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By Thomas Gerbasi - Allan Green wasn’t like the other kids in Tulsa, Oklahoma. While they ran around (like most kids growing up in the 80’s) talking about Spider-Man, The Hulk, or Wolverine, Green danced to his own beat, choosing instead to follow the Norse God of Thunder, Thor.
Even today, Green is never too far away from his childhood hero, whether it’s the comic books in his luggage on the road or the tattoo of Mjollnir, Thor’s Hammer, on his arm.
“Thor is just the man,” smiles Green. “I’ve always liked comics and really liked Thor, even when I was younger.”
Yet like Thor, the red-headed (or blond-headed, if you will) stepchild of the Marvel Universe, Green has seen his career experience a series of starts and stops that has seen him get perilously close to the big time like most of his peers. Face it, ask boxing fans about the super middleweight division and the names immediately coming to mind are those of Mikkel Kessler, Carl Froch, Andre Ward, and even former middleweights like Jermain Taylor and Arthur Abraham. It’s almost like asking someone on the street about superheroes, and getting at least ten different responses before getting to the name Thor.
Of course, that may change once the major motion picture release of Thor in 2011. As for Green, he’s got a timetable that’s a little bit more accelerated, and the self-proclaimed “Superhero of the Super Middles” wants to be in the title picture yesterday.
That’s where the water gets a little murky. But what is clear at this point is that Green is currently on the perpetual tightrope walked by those contenders on the brink of getting their big shot – the one where you have to stay busy, but at the same time avoid getting a loss that will send you plummeting down the ranks. Tonight, at the First Council Casino in Newkirk, Oklahoma, Green is on the high wire, and poking a stick at him will be unbeaten late replacement Tarvis Simms. [details]
Even today, Green is never too far away from his childhood hero, whether it’s the comic books in his luggage on the road or the tattoo of Mjollnir, Thor’s Hammer, on his arm.
“Thor is just the man,” smiles Green. “I’ve always liked comics and really liked Thor, even when I was younger.”
Yet like Thor, the red-headed (or blond-headed, if you will) stepchild of the Marvel Universe, Green has seen his career experience a series of starts and stops that has seen him get perilously close to the big time like most of his peers. Face it, ask boxing fans about the super middleweight division and the names immediately coming to mind are those of Mikkel Kessler, Carl Froch, Andre Ward, and even former middleweights like Jermain Taylor and Arthur Abraham. It’s almost like asking someone on the street about superheroes, and getting at least ten different responses before getting to the name Thor.
Of course, that may change once the major motion picture release of Thor in 2011. As for Green, he’s got a timetable that’s a little bit more accelerated, and the self-proclaimed “Superhero of the Super Middles” wants to be in the title picture yesterday.
That’s where the water gets a little murky. But what is clear at this point is that Green is currently on the perpetual tightrope walked by those contenders on the brink of getting their big shot – the one where you have to stay busy, but at the same time avoid getting a loss that will send you plummeting down the ranks. Tonight, at the First Council Casino in Newkirk, Oklahoma, Green is on the high wire, and poking a stick at him will be unbeaten late replacement Tarvis Simms. [details]
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