(Photo by John Gichigi/Getty Images)
The Super Six World Boxing Classic tournament began Saturday night in two separate European states.
In the opening bout of the tournament, “King” Arthur Abraham brutally knocked out Jermain “Bad Intentions” Taylor with six seconds remaining in the 12th round at O2 World Arena in Berlin, Germany.
Abraham (31-0, 25 KOs) dominated Taylor (28-4-1, 17 KOs) from the outset and he would have easily won the match via decision had he not flattened the native of Arkansas during the fight’s waning moments with a straight right-hand to the chin.
Taylor, 31, has now lost four out of his last five fights and it is apparent that he is more spent at this juncture of his career than a 65-year-old prostitute.
It is readily evident that the beatings Taylor suffered at the hands of Kelly Pavlik (35-1, 31KOs) have badly diminished his physical capabilities and it is time for the 2000 bronze medalist to seriously consider hanging up his gloves.
On the flipside, Abraham, 29, an Armenian-German who wowed his hometown supporters with his brilliant performance this past weekend, is a genuine force in the ring and his future in prizefighting is exceedingly bright.
In the second bout of the tournament, Carl Froch retained his WBC super middleweight title with a split-decision victory over Andre Dirrell at Trent FM Arena in Nottingham, England.
Froch (26-0, 20 KOs) used his brute strength to successfully counterbalance the superior speed that Dirrell (18-1, 13 KOs) is renowned for and he was able to narrowly prevail in front of his fellow Englishmen.
Froch, 32, who pulverized Taylor last April, has a menacing presence in the ring and he should be considered a genuine favorite to win this tournament upon its completion in approximately 18 months.
Conversely, Dirrell, 26, the winner of the middleweight bronze medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics, will quickly rebound from his first and only professional defeat.
Dirrell has a tremendous set of skills and his loss to Froch should simply be considered a minor setback.
In summary, Abraham looked like a “King” and Froch will remain a worthy adversary for any opponent he faces henceforth.
Dirrell will learn and improve from his loss and Taylor should be advised to retire before he inflicts “bad intentions” upon his body.
Although only two pugilists emerged victorious this weekend, the entire sport of boxing won because of the solid action that was displayed in both bouts.
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