By Mark Vester

Andre Dirrell sat ringside in Oakland's Oracle Arena on Saturday night to watch good friend Andre Ward retain his WBA super middleweight title with a dominating twelve round decision over Allan Green. Dirrell praised his friend after the fight, but the two close friends will now become enemies for a few short months. Dirrell is scheduled to fight Ward in the third stage of the Super Six Boxing Classic on September 25.

After watching Ward-Green real close, Dirrell realized that he needs to get off first with his punches. He thought both Green and Mikkel Kessler, whom Ward dominated in the first stage of the tournament, allowed the Oakland native to get off first with his punches. Dirrell's strategy to "be first" is going to make his fight with Ward a very active contest from the start.

"I have to be first. I’ve got to get to him first," Direll said.

Dirrell was not surprised with the outcome of Ward-Green. After four rounds of action, Dirrell knew the fight was over because Green was unable to adapt to Ward's style and always allowed him to get off first.

"I knew it was going to be a clinic," Dirrell said. "If Allan didn't bring damage to Andre Ward early then he wasn't going to do it at all. After the fourth round, I knew it was going to be a wrap."

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