Andre Dirrell out of Super Six
There were unbelievable scenes in the Super Six World Boxing classic tournament as Andre Dirrell pulled out of the competition. He is now the third boxer to do so following Jermaine Taylor and Mikkel Kessler’s withdrawals.
Dirrell has withdrawn after suffering with neurological problems which have prevented him from sparring. He was set to face current Super Six leader, WBA, undefeated and number one ranked super-middleweight Andre Ward on November 27th.
Right now it’s hard to say when the injury occurred or how long it has affected Dirrell. Fingers will be pointed at Arthur Abraham who was disqualified for a blow to the American’s head when he was on the canvas in their fight in March. It did look like Dirrell made a meal out of things, rolling around and looking for the stoppage, but perhaps he was in more serious pain than many people realised.
However, Dirrell was checked out at hospital afterward and was classed as being fine, so it would most likely have occurred at some other point.
Dirrell’s controversial Super Six tournament began with a split decision victory over Carl Froch. Dirrell spent the majority of the fight on the run then claimed he was robbed at the end. That, combined with the possibility of an overly hammy roll against Abraham, gives scope for a cynical view of Dirrell's exit.
Ward has to be a boxer to be avoided right now; a seriously talented well-rounded fighter that doesn’t look like he will lose. First Dirrell said he and Ward were friends then he said Showtime was backing “The Son of God” so there was the feeling he wasn’t that up for it, especially as he had already lost his unbeaten record in this tournament, but until proved otherwise Dirrell's injuries should be taken seriously and “The Matrix” should be given the benefit of the doubt.
It is an absolute disaster for Showtime though. Losing Taylor and replacing him with Allan Green devalued the tournament, losing Kessler was crushing and now losing Dirrell effectively discredits the whole competition.
Having brought in Glen Johnson for Kessler just last week they have no real choice but to bring in a replacement for Dirrell and it will have to be a decent name. The Super Six started off as a great idea but the two year commitment was always going to cause problems, especially for elite level fighters who can pick and choice their fights easier.
So more disappointment and now only a fantastic three remain from the super six which brings to mind the question of why they are bothering.
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