The other Super Middleweights awaiting their opportunity
Super Six Super Middleweight Tournament almost seems like ancient history.
I’m sure you’re familiar with the Super Six World Boxing Classic that’s been airing on Showtime. The winner of the tournament will eventually hold the Ring, WBA, and WBC Super Middleweight titles.
The competitors invited to participate in this tournament were the former WBA Super Middleweight Champ Mikkel Kessler, the WBC Super Middleweight Champ Carl Froch, the 2004 Olympic gold medalist Andre Ward, the former middleweight champions Jermain Taylor and Arthur Abraham and the 2004 Olympic bronze medalist Andre Dirrell.
At the outset, the Super Six included, (L to R), Arthur Abraham, Mikkel Kessler, Carl Froch, promoter Wilfried Sauerland, Andre Dirrell, Jermain Taylor and Andre Ward.
Both Taylor and Kessler later withdrew and were replaced by former light heavyweight champ Glen Johnson and super middleweight contender Allan Green. After this development, the organizers had to deal with another change, a change in promoters. Originally, Mick Hennessy promoted Froch, up till his fight with Johnson and then Matchroom Sport took over starting with the Johnson fight.
The first matches took place on October 17, 2009. After three group stages and two semi final matches involving eight, not six, competitors, its come down to just Ward and Froch, the WBA Champion Ward facing the WBC Champion Froch in the finals.
Then the finals had to be set back after Ward received a cut over his right eye in a sparring session on September 22, of this year. Now the finals of the Super Six or should we say Super Eight tournament are scheduled to take place December 17, 2011 at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N. J.
Since the idea for this tournament was hatched long before October, 2009, the process of determining their champion has taken almost two and a half years to complete.
Lookout Super Six or Super Eight, Edwin Rodriguez is coming.
A lot can and did happen within that Super Middleweight division. Just recently, Showtime’s boxing analyst Steve Farhood opined, “At this time, Rodriguez is the No. 1 American super middleweight prospect.”
Who’s he talking about? He was referring to the undefeated and fan friendly Edwin “La Bomba” Rodriguez (20-0, 14 KOs) who just finished off the previously undefeated Will Rosinsky (14-1, 8 KOs) Friday night on Showtime’s Showbox in an action packed fight at the MGM Grand Foxwoods in Connecticut.
Edwin Rodriguez (L) poses for a photo with his opponent Will Rosinsky at their Thursday weigh-in.
Rodriguez won by wearing his opponent down and ripping off combinations to Rosinky’s head and body. In the end, all three judges scored the bout 100-90 for Rodriguez.
On the eve of the win-or-go-home Stage 3 group matchup between Green and Johnson, offensive-minded Rodriguez TKO’d James McGirt Jr. in hopes of sending a message to the Super Six World Boxing Classic organizers.
This give-and-take puncher from Worcester, Massachusetts by way of the Dominican Republic, has been delivering with nothing but the most action-packed shows. Here’s hoping he gets a title shot against either Froch or Ward.
Lucian Bute is the IBF Super Middleweight Champion of the World.
And what about the IBF Super Middleweight World Champion who they ignored, southpaw Lucian Bute (29-0-0, 24 KOs). Last time I checked he was still undefeated after defeating Sakio Bika, Librado Andrade, Edison Miranda, Jesse Brinkley, Brain Magee and Jean Paul Mendy. In two weeks he’ll be defending his title against Glen Johnson at the Pepsi Coliseum in Quebec, Canada. So before Showtime declares they have the one and only Super Middleweight Champion, they should at least give these gents a shot.
