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On Saturday, March 27, Arthur Abraham meets Andre Dirrell in “round two” of the Super Six Tournament. This is an outstanding match-up in any context. Having it as part of the round-robin tournament on Showtime only adds to the interest in the super middleweight division.
There are some sharp contrasts between the two boxers. Abraham, the former IBF Middleweight Champion, is 5' 10” tall; has a 72” reach; and is undefeated, with 25 wins by KO in his 31 victories. At the age of 30, the soft-spoken Abraham is looking to become a “star” in the United States. When it became apparent that he was making himself weak by making the middleweight limit, Abraham easily transitioned into the super middleweight division with an impressive 12-round knockout over Jermain Taylor.
Andre Dirrell won 231 amateur fights, including a couple national titles and a Bronze medal in the 2004 Olympics, displaying a style far better suited for professional boxing than the pitter-patter of international amateur competition. At age 26, he stands 6' 2” tall, with a 75” reach. Although the southpaw sensation has fought at a heavier weight, he appears most comfortable at super middleweight. He won his first 18 bouts, including 13 by knockout, before losing a highly disputed split-decision to Carl Froch last October.
What will happen when these two warriors meet in the ring? This fight could go either way. Hence, for this preview, Patrick will explain why he favors Abraham, while Darren tells why he believes Dirrell will be victorious.
{1} Arthur Abraham by late-round TKO (Pat)
Both Arthur Abraham and Andre Dirrell are likable men outside of the ring. Both are good representatives of the sport. And both are extremely capable boxer-punchers, who have the ability to defeat any other fighter in the super middleweight division. But “styles make fights,” and this truth of this adage will be apparent during every round of this weekend's fight in Detroit.
Arthur Abraham is in his prime. His early career, fought exclusively in Germany, was against relatively soft competition, until he met Nader Hamdan (36-1) in September of 2004, for a regional title. He won that bout by way of a TKO in 12. Four fights later, he decisioned tough Howard Eastman (40-2) in 12 rounds.
Fourteen months after that, Abraham was given a hometown decision over Edison Miranda in what was among the most brutal fights in recent history. Referee Randy Newman did a disgraceful job that night, but no matter how the decision went, Arthur Abraham proved himself to be both brave and strong. When they met in a return match in Florida, Abraham dominated the fight, and ended it early.
In the opening round of the “Super Six,” Abraham met a determined Jermain Taylor. Although Taylor fought well in the early rounds, Abraham's physical strength and boxing ability allowed him to turn the tide, before his devastating power ended it dramatically in the 12th round.
On the other hand, Dirrell had a difficult time with Froch. The truth is that Carl Froch is a strong, talented fighter, but not a great fighter. He is what we used to call a “raw-boned” fighter, in rural upstate New York. Tough as nails, but only a half-step away from a street fighter. He is strong, athletic, determined, and has great conditioning. But Dirrell should have been able to beat him so convincingly, that the judges couldn't take the decision away from him.
Before the fight, Dirrell appeared agitated. He was nervous. Plus, his management had not brought him over early enough to adjust properly. On top of all that, the referee was at very best totally incompetent. The ref allowed Froch to maul Dirrell, without consequence. Now, those things add up – a raw-boned opponent, an error by management, and a terrible referee. But this is boxing, not a pillow fight or a high school debate.
While I believe that Dirrell clearly won the fight, he made mistakes that I expect him to repeat against Abraham. When pressed, Andre attempts to clinch. But he doesn't do it properly. He leans too far forward, and so his center of balance is off. Dirrell's feet crossed numerous times. That's why Froch was able to toss him around.
Andre will probably outbox Arthur in the early rounds. In the middle rounds, it will become a tougher fight. Abraham will be effective in the trenches. He's going to land some serious body punches. Then, in the late rounds, Dirrell will attempt to slow the pace. He will need to tie Arthur up inside, to protect himself from those punishing body-blows. When he leans forward inside, I think that King Arthur will take advantage of the opportunity to go upstairs. Look for Abraham to win by TKO after the tenth round.
{2} Andre Dirrell by Decision (Darren)
Arthur Abraham is definitely the toughest opponent that Andre Dirrell will face at this point in his career. He proved that he is willing to endure any amount of pain to win, in his first fight with Edison Miranda. To continue to fight with a broken jaw, against an opponent with the power of Miranda, says a lot about Abraham's determination.
Abraham's boxing skills are underrated. He is surprisingly hard to land a solid blow against. But, on the other hand, his punching power is a bit overrated. His record shows that against quality opposition, he tends to wear people down, then stop them late in the fight. That is what Abraham's people think will happen when he meets Andre Dirrell. I think they are in for a surprise.
Dirrell is the naturally bigger man, including not only a significant advantage in height and reach, but overall size. He is also the younger man, and is only beginning to reach his peak in the ring. He has faster hand speed, and moves around the ring with a quickness and ease that Abraham cannot match.
There are two other advantages that Dirrell has going into this fight, that are important. The first is the setting of Detroit. Andre is from Flint, Michigan, and so he enjoys something of a “home town advantage.” He isn't traveling to Nottingham or to Germany. Abraham will be fighting outside of his home turf for only the third time.
Even more important is that while some young fighters are destroyed by their first loss, Andre is coming back stronger. The fight with Froch did not damage him, either mentally or physically. He has been able to put that “loss” in the proper perspective. The Andre Dirrell that steps into the ring on Saturday will be performing at a much higher level as a result.
The outcome of this fight will be determined by one factor in particular: speed. Andre's speed will be too much for Abraham to handle. In order to land effective punches, Abraham has to be set. His intelligence in the ring, including his sense of anticipation, has allowed him to get set in the later rounds against other opponents, such as Taylor. And, with all due respect to Jermain Taylor, he was already damaged when he fought Abraham. He had never been at the level he had been after his two impressive fights with Bernard Hopkins. And in his fights with Pavlik and Froch, he took serious punishment. Abraham knew that if he forced a fast pace, Taylor would tire out and be vulnerable in the late rounds.
Dirrell will set a different pace against Abraham. Being a southpaw, he will be able to land the jab, and put punches behind it, then move away to the side. In order to pick up the pace, Abraham will have to take some risks, leaving himself more open for crisp counter-punches. The game-plan isn't to wear Abraham down and knock him out; he is too durable for that. Rather, it's to out-speed him, to frustrate him, and to take advantage of the mistakes he begins to make. Andre will be taking this fight one round at a time, knowing that he can accumulate enough rounds to win a unanimous decision.
It would be foolish to take Abraham lightly. Each fighter in the “Super Six” is outstanding, and on any given night, has the ability to beat any of the others. That's what makes this tournament so good for boxing. By the end of it, what is going to separate the top fighters from the others will be two things: speed and ring smarts. The combination of those factors is why I am confident that the future of the super middleweight division will be Andre Ward and Andre Dirrell. And boxing fans couldn't ask for two better fighters in that exciting division.
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