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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.
Following his twelve round decision loss to WBA super middleweight champion Andre Ward at the Oracle Arena in Oakland, California, Allan Green explained why he appeared to look so tired and sluggish in the fight. Green said he overtrained and felt weak coming into the fight.
Former light heavyweight champion Antonio Tarver has issued a warning to the current heavyweight champions. Tarver (27-6, 19 KOs), 41-years-old, plans to move up by two divisions to make a run at heavyweight. Tarver lost his last two bouts, both coming by way of decision to Chad Dawson.
Niagara Falls Conference Center in New York, former two-time heavyweight champion Hasim Rahman (47-7) stopped Shannon Miller (16-5) in the fourth of a scheduled ten round fight. Rahman was reported to have dropped Miller four times in the contest. He punished Miller in badly in the third and then set up a huge right hand that sent Miller crashing for the fourth time in the fourth and the final round. The fight was stopped at 1:37 into the round.
At the San Juan del Rio in Queretaro, Mexico, Omar Nino (29-3-2, 11KOs) captured the WBC junior flyweight title with a twelve round decision over Rodel Mayol (26-5, 20KOs). The scores were 115-112, 117-109 and 115-111.
In a very close battle at the Emperors Palace in South Africa, Hekkie Budler (16-0, 5KOs) won a twelve split decision over Juanito Rubillar (48-15, 23KOs) to retain his IBO junior flyweight title. The scores were 115-113 and 116-111 for Budler and 114-113 for Rubillar on the third card. The fight was a rematch of their controversial bout from February, which Budler won with a close majority decision.
At the Oracle Arena in Oakland, California, the final bout in the second stage of the Super Six Boxing Classic takes place, with Allan Green (29-1, 20KOs) making his Super Six debut against WBA super middleweight champion Andre Ward (21-0, 13KOs). Green, the big underdog, will attempt to unseat the champion in his backyard. A big hometown crowd is expected to back Ward. If Ward wins, he would replace Arthur Abraham as the tournament points leader.
It appears Kermit Cintron has no interest in a third meeting with Antonio Margarito. Cintron told the Reading Eagle - "they can kiss my ass" - referring to Margarito and his team, when asked if he was willing to fight Margarito for the vacant WBC junior middleweight title. Sergio Martinez vacated the title on Wednesday.
Former heavyweight champion Nikolai Valuev has his back against the wall. A $1.5 million dollar offer is sitting on the table for Valuev to fight WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko in the fall. Valuev's only other option, a rematch with WBA champion David Haye, is now in the trash.
According to several reports in Mexico, Antonio Margarito and Kermit Cintron could fall in line to fight for the vacant WBC junior middleweight title. As previously broken on BoxingScene.com, Sergio Martinez gave up the WBC title at 154 and made a decision to continue as the WBC champion at 160-pounds.