Can Super Six Tournament Help Revive Boxing In The U.S.?
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Super Six World Boxing Classic Begins
Saturday, Will Take Place Over Two Years |
The Super Six World Boxing Classic, a six-fighter super middleweight round-robin tournament, gets underway Saturday with two bouts on Showtime, according to J. Michael Falgoust of USA TODAY. The tournament, featuring boxers Jermain Taylor, Arthur Abraham, Carl Froch, Andre Dirrell, Mikkel Kessler and Andre Ward, “will take place over two years.” A fighter gets “two points for a win, one for a draw and an extra point for a knockout.” The top four fighters will advance to the semifinals that begin next year to “determine an undisputed champion.” The creation of the event “required not only five promoters to agree to terms, but four fighters to risk their unbeaten records, including two putting their 168-pound title belts on the line and one relinquishing his belt to move up eight pounds.” Ward said, “I felt there was no way these promoters were going to sign onto this, and there was no way the champions were going to lock themselves in for two years. … If everything goes according to plan, I think you’ll see other promoters jump on board and start making these kind of matches” (USA TODAY, 10/14). Taylor said, “This tournament is a blessing. It’s the best vs. the best. Everybody is somebody. There’s not a weak link. It’s easy to fight a nobody. But you know you’re coming to see a big fight. It’ll be better for boxing” (USA TODAY, 10/14).
FIGHTING FOR THE SPORT: YAHOO SPORTS’ Kevin Iole wrote what is “great about the concept is that elite -- or close to elite -- fighters will go against each other every time out,” and the “provision to award extra points for each stoppage is genius.” While a purist “may complain that awarding an extra point for a knockout discourages slick boxers, the reality is that it should have just the opposite effect.” The “bigger picture is to create debate and get people talking about the sport.” Showtime is “so committed to the tournament it has created a reality series in conjunction with NFL Films previewing the event.” The show debuted October 10 and will air “every night this week leading up to Saturday’s doubleheader.” But for the series to “give the sport a lift and not just boost Showtime’s ratings, it needs to be so resoundingly successful in the United States that other promoters and networks try to copy it or think outside the box in creating something else” (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 10/13).
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