Andre and Anthony Dirrell now training at Mayweather boxing club in Las Vegas

wo American boxing brothers, with a separate yet unique skillset, both harbour the same goal of obtaining a world championship in a super middleweight division saturated with talent. For Anthony Dirrell, a bout against fringe contender Renan St Juste awaits in December and, if the 27-year-old is successful, he may look to activate his high WBC rank to gain a world title shot. Brother Andre wants similar things but is a fighter who must first return to the ring. Direct link to article. Credit: GSP Speaking to the Flint Journal, Anthony (23-0-0, 20ko) stated that – after destroying a trident of journeymen in 2011 (Alberto Mercedes, Dante Craig, Kevin Engel; all by stoppage) he is ready for a breakout 2012 in which he considerably ups his competition. “It’s my time, and I’m just ready to go in there and show the world that I’m a contender in the super middleweight division. “I want it,” the ambitious Michigan man (pictured left) declared. “It’s destined.” The 168lb weight class is currently spearheaded by three world champions with considerable reputation: IBF kingpin Lucian Bute, WBA titlist Andre Ward and WBC belt holder Carl Froch with the latter two due to do battle on December 17 in the Super Six World Boxing Classic final: “ are standing in the way,” Dirrell cooly said of the experienced super middleweight campaigners who, Anthony feels, are blocking his path to his aforementioned destiny as a champion. “I can’t keep fighting lower opposition, I’ve got to move up and this is my shot to move up. I knew I would have to do it eventually. I train hard, I prepare to the fullest and I’ve been ready to go.” St Juste, a 39-year-old southpaw rated as the top fighter in his division in his native Canada, is of diminutive stature (5’9) compared to the rest of the weight class but has a respectable 23-2-1, 15ko record. Assessing his opposite number, Anthony explained: “I’ve watched a couple of his fights and he’s a good older fighter with a little experience, but I just know I’m ready. I’m just focused on the guy in front of me and nothing down the line. I train for everybody the same and I’m not overlooking him at all.” Anthony and Andre are both renowned for their slick styles. Boxer-punchers by trade, it is Anthony who packs more pop behind his punches while Andre has developed a slightly superior defensive game that focuses on evasive maneuvering. The Dirrell brothers are currently in Las Vegas, enjoying training sessions at the Mayweather Gym on Schiff Drive, where they will be able to further nurture their natural ability. While Anthony has been an active fighter who fights for the fourth time of the year in December, older brother Andre has not boxed since March, 2010 due to neurological problems suffered when he was took an illegal blow dispatched by Arthur Abraham while his guard was down in a Super Six fight. Unable to fight, Andre (19-1-0, 13ko) withdrew from the competition and only got the medical all-clear to resume hard training and sparring earlier in this year. The first man he sparred with was British champion George Groves; a multi-faceted fighter who can bang (see: Kenny Anderson) or box-and-move (see: James DeGale) and, after the spar at the legendary 5th Street Gym in Miami in April, both men left the ring sporting obvious shiners. Even though he is on friendly terms with Groves, Andre (pictured below, right) would not be averse to fighting the Englishman should it have a recognised world championship on the line: “If we ever meet up that’ll be one hell of a fight,” Dirrell said, as reported by Boxing News. “It’s nothing that’ll be in the making in the near future but, if he’s up there, if he has a title – he definitely has the potential to win a world title. He’s a sharp, determined, little fighter. He can box, he can bang a little bit and he’s confident. He’s a tough fighter. Credit: GSP “He’s got a lot of bottle,” added the 28-year-old who was a bronze medal Olympian at the 2004 Games in Athens. “Before he fought James DeGale I saw a lot of comments on Twitter saying ‘George Groves don’t have what it takes, George Groves hasn’t fought anybody, George Groves is not as much of a pure boxer as James DeGale’, and then he went in there and beat DeGale! “I watched bits and pieces of the fight, although I didn’t get to see the whole thing. George Groves stuck to and executed a gameplan. I’m looking forward to seeing how far he gets – I’m hoping for the best for him, he’s a great guy.” Andre has been speculatively linked with a December fight, although an opponent is yet to be announced. For all of boxing’s biggest stories click here http://onthebeak.com/2011/11/01/dirrell-brothers-anthony-and-andre-training-out-of-mayweather-gym-in-las-vegas-531/ http://p.twimg.com/AcJm5O7CEAAA3Ef.jpg:large