(JUNE 22) Andre Ward retained his WBA
168-pound championship and undefeated record by winning a unanimous
decision over Allan Green in his second straight commanding performance
in the Super Six World Boxing Classic. In front of his hometown
crowd of 8,797 at the Oracle Arena in Oakland, Ward (22-0, 13 KOs)
secured a place in the Super Six semi-finals by dominating a visibly
weak Green (29-2, 20 KOs), of Tulsa, Oklahoma, throughout the entire
twelve round bout. All three judges scored the fight 120 to 108.
Known for his speed and fast hands, Ward
continued to flesh out his repertoire of sweet science strengths by
fighting inside and smothering Green against the ropes for most of the
night.
“I did expect a little tougher fight,” Ward admitted after Green’s ring
performance was in direct opposition to his usual hard punching and
tough talking persona. Ward threw nearly 200 more punches than Green and
outlanded his combos by a margin of 42 to six. At one point, SHOWTIME
play-by-play announcer Gus Johnson exclaimed, “The bully is being
bullied.” Green went to the hospital after the bout as a precautionary
measure.
After the fight, Green responded, “Andre
Ward fought a hell of a fight. I weighed in at 166. By the time I got in
the ring, I felt dead.” Despite his feeling’s tonight, Green’s Super Six
chances are still very much alive. He could still earn a semi-final
berth with a win in Group Stage 3 over WBC world champion Mikkel
Kessler.
Aside from clinching a spot in the Super Six semi-finals with a
tournament-leading four points, Ward’s win marks the first time a Super
Six fighter has won a second fight in the tournament. Arthur Abraham,
Kessler, Carl Froch and Andre Dirrell all have one win with Green
trailing at 0-1.
Dirrell was in attendance to witness the impressive win from Ward, his
former Olympic teammate and next opponent. When ringside reporter Jim
Gray asked him what he’ll need to do to defeat Ward, Dirrell responded,
“I’ve got to get to him first,” referring to Ward’s ability to dictate
the direction of tonight’s bout round after round.
The Ward/Green fight is just one of the exciting and meaningful contests
in Group Stage 3 as all fighters still have a chance to advance to the
Super Six semi-finals and keep the dream alive to emerge victorious from
the Super Six World Boxing Classic.
In other news, SHOWTIME expert analyst and two-time Light Heavyweight
champion Antonio Tarver announced his intentions to bulk up to
Heavyweight and seek out the likes of David Haye and the Klitschko
brothers.
The Ward-Green event was presented by Goossen Tutor Promotions, Antonio
Leonard Productions and DiBella Entertainment. Source/PR
