By Cliff Rold
After a brief delay, and a change of venue from California to the Motor City, the opening bout in stage two of the “Super Six” tournament is finally under way. From this weekend to June 19, three fights will take place and shape just how urgent the outings in the final round will be. The urgency of politics has already shown it face.
Earlier in the week, the team of German-based Arthur Abraham balked at the potential for home cooking in the assignment of officials. The field has been diversified, and a new referee brought in, but the specter of drama can’t be ignored.
There were many who felt, and strongly within the team of Andre Dirrell, that the 2004 U.S. Olympic Bronze Medalist was mistreated in the scoring of his opening round contest against WBC titlist Carl Froch last October. It never boiled into much of a controversy because of the nature of the contest but the feelings haven’t changed. Now, he’s got the favored Abraham in his backyard.
Will that mean anything on Saturday?
Let’s go to the report card.
The Ledgers
Arthur Abraham
Age: 30
Current Title: None
Previous Titles: IBF Middleweight (2005-09, 10 Defenses)
Height: 5’10
Weight: 168 lbs.
Average Weight – Last Five Fights: 162.5 lbs.
Hails from: Berlin, Germany (Born in Armenia)
Record: 31-0, 25 KO
Record in Major Title Fights: 11-0, 7 KO
BoxingScene Rank: #3
Current/Former World Champions/Titlists Defeated: 3 (Raul Marquez, Jermain Taylor)
Vs.
Andre Dirrell
Age: 26
Title: None
Previous Titles: None
Height: 6’2
Weight: 167.5
Average Weight - Five Most Recent Fights: 167.55 lbs.
Hails from: Flint, Michigan
Record: 18-1, 13 KO
Record in Major Title Fights: 0-1
BoxingScene Rank: #7
Current/Former World Champions/Titlists Faced in Defeat: 1 (Carl Froch)
Grades
Pre-Fight: Speed – Abraham B; Dirrell A+
Pre-Fight: Power – Abraham A+; Dirrell B
Pre-Fight: Defense – Abraham B+; Dirrell B
Pre-Fight: Intangibles – Abraham B+; Dirrell B
In evaluating the physical contest, Dirrell will enter with a decided edge in hand speed but it’s an often self-mitigated advantage. In losing the fight to Froch (and despite the debates, he deserved to), the American showed off his good and bad qualities. A switch hitter, when Dirrell jabs and comes forward from either side his speed makes him dangerous; that’s good Dirrell.
Too often, not just against Froch but going back to the amateurs, there is also bad Dirrell, a fighter whose fast hands are employed with the aid of faster feet moving him away from an opponent in a fashion for suitable for fencing than professional fighting. Mix in, as was the case with Froch, constant holding and complaining when his opponent tried (albeit with some rough tactics) to force some action into the contest and Dirrell’s speed is part of a nightmare style to watch.
Abraham has tools to mitigate the speed of both good and bad Dirrell. Unlike Froch, who would often be overanxious in chasing Dirrell, Abraham pretty much approaches everyone the same. With a high guard and patient stalk, Abraham comes forward and lets opponents hit him in the arms until they slow down enough for his right hands and left hooks to start finding the target. He’s underrated, both as a body puncher and a practitioner of the feint. He doesn’t just feint with the shoulder or in the same direction every time; he targets with well short jabs aimed in different areas to pull opponents eyes away from what he truly intends.
His defense, an asset most of the time, has a hole. Abraham can be open, especially early in the fight, for precise hooks to the body. Against a fighter like Dirrell, it could also be a liability if Dirrell successfully stays in range at center ring. He can build up points, constantly turning, and have a lot of rounds in the bank before Abraham realizes he hasn’t touched Dirrell enough to slow him down late. Abraham may have to come out of his shell a little more than usual, and jab with greater frequency, to avoid a situation where all he can rely on is the hope of a single big bomb.
Conversely, Dirrell can’t feel too comfortable merely because of turf. If defense becomes less sweet science and more track and field, the boo-birds could influence judging against him. The problem with staying too close could be a susceptibility to overhand rights when he squares up between stance transitions.
In terms of intangibles, Abraham has yet to face a style like Dirrell’s. This is a bout which could genuinely become a source of frustration. Abraham has seldom been out of his comfort zone since a brutal broken jaw forced him to box and move to victory over Edison Miranda in their first contest in 2006. That fight showed off what many viewers admire in an Abraham whose approach, while often concussive, is not all action. Abraham comes across as a hard man in the ring.
In contrast, Dirrell comes across as hyper, lacking in the full confidence his athletic acumen should give him. There were positives in the Froch fight, particularly late. He staggered the rugged Brit and, when behaving with full hardened professionalism, laid on some solid thrashing. If he could display that sort of ring maturity for a full fight, Dirrell might be the special fighter some have lost faith that they will find in him.
The Pick
This is a tough call because, of all the fighters in the Super Six, it is Dirrell who probably presents Abraham with the most difficult style match. Dirrell’s movement and jumpiness, while sometimes hard to watch, may serve him better here than any attempt to sit down on his shots.
What will be critical is how the fight is officiated. If Dirrell pot shots and holds, and Abraham is constantly being pushed backwards on the breaks, then Dirrell will maintain the extra step ahead all night. If Abraham is allowed some time to muscle Dirrell up in the clinches, he can work on building wear on his foe where punches might not be able to do it early.
A key factor could be the height and reach. Dirrell has longer arms, and is notably taller. If he fights at full range, Abraham is going to have a hard time stopping it.
The feeling is that he will. Dirrell is going to feel comfortable in front of a home state crowd at the Joe Louis Arena and but he’s also going to remember the sting of defeat. He’ll want to look good enough to create some openings for a fighter who thrives on sparse moments. After a long layoff since the end of the first round, the Super Six needs a wake up moment. An upset or knockout will do and, while both are possible, Abraham has to be stuck with until proven otherwise.
Abraham by stoppage sometime after round nine.
Report Card Picks 2010: 6-1
Cliff Rold is a member of the Ring Magazine Ratings Advisory Panel and the Boxing Writers Association of America. He can be reached at roldboxing@hotmail.com
