San Francisco, CA– Every now and then, I rate each division in boxing from heavy to 105 lbs. Seeing the super middleweight (168 lbs) championship is on the line twice technically this weekend with World & WBA champ Andre Ward defending vs. Sakio Bika in Oakland, while Carl Froch and Arthur Abraham vie for the WBC diadem in Finland with Showtime televising both.
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EVERYBODY BUT JERMAIN TAYLOR & KESSLER HAD AN “0″
Mikkell Kessler lost UD 12 to ex-champ Joe Calzaghe. With Andre Ward, Arthur Abraham, Carl Froch, as well as Andre Dirrell, (who recently left the Super Six 168 lb. tourney with medical issues) all of these men entered the round robin form of fighting unbeaten. Only Ward at 22-0, 13 KOs, is still in possession of an “0.” Having been the best already in Kessler, Ward is sans any doubt numero uno at 168. Not underestimating Bika, the improving champ will be looking for the stop. If only Lucien Bute of Canada, the IBF belt bearer, if he can remain unbeaten there is fruit for the winner of the Super Six after it is over.
HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION HAS NO YANKS
This is not an American thing anymore. The heavyweight division is European and gigantic. In a sport where they make guys have weigh limits separated by three pounds, they allowed Eddie Chambers at 6’1 & 203 lbs. or so to fight Wladimir Klitschko (55-3, 49 KOs) at 6’7 & 250! Older brother Vitali Klitschko (41-2, 38 KOs) is the better of the two, but seeing these guys are freaks, they should have a weight class to themselves. The UK’s once beaten WBA’s heavyweight claimant David Haye (25-1, 23 KOs) talks a good game, but he is small when it comes to the Klitschko’s too!
SERGIO MARTINEZ “NEW STAR ON THE BLOCK”
When the out of ring activities of middleweight (160 lbs) champion Kelly Pavlik, that and the forever damaged psyche brought on by losing to ancient Bernard Hopkins, had him ducking Paul Williams thrice, he settled on Sergio Martinez who beat on him like he were a rented horse. Martinez (45-2-2, 27 KOs) first defense was against the guy Kelly ran, no sprinted from in the feared Paul Williams. That starch job the one southpaw left did on Williams is forever etched in boxing history.
MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPS NEED SMALLER GUYS TO SHINE?
Marvin Hagler had Tommy Hearns, Roberto Duran, John Mugabi, Ray Leonard, fighting these smaller guys were how Marvin made the vast majority of his money. That being said, who is Sergio to fight at middleweight? Felix Sturn, Daniel Geale, Paul Williams, Sebastian Sylvester, Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam, Dmitry Pirog, Matthew Macklin, Sebastian Zbik, Darren Barker, David Lopez, have you lost interest already? Sort of makes long for Mustapha Hamsho.
UNBEATEN PIROG SAID TO HAVE “THE GOODS”
They say that about a lot of fighters who don’t have “the goods.” Pirog, 17-0, 14 KOs out of Russia, having looked at his resume and yawned, thinking the stop of unbeaten Danny Jacobs wasn’t so much, thus he appears to be the perfect foil for the Argentine. Martinez and jr, middleweight (154) guy Miguel Cotto (35-2, 28 KOs) would be nice, but Cotto needs to be rebuilt and beating Yuri Foreman is no ticket to redemption.
THE HEAVIEST SIX POUNDS IN HISTORY
For those of you looking to get Manny Pacquiao (52-3-2, 38 KOs) hurt with the mindset that it’s only six pounds from 154 to 160, that would be if Manny were a full welter or junior middle. He’s not, Emanuel Steward, who knows a bit about training fighters, says Pac is carrying stuff in his pockets to stay above 140. Being that he is not even a big lightweight (135), for Pacquiao to engage Martinez, even at 154, would be like playing with a loaded gun….while you’re drunk!
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Pedro Fernandez