Andre Ward vs Mikkel Kessler Result

Andre Ward tore up the form book in a sensational victory against Denmark's Mikkel Kessler. The sporting press and the majority of neutrals fans (myself included) didn't believe the young American stood a chance against such a seasoned champion but, in spectacular fashion, Ward dominated from the first through to its premature stoppage in the 11th. The only blot on the copybook was his repeated use of the head butt.

With the first round of matches in the Super Six now complete it is the Americans who have provided the surprises. Going into the tournament most analysts viewed the winner as a tossup between any of the three Europeans but it is the two Andre's who have made people sit up and take note. Even in defeat, Andre Dirrell demonstrated blinding speed and flashy technique (shame about the tactics) while Ward has just dethroned the super middleweight king in a display brimming with confidence and ability that belied his tender years.

The opening two rounds were a cagey affair but Ward still managed to assert his dominance. The sharpness and speed of his combo's were too much for the Dane, who could only offer an ineffective jab in return and his big right was nowhere to be seen. Still, Kessler often takes a couple of rounds to acclimatise while charting his opponents' demise, so there was no cause for undue alarm.

His fans certainly must have hoped so but the third proved no different to the opening two and as the fight progressed into the fourth it was clear that Kessler was in trouble. A minute in, Ward landed a beautiful combo starting with two shots to the body then a big left hook to the head. He followed that up with two big right hooks later in the round while the Dane was unable to pull off anything of note.

The trend continued into the fifth; Ward's headwork, movement and repeated stance changes totally frustrated Kessler. He was unable to find his range or any kind of rhythm. All the meaningful shots were landed by the American.

The sixth and seventh saw Ward lose his composure. He repeatedly lunged headfirst at Kessler while throwing scrappy shots and the opportunities were there for 'The Viking Warrior' to land a punch that could change the direction of the fight but he was unable to capitalize. Indeed, in the final minute of the seventh he threw a monstrous left hook on the break that could have knocked Ward clean out but it was so wild and telegraphed that the American easily ducked it. It was a tangible indication of frustration.

In Kessler's corner before the eighth his body language was that of a beaten man but things were about to get a whole lot worse for him. Ward's repeated head-lunging finally opened up a nasty cut above his right eye, which bore all the hallmarks of a fight-ending injury, though the ref didn't spot it.

Gamely he fought on, but the pattern remained much the same as in earlier rounds; Ward's speed proved decisive in landing flashy combos while his movement and clinching prevented his opponent from gaining any foothold in the fight.

In the tenth another head butt from Ward - this one even more shocking and damaging than the last - opened up a cut above Kessler's other eye. This clash of heads did not go unnoticed but the ref ruled it accidental.

Going into the 11th, Kessler's face was a real mess. The cuts were severe and his trainer asked him - not for the first time - if he wanted to quit. Admirably he fought on, still trying to find a home for the big right that had eluded him all night, but midway through the round the ref took the decision out of his hands and stopped the fight on cuts following doctor's orders. He ruled the head butt, which he spotted, as being decisive so the fight went prematurely to the scorecards (as opposed to a TKO victory) with Ward winning comprehensively; 98-92 on two cards and 97 - 93 on the other.

In the post-fight interviews Ward was gracious in victory calling Kessler "a super champion." He should have left it at that, instead he had to spoil it all by spouting his rabid and arrogant religious views. Does he fail to see that by suggesting his victory wass assured because God is on his side he is thereby inferring that God was not on his opponent's side? What is so special about Ward that he is so favoured by the almighty? Nothing that I can see. 'Son of God'... Get out!

Kessler was no better. In one of the most galling examples of sour grapes I have ever had the misfortune of witnessing, he blamed the defeat on everything (the ref, clinching, head butts, hometown decisions) except his own performance. What is it about the Danes lack of decorum in the face of defeat? Their behaviour on internet forums and You Tube following Kessler's loss was pathetic and they really need to learn some magnanimity when things haven't gone their way.

Having said that, there were certainly contentious issues in this fight. First off, why was the ref American? Kessler's camp raised an issue with this in the build up to the fight - it infringed the Super Six contracts - and assurances were made that the ref would be Swedish yet, inexplicably, American Jack Reiss oversaw the fight.

This controversy was compounded by Reiss' performance. He did nothing to clamp down on Ward's repeated illegal use of the head and he aided the hometown fighter by rarely breaking up the American's repeated clinching. I have never seen a ref so reluctant to break up a clinch. This clearly upset Kessler's rhythm and it's no secret he hates fighting on the inside.

Despite the head butts and the clinching, it was Ward's superior boxing that proved decisive however. He was simply the better man on the day. Furthermore, head butts, though technically illegal, are part and parcel of the game. Boxers will utilize every tactic they can to gain an advantage. Look at Evander Holyfield and Bernard Hopkins - they have been getting away with it for years. This isn't snooker or golf with players calling fouls on themselves, this is professional fighting. Boxers have to cope with opponents' dirty tactics and use some of their own for good measure. The only unseemly aspect is Ward's religious moralising post-fight when he previously used such illegal moves in the ring.

Many analysts have suggested that the Kessler we saw against Ward was a shadow of the man we are accustomed to. Showtime described his performance as a very 'flat.' There might be something in that. Since losing to Joe Calzaghe in 2007 he had only fought three fights, so maybe there was an element of ring rust. However I think the biggest factor was Ward's superiority - he simply made Kessler look bad.

Next up Ward will face Arthur Abraham and Kessler will have to pick himself up and face Nottingham's Carl Froch. The Super Six is such a brilliant tournament, every fight is so intriguing and my interest has only increased after the first round. Bring it on!

Manny Pacquiao vs Miguel Cotto Result

I'm a bit late with this one as I'm been on holiday so apologies to my regular followers (sorry Dad and Ken from next door). I'm going to keep it brief as an in-depth analysis would be rather pointless now.

Manny Pacquiao totally dominated Miguel Cotto from start to finish and surely put to bed any notion that he cannot bring his exceptional power to welterweight. Why some boxing observers still entertained this idea after he destroyed both Ricky Hatton and Oscar De La Hoya at this weight is beyond me?

Cotto wasn't without opportunities in the fight. Pacquiao's all-action, cavalier style afforded him some openings which he did exploit and surely would have hurt a lesser fighter but nothing seemed to register with Pacman. Cotto simply could not stop the relentless onslaught, his jab proving totally ineffective in fending off the marauding Filipino, and the fight effectively ended as a contest about midway through the scheduled 12 rounds. It was simply a case of damage limitation from then on.

Cotto proved he had the heart of a lion by refusing to capitulate in the face of such extreme punishment but it was certainly disturbing to watch. In the later rounds his face was in train wreck territory. Tragedies like those suffered by Gerald McCllelan and Michael Watson sprang to mind but despite the pleas from Cotto's father at ringside, referee Kenny Bayless seemed intent on letting the fight reach the score cards. Somewhat oddly though he stopped it one minute into the 12th. Personally, I feel the fight should have been stopped two or three rounds sooner but if the ref was resolved on letting them reach the score cards then he should have done so. As it was Cotto suffered needless rounds of pain without the consolation of seeing out the whole fight.

I doubt the Puerto Rican will retire. He is still a great fighter, just not in Manny Pacquiao's league, but then who is? Floyd Mayweather Jr is the obvious answer and a contest against Pacquiao is the match-up everyone wants to see. This is the biggest fight that the sport has to offer and there is absolutely no way it cannot go ahead. I expect the negotiations to be acrimonious and protracted - both camps have displayed greed in the past - but once they agree on the split of profits, we have the biggest fight of the decade on our hands and I'm salivating at the prospect.

Nikolai Valuev vs David Haye Result

Dirrell Eat Your Heart Out!

David Haye would have made Willie Pep proud in Berlin on 7th November. Willie Pep - for those who don't know - reputedly won a round without throwing a punch. The Hayemaker wasn't quite that good but according to some unofficial boxing stats floating around the internet, which I'm not inclined to dispute, he landed an average of eight punches per round, so he wasn't far off. Even more remarkable is that David Haye won the WBA heavyweight belt by decision while landing less than a 100 punches in 12 rounds.

There are obvious echoes with the Carl Froch vs Andre Dirrell bout here. Haye's tactics were negative; he was perpetually on the back foot, constantly evading, relying near exclusively on the counter; at several points he actually broke into a light jog, while Nikolai Valuev was the aggressor relentlessly hunting down his man, attempting to pin him in the corner. Not only that, there was the contentious issue of a debated decision in both fights; a decision which could have gone either way. However there are also some crucial differences. First off, Haye has not made a career out of this kind of performance, while Dirrell always employs such tactics unless he is unable to bully a chump. Furthermore, Haye was fighting a man mountain and was giving away seven stone in weight and nearly one foot in height, while Dirrell was matched with a physical equal. The other important difference is that Carl Froch never looked as poor as Valuev - if the Russian was not blessed with such stature he wouldn't get a sniff of a world title. Let's be frank, he is an appalling boxer.

Haye also claimed to have broken his right hand in the third round and had it not been for the injury he would have fought a more aggressive fight. Well, maybe, but I'm not so sure this is the truth. After all, he fought the first two rounds in the same manner as all the others (with the exception of the 12th) and there were no obvious signs of discomfort when he threw the right. Unlike, for example, Arturo Gatti who grimaced in agony every time he hit Micky Ward with his right in their third bout. Perhaps I'm being unfair by questioning Haye's integrity, maybe he did break a bone and was forced into negative tactics, but there was no evidence of this in the fight and we only have his word to support it.

I have very mixed feelings about the judge's decision. On the one hand Valuev was the aggressor, and threw many more punches, while Haye constantly ran and threw much less. On the other hand, Valuev looked awfully one dimensional, immobile and generally amateurish - he didn't land anything except tentative jabs, whereas Haye connected with some real monsters. Perhaps the most disappointing aspect is that Haye had all the tools to comprehensively win and probably knock the Russian out, yet he played it so safe.

The 12th was a textbook example of how he could have dominated. While still fighting on the back-foot he pounced with some hugely impressive combos and Valuev was in real trouble. The giant Russian had no answer to the speed and more skillful boxing he was up against. Two minutes into the round, a one-two combo carved him open, which Haye then exploited with a peach of a left hook. The legs buckled and Valuev launched into the funky chicken, of which Zab Judah is still the renowned master. It looked as if Haye would finish him there and then but Valuev tied him up and saw out the remaining minute of the fight.

Germany is notorious for home town decisions, so it was very surprising to see Haye strutting and preening before the announcement like he knew something we didn't. British commentators Jim Watt and Ian Darke on Sky had Valuev ahead on the cards and I thought it could go either way, which in Germany means their way, yet remarkably Haye was awarded the win.

The Londoner probably did do enough for the decision despite large swathes of passivity. He clearly demonstrated a technical level of boxing that was far more advanced than his opponent plus he dominated in the final round and came close to a knock out win. As for Valuev, he is the worst heavyweight champion I have ever seen and I include Frank Bruno in that. His performance against Haye reminded me of the exhibition bout between Shaquille O'Neal and Oscar De la Hoya, where Shaq was poorer in every aspect but the gulf in size between the two men made it very difficult for De La Hoya and kept him in the bout.

Valuev will keep on fighting, I'm sure, but this is probably his last big pay day. The American networks aren't interested in him and, after this performance, hopefully Sky will not be either. Every fight I've seen of his has been chronically dull and most broadcasters and fans have cottoned onto this. As for Haye, the immediate post-fight talk has been of a showdown with one of the Klitchko's, probably Vladimir. Despite the advanced years of the Ukrainian this match-up is still a fascinating prospect and the biggest fight the heavyweight division can offer right now. I have no doubt it will provide the spectacle and entertainment this bout clearly didn't.

Amir Khan Vs. Dmitriy Salita

A lot of British fight fans view this one as a foregone conclusion. Dmitriy Salita has only fought bums, they say, Amir Khan will school him yadda yadda. I'm not so sure and I have a hunch that a lot of Khan followers are in for a surprise come the 5th December.

A couple of years ago, I was wasting time on You Tube (no doubt procrastinating on more worthwhile endeavours) when I typed in 'boxing documentary'. The first entry was a BBC film on a young Salita called 'Orthodox Stance.' Ostensibly it followed the difficulties he faced accommodating his Orthodox Judaism while entering the professional ranks, although - to its detriment - it focussed more on religion than boxing. Still, it was an entertaining film and I was impressed with Salita's skills. Since then I have kept as close an eye on him as possible.

Like Khan, Salita has an impressive amateur pedigree, 59-5, with the crowning achievement of a Golden Gloves win in 2001. Upon turning professional, he signed with Bob Arum's Top Rank and looked set to blaze a trail to the summit of the light welterweight division. So far that hasn't happened. The list of his 31 opponents reads like a who's-who of nobodies and it's difficult to fathom why. Bob Arum is a highly experienced promoter, his stable of fighters has included George Foreman, Thomas Hearns, Oscar De La Hoya, Manny Pacquiao and many other legends, and this, allied with the springboard of a Golden Gloves win, should have propelled Salita towards a title fight much sooner than his 32nd bout. To put that in context; Khan is five years younger at 22 and won his WBA belt in his 21st match.

Perhaps the practice of his orthodox Judaism has played a part in this. Salita refuses to fight on the Jewish Sabbath, which runs from sunset on Friday to sunset on Saturday. Boxing matches traditionally take place on a Saturday with up-and-coming fighters appearing on the undercard of more established names; so, outside of winter when it gets dark early, Salita will have been unable to contest these fights, making it difficult to attract a high calibre opponent. He also refuses to associate himself with any sponsors which Judaism deems objectionable. There is a telling incident in 'Orthodox Stance' when Salita's advisor refuses to allow a sponsors' bottle of beer to be placed on a table in front of his man during a press conference. Maybe this uncompromising behaviour has cost him. Sponsorship can increase not only bank balances, but exposure.

Despite this, Salita is still young at 27 and has an opportunity to claim a world title. Whether he can win is another matter. He has never fought an opponent of Khan's quality before and is in uncharted territory. Granted, in the fights I have seen - which haven't been many owing to the reasons above - he has looked immensely impressive. Stylistically he is reminiscent of Mikkel Kessler; a real strong all-rounder without any one standout attribute but, rather, is accomplished - without particularly excelling - in all aspects of his game.

Amir Khan is blessed with both fast hands and explosive power and if it wasn't for his suspect chin he could truly rule the world. His career appeared in tatters when he was spectacularly knocked out inside a minute by Briedis Prescott (and if he has the lofty ambition of becoming an all-time great he will have to avenge that loss) but he has responded admirably by overcoming two difficult opponents - Marco Antonio Barrera and Andriy Kotelnik - since then. Oh and Oisin Fagan.

Granted, Barrerra was long past his sell by date - his bout against Khan was his 71st - but you can't buy that kind of wily experience and Khan did well to win. Following that, he defeated the tricky Ukrainian Kotelnik in a unanimous points decision to claim the WBA light welterweight title, which is all the more impressive in light of his recent disastrous defeat.

Under the tutelage of Freddie Roach, Khan has radically overhauled his style since blocking Prescott's haymaker with his chin; he is a more cautious fighter and no longer attempts the steamroller approach, instead he fights at range with the jab, and occasional flurries, while keeping his chin safely tucked away. He is unlikely to make any changes against Salita, hoping his superior speed will help out-point the Ukrainian and if he manages to land a big punch, that's a bonus, but the main thing is to retain the steady, conservative style that has been his hallmark post-Prescott.

Salita will want to test Khan's chin and discover if it is as fragile as many believe, but he won't take unnecessary risks to do so - not unless he's drinking in the proverbial last chance saloon (not that he would drink in a saloon - proverbial or otherwise). Salita will have to counteract Khan's speed and hopefully he will aim to do this with a busier work rate and high pressure style, while probing for an opening to unload the punch that will end the fight.

Some believe Salita's record flatters to deceive and he will be found out, while others think he has been hampered by the uncompromising practice of his religion. Whatever the case, we will all find out at the beginning of December. Part of me - the considered, judicious part - thinks that Khan will outpoint, if not totally outclass, Salita but I'm going to take a punt and predict a Bernard Dunne style nightmare for the lad from Bolton.

Prediction: Salita win by KO.

Hey look, I've written this whole article without mentioning the fight is between a Muslim and a Jew. Oh shit...