WARD DOMINATES FROCH TO WIN SUPER SIX CHAMPIONSHIP, BROOK WINS U.S. DEBUT

Ward Dominates Froch to Win Super Six Championship, Brook wins U.S. Debut

BY: ADAM MILLICAN

Andre ‘S.O.G.’ Ward was too fast, too accurate, and too tough for a game but overmatched Carl ‘The Cobra’ Froch when they collided tonight in the championship bout of the Super Six World Boxing Classic. Ward dominated Froch over the course of twelve rounds, landing sharp jabs and quick left lead hooks to win a unanimous decision victory. He displayed superior boxing skills in every aspect of the fight and in doing so established that he is without a doubt the best 168 lb fighter in boxing.

The bout started slowly with both fighters feeling each other out in the first round. Each man tried to establish his jab early on. Ward showed right away that he was very comfortable fighting on the inside. The second round saw both fighters come out more aggressively. Ward continued to fight on the inside and landed his jab with more frequency. Froch was effective with a pair of bodyshots but Ward fired back with a counter left hook that found the back of Froch’s head. Ward’s advantage in speed and accuracy was apparent early on.

The middle rounds of the fight were controlled by Ward. Froch looked increasingly hesitant, stiff, and unsure of himself and how to solve the riddle in front of him. He was clearly bothered by Ward’s handspeed and his ability to land big power shots. Ward was the more aggressive of two and he was able to pin Froch against the ropes and trap him in the corner several times. When the fighters were in close Ward was able to slip most of Froch’s shots and land his own combos in return. Froch, who is often a volume puncher displayed a diminished punch output, looking uncertain and reluctant to let his hands go for fear of eating Ward’s counters. The Cobra’s frustration with his inability to get off came to a head at the end of the eighth round when he threw a right hand at Ward several seconds after the bell.

Ward kept his composure and stuck to his game plan through the mid and later rounds. Although Froch had a strong ninth round Ward continued to apply pressure and controlled the fight with superior punching and strong power shots. Each fighter came out to start the tenth looking aggressive but the last few rounds played out the same with Ward firmly in control. Ward landed his left hook with frequency and got the better of nearly every exchange. Froch, likely knowing that a knockout was his only chance of winning the fight, came out with urgency in the last round but was not able to hurt Ward before the final bell.

The scorecards came back unanimous for Ward, who won by scores 115-113, 115-113, and 118-110. In the postfight interview he told Jim Gray that he knew ‘right away’ that he was much faster than Froch. ‘We were able to beat him to the punch and that’s what won us the fight’, Ward said. Froch described Ward as ‘very slippery’, noting that ‘I couldn’t get my shots off, it was very frustrating for me’. He acknowledged Ward’s excellent defense, describing him as ‘good at keeping out of harm’s way’. Ward said that he deserved a good long break but evaded the question of whether he would fight Lucian Bute next. Froch said that he had some things to work on in the gym and that he thinks he could beat Froch on a good night, but didn’t name a potential opponent for his next bout.

Both fighters displayed good sportsmanship after their respective interviews by shaking hands and congratulating each other. Ward was then presented with the Super Six championship trophy. After two long years during which he dominated his tournament opposition, Andre Ward now stands alone atop the super middleweight division.

Brook wins in U.S. Debut

Kell Brook scored a fifth round TKO, defeating Luis Galarza in his first fight in the United States. Brook had his opponent hurt in the first round. He worked behind his jab and applied pressure throughout the fight. In the fifth round he let loose with a barrage of punches that caused the referee to call the bout to a halt. Brook has a number of options after this fight. It remains to be seen whether his promoters step up his level of opposition next year, or bring him back to the UK and match him against more second tier fighters.