Puglilistic Preview: Ward vs Green

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Puglilistic Preview: Ward vs Green

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By Martin Schatz

Showtime’s “Super Six” tournament returns to the Oracle Arena and Oakland, California this Saturday night, and will feature the Bay Area’s own, Andre “Son of God” Ward against tournament newcomer, the hard-punching Allan Green. A “puncher’s chance” may be the most over-used term in boxing these days, but Allan Green is one fighter who absolutely lives up to that description. Green possesses authentic power in both hands, and is one of a few current fighters who can end a fight with a single blow. But will it be enough against as savvy and skilled a fighter as the current WBA champion, Andre Ward?

Ward enters the fight with the possibility of becoming the tournament points leader with a victory over Green, and is probably the most well-rounded of the 6 super-middleweights. He won the WBA trinket in a complete washout of Denmark’s Mikkel Kessler in November of last year, in a fight that had the Dane cut deeply over both eyes. The fight has been Ward’s crowning moment in his young career, although many questioned if Kessler had lost a step. That theory was deflated quite a bit when Kessler bounced back to earn a Unanimous Decision victory over Carl Froch in April, and gaining a new version of the championship. What’s good for Kessler is good for Ward in this case, and his dominating performance makes him a heavy favorite over the Oklahoma-based Green.

Allan Green (29-1) enters the tournament as a replacement for Jermain Taylor, a former middleweight champion who has been knocked unconscious by just about everyone lately, and who exited the tournament after an Arthur Abraham right hand deprived him of his senses in the last round of their fight. Green’s story is an odd one. He has a string of highlight reel knockouts, including a brutal 1st round stoppage over former prospect, Jaidon Codrington back in 2005. The knock on him is that his chin is a bit suspect, and he suffered a decision loss to former Andre Ward victim, Edison Miranda. He has decent skills, but is most dangerous as a puncher, and there are very few fighters who can take his kind of power.

While Ward’s style is usually an aggressive one, he is a very smart and cagey fighter, and is far more mature in the ring than one would expect from a 26 year old who has been moved as slowly as he has. In his first fight in front of his hometown at Oracle Arena, Ward faced another dangerous puncher in Edison Miranda. Here, Ward showed his ability in changing up his style, and completely flummoxed the veteran Miranda. Ward used feints, angles, and footwork to fight when and how he wanted, all while avoiding punishment from the dangerous Columbian.

Fight fans should expect a similar result on Saturday. Green is a solid and dangerous opponent, but Ward is far too complete of a fighter to get conned into a gunfight. Look for Ward to fight off the back foot a bit more than usual, turning Green with superior footwork, and punishing him on the inside with rough-house tactics in the clinches.

Andre Ward retains his title, takes a points lead in the tournament, and wins a wide decision over a battered and confused Allan Green.

 

I got Ward winning late stoppage, myself. Circumstance dictates that he has to be, but I don't see Green as someone who is, at this juncture, good enough to be in the tournament.

 

I think he dominates on the way to that late KO, aswell.

 

41,000 posts! Holy ****.