by: James Slater
All set to take place later this year in the latest instalment of the brilliant "Super Six" tournament, are Germany's Arthur Abraham and Andre Dirrell of the U.S. A fascinating fight on paper, most fans and experts seem to think the unbeaten Armenian-born warrior with the lethal punching power will get the win. But given his slick skills and his somewhat awkward style, Dirrell cannot in any way be written off.
Abraham, who will be having just his second fight up at a full 168-pounds, will surely have watched a tape of Dirrell's last fight, his close, debatable decision loss to Britain's Carl Froch. Dirrell, nicknamed "The Matrix," gave Froch all sorts of problems as the WBC champion tried to figure out his switch-hitting opponent's style of fighting. And Abraham may well have some concerns that he too will wind up looking less than impressive against the 18-1(13) 26-year-old - even if he will not admit it..
But making Abraham, 31-0(25) look bad will not be enough for Dirrell; he has to get the win this time if he's to have any shot at doing well in the Show Time tournament. Dirrell was able to avoid most of "The Cobra's" powerful shots, taking the few hurtful shots that did get through well enough. Hard to nail cleanly, the southpaw doesn't figure to give Abraham any easier time when it comes to landing leather on his jaw.
That said, 29-year-old Abraham, back on the same night Froch was having a nightmare with Dirrell, was busy scoring a quite sensational last-round, one-punch KO of Jermain Taylor. Though somewhat past his best (to the extent that some people, promoter Lou DiBella for one, feel "Bad Intentions" should have taken retirement by now) Taylor still had enough boxing skill and heart to give Abraham some problems in the fight. Boxing well early on, before he was hurt in the 9th and then taken out in the 12th, Taylor proved how a slick fighter can frustrate and annoy Abraham. And Dirrell is a lot cuter and tricky than Taylor ever was.
It's up to Dirrell to make a more heartfelt stand in the next "Super Six" fight, and it's up to Abraham to look better than Froch did when he scraped home against Dirrell. Sure, a win is all that matters, but winning in style makes a fighter feel all the more confident when going into the next tournament instalment. For example, will Froch, who says he won't watch his fight with Dirrell again, go into his next fight feeling he has something to prove, and will this make him overanxious? Very possibly; and an overanxious fighter can make mistakes.
I feel Abraham will get the win over Dirrell, but the manner in which he does so won't be pretty or overly impressive. Indeed, a number of fans may cut Froch a break after tournament fave Abraham has also struggled to pick the lock against "The Matrix." And if Froch is feeling anxious to look good in his next fight due to how Dirrell messed him around, how will the also unbeaten Abraham feel going into his next fight if he too is made to look bad against the 26-year-old?
Dirrell, a good fighter, may go against my prediction and out-point Abraham (no way he stops him), but I feel he is destined to be the "Super Six's" spoiler.
All set to take place later this year in the latest instalment of the brilliant "Super Six" tournament, are Germany's Arthur Abraham and Andre Dirrell of the U.S. A fascinating fight on paper, most fans and experts seem to think the unbeaten Armenian-born warrior with the lethal punching power will get the win. But given his slick skills and his somewhat awkward style, Dirrell cannot in any way be written off.
Abraham, who will be having just his second fight up at a full 168-pounds, will surely have watched a tape of Dirrell's last fight, his close, debatable decision loss to Britain's Carl Froch. Dirrell, nicknamed "The Matrix," gave Froch all sorts of problems as the WBC champion tried to figure out his switch-hitting opponent's style of fighting. And Abraham may well have some concerns that he too will wind up looking less than impressive against the 18-1(13) 26-year-old - even if he will not admit it..
But making Abraham, 31-0(25) look bad will not be enough for Dirrell; he has to get the win this time if he's to have any shot at doing well in the Show Time tournament. Dirrell was able to avoid most of "The Cobra's" powerful shots, taking the few hurtful shots that did get through well enough. Hard to nail cleanly, the southpaw doesn't figure to give Abraham any easier time when it comes to landing leather on his jaw.
That said, 29-year-old Abraham, back on the same night Froch was having a nightmare with Dirrell, was busy scoring a quite sensational last-round, one-punch KO of Jermain Taylor. Though somewhat past his best (to the extent that some people, promoter Lou DiBella for one, feel "Bad Intentions" should have taken retirement by now) Taylor still had enough boxing skill and heart to give Abraham some problems in the fight. Boxing well early on, before he was hurt in the 9th and then taken out in the 12th, Taylor proved how a slick fighter can frustrate and annoy Abraham. And Dirrell is a lot cuter and tricky than Taylor ever was.
It's up to Dirrell to make a more heartfelt stand in the next "Super Six" fight, and it's up to Abraham to look better than Froch did when he scraped home against Dirrell. Sure, a win is all that matters, but winning in style makes a fighter feel all the more confident when going into the next tournament instalment. For example, will Froch, who says he won't watch his fight with Dirrell again, go into his next fight feeling he has something to prove, and will this make him overanxious? Very possibly; and an overanxious fighter can make mistakes.
I feel Abraham will get the win over Dirrell, but the manner in which he does so won't be pretty or overly impressive. Indeed, a number of fans may cut Froch a break after tournament fave Abraham has also struggled to pick the lock against "The Matrix." And if Froch is feeling anxious to look good in his next fight due to how Dirrell messed him around, how will the also unbeaten Abraham feel going into his next fight if he too is made to look bad against the 26-year-old?
Dirrell, a good fighter, may go against my prediction and out-point Abraham (no way he stops him), but I feel he is destined to be the "Super Six's" spoiler.
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