Andre Ward will defeat Arthur Abraham by unanimous decision in an hour

WBA world super middleweight champion Andre Ward will defend his crown against former IBF world middleweight titlist “King” Arthur Abraham in a couple hours at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif.

The winner between Ward (23-0, 13 KOs) and Abraham (32-2, 26 KOs) will advance to the finals of The Super Six World Boxing Classic sometime this autumn.

Ward, a Bay Area native who became the first American to capture boxing gold in eight years as a light heavyweight at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, last fought November 27 when he earned a unanimous decision win over Sakio Bika.

Conversely, Abraham, an Armenian-German professional who once made 10 successful defenses of his middleweight championship from 2005 to 2009, has lost two of his last three prizefights.

“King Arthur” managed to halt his two-fight losing streak with a flimsy second round TKO triumph over Stjepan Bozic in December.

Abraham was a favorite to emerge victorious in the landmark tournament when it commenced in the fall of 2009.

On the flip-side, boxing pundits felt Ward was too young and inexperienced to make an impact on the tournament.

Ironically, pugilistic experts now consider Ward the tournament favorite.

"A lot of people use the term 'favorite' very loosely," said Ward, 27, to ESPN.com. "But I don't consider myself the favorite, because I haven't gotten my just dues yet. I train with a chip on my shoulder because there is more to prove. There is still plenty of work to be done."

Abraham, a feared slugger with extremely powerful fists, offered his take on the impending bout.

"I know he is the favorite, but that motivates me even more,” said Abraham, 31. “Over history, many favorites have crashed down."

Despite its many warts, this tournament will ultimately prove to be a boon for the lagging sport of boxing.

The Super Six World Boxing Classic has brought together some of the best 168-pound prizefighters in the world and that alone has made this event an achievement.

Unlike boxing, mixed martial arts bouts consistently pits the best scrappers against one another.

Mike Cappiello, a native of Brockton (Mass.) who once battled for the IBO super featherweight crown, believes the better competition in mixed martial arts is responsible for making it more popular than boxing.

“I think MMA has taken over in Massachusetts already,” said Cappiello, who retired with an impressive record of 33-6. “I have gone to many MMA fights and I see it as a big social event.”

Ward, currently rated by Ring Magazine as the No. 9 pound-for-pound prizefighter in the world, will trump Abraham by unanimous decision later tonight.

Subsequently, like other American gold medalists Muhammad Ali, “Sugar” Ray Leonard and Oscar De La Hoya, Ward could become a national superstar and household name.

"I've prepared the way I'm supposed to prepare, the way a champion is supposed to prepare," Ward said. "I respect Arthur Abraham. It's going to be a tough fight. I want to be a great fighter, but I'm not there yet. These are the kind of fights that you have to take and you have to win to be a great fighter."

Ward is correct, “it’s going to be a tough fight.”

However, after he conquers Abraham and remains undefeated, he will rightfully be billed “a great fighter.”