirrell is short on resume but he has talent, pop, and comes to fight.  It would be a quality first defense while a potential showdown with Bute seasons.

The point is, while the tournament is over, the future remains thrilling at Super Middleweight as long as the core of the class sticks around.  Along with Bantamweight and Jr. Welterweight, it stands as boxing’s high point in terms of divisional excellence.  

Tomorrow is bright indeed. 

 

Report Card Picks 2011: 42-18

Ratings Update

Super Middleweight: Ward ascends to the champion’s slot.  Froch slips to third behind Lucian Bute and the only other man to defeat him, Mikkel Kessler.

The full ratings update is a click away.

>>>>>>Click Here To View BoxingScene's Full Divisional Ratings<<<<<<

Cliff Rold is a member of the Ring Magazine Ratings Advisory Panel, the Yahoo Pound for Pound voting panel, and the Boxing Writers Association of America.  He can be reached at roldboxing@hotmail.com