4 of 6 fighters in the Super Six tournament will make the semifinals while the other 2 are eliminated, over 3 fights. The real fights in this tournament do not even start until the first 3 stages are done. This means that very little has been determined at this time and that every fighter who continues on has as good a chance of winning as the next fighter. In fact, there is not one possible scenario in which any one of the first 3 fighters to lose can be mathematically eliminated if they lose in stage 2 again (Dirrell, Taylor, Kessler). Smart move by Showtime....it helps keep every fighters' interest until officially eliminated. Therefore, these first 3 stages mean very little from what I can see. Perhaps, it would place a little more importance on these first 3 stages if the fighter with the higher amount of points going in to the semifinals and finals chose the venue or geographical location of the fight to take place between him and his opponent. But that's just speculation on my part. Still, I think this format is great in the way that no fighter is tossed aside after a loss, or even two, with a chance to come back. It also adds excitement which I think will be similar to the playoff atmosphere in the NFL.
Froch and Taylor have to improve themselves too, so I'd say they're even in that compartment. While Taylor and Kessler now have to come from bad defeats, which is not easy at all but can make a fighter even stronger and more motivated (just look at Wladimir K., his losses made him 10 times stronger then his wins) Froch doesn't lack any confidence in the world, but then this may just be his downfall, he wouldn't be the first fighter who never recovered from his first defeat. Kessler could still win the Super Six despite of the defeat if he gets it right. For Taylor I don't think so. Froch on the other side could still be left out despite of the first win. It makes the whole thing just even more interesting.
I hear that but then again if he is not up to the Super 6 then he should retire. Also boxers, even the best, avoid people - the Super 6 is forcing 6 of the best SMWs to fight each other and we will all see that top boxers ALL have padded records - if they really took on all comers they would lose often. Hoping for Kessler, Taylor and Direll to win in the next round just to prove the point
too true. i see what you mean about fighters not being eliminated after a single loss, but i think that the problem with this format is that it takes too long. We won't see the winner until 2011, and it started in 2009. Bute and Andrade should have been included and a straight knock out competition like the FA Cup. Another problem is that titles are on the line. Taylor and Kessler are now both going for world titles when they don't deserve to after their latest perfomances. P.S. I am a fan of the super6
So what? If you win you win, nobody asks you if you "deserved" the title shot or if you "deserved" the win. It was agreed upon befor the whole thing started that two titles are at stake in each round, the winner takes it all. If you lose one fight and then win the other against a titleholder, then you're titleholder, basta. When you get a title shot without being mandatory, you didn't "deserve" the shot but the champion cherrypicked you for his reasons, still if you win you're the new champion, period. What did Ward and Direll do to "deserve" to compete in the Super Six? Does Direll "deserve" another title shot after the Froch fight? Does Ward "deserve" to be called "champion" or whatever after this disgracefull head-butting show he presented against Kessler? Serves him well he now has nothing but the even more worthless "super champion" strap of WBA which isn't good enough even to wipe his own ass with... According to WBA one becomes a "super champion" by being WBA "normal" champion first and then beating a champion of another body. So Kessler was no super champion at all, and WBA just stripped him of his title for no obvious reason and gave him this "super chamipion" crap instead. Now Ward won against Kessler but what did he win? How can he be "super champion" now by never being WBA champion and never being a champion of any other body? The only thing he should be now ("deserved" or not) would be the "normal" WBA champion, which now Sartison is. So what is Ward now? Nothing worth damn to mention...
looks like someone needs to lay off the drugs :nono agreed this was decided before the competition and i don't like cherrypicking the easyiest of opponents either. and i dont like how ward won through headbutting kessler. but if these fights were not in the super6 than these guys wouldn't get this chance after just losing there titles unless it was a rematch... even if the champions were cherrypicking
I can say this much...HBO has ruled boxing and has put Showtime to shame for many, many years. 2009 started to change the momentum as Showtime has stepped up their game and seem to be even with HBO as of right now, and it's largely due to the Super Six. 2010 looks a little better for Showtime and not quite so good for HBO so far.