lpinoy
05-12-2011, 02:39 PM
C/P
By Rocco Morales
Wednesday afternoon, Arnie Morton’s Steakhouse in Burbank, California, was the site of the final press conference for the showdown between WBA Super World super middleweight champion, Andre “S.O.G.” Ward, and former IBF middleweight chamion, “King” Arthur Abraham.
Emotions ran high, particularly from the Ward camp, at the press conference as there seemed to be some hostility regarding the Abraham camp’s insistence on neutral ringside officials. However, the Abraham camp responded that this was in the contract all along not only for this fight but for all Super Six World Boxing Classic tournament fights. Ward’s camp, however, chose to portray things differently, and not look it as a contractual issue as much as a matter of Abraham’s camp losing faith in their fighter and looking for any possible advantage.
In addressing the crowd, Abraham’s promoter, Wilfred Sauerland, Sauerland Event, said, “We liked the idea of the tournament when we first heard about it. It brings the best of the division against each other.” “There has been a lot of uproar about asking for a neutral referee but it appears that a contract is not necessarily a contract. I’ve heard complaints from Mr. Goossen but this has been the agreement all along for neutral ringside officials.”
Ulle Wegner, the trainer of Abraham, took the podium and said, “I know it will be a very difficult fight for us, and I am hoping the best man will win and I hope we have a fair fight with fair officials and be good for the sport of boxing and a real treat for fans. We’re done with the talking and now it is time to enter the ring on Saturday night.”
In response, Ward promoter and host of the press conference, Dan Goossen of Goossen Tutor Promotions said, “To make something clear, there was never, ever, any problem with the officials for this event and why this is still being brought up I cannot tell you. I don’t want to look like I’ve done something devious which I haven’t. The Showtime tournament contract spelled out there would neutral ringside officials and there is a Puerto Rican referee, a German judge, a South African judge and an American judge—just because he is a Goossen is no reason to get upset” deadpanned Goossen.
Ward’s trainer, Virgil Hunter, next took the podium and continued the attack on the Abraham camp. “I have mixed emotions about this event. I can recall when it all began that Andre wasn’t perceived as a threat and none of these things about officials or tactics ever hit the table. The whole goal of putting the Americans—Andre Ward, Jermain Taylor and Andre Direll—in the tournament was to make superstars out of Arthur Abraham and Mikkel Kessler but things haven’t quite worked out that way.”
Next up to the stage was the challenger, King Arthur Abraham, who seemed unscathed by the concerted attempts of the Ward camp to rile him up with their repeated comments that his camp had lost confidence in him. Abraham addressed the crowd and said “I’m very happy to be here. This tournament started well and now it will end well. I don’t have to speak that much. Europeans don’t speak as much as Americans as we’re here to fight and we’re here to win” concluded the affable Abraham.
In quite the introduction, Goossen had the following to say about his fighter and golden goose, Andre Ward. “From my perspective, come Saturday night, we’re going to get another performance from whom I think and I believe, along with his team, along with himself, is one of the main superstars and future stars of the sport. He does everything inside and outside the ring that it takes to be a champion and that goes side by side with all the other great fellow Olympic Gold Medalists from Muhammad Ali, to Sugar Ray Leonard to Oscar De La Hoya. Come Saturday night, he’s not going to disappoint.”
Ward, appearing much tenser than Abraham, took the podium and in response to Abraham’s comments said “I’m born and raised here in America and I don’t talk that much. There’s not much else to say. I’ve prepared the way I’m supposed to and the way a champion’s supposed to prepare. I respect Arthur Abraham. It’s going to be a tough fight but I want to be a great fighter and I’m not there yet. These are the kind of fights you’ve got to take and win to be a great fighter. I won’t hear the crowd, I won’t hear anybody come Saturday night, I’m locked in. I’m prepared to defend my belt and keep my belt, right here in America.”
The Super Six World Boxing Classic semifinal showdown takes place at the Carson Home Depot Center this Saturday, May 14th, with doors opening at 5pm and the first fight beginning at 5pm. There will be a substantial undercard of eight fights including the return of heavyweight contender Chris Arreola facing Nagy Aguilera, 2008 U.S. Olympian, Shawn Estrada in a 6 round bout, and fringe heavyweight contender, Manuel Quezada, facing once beaten Bowie Tupou in an 8 round attraction. Tickets are priced at $200, $100 and $50 and are available at www.Ticketmaster.co as well as The Home Depot Center Box Office. The main event will be televised by Showtime Championship Boxing at 10PM ET/PT. Promoters for the event are Goosen Tutor Promotions and Sauerland Event.
* * *
Ward is coming off a unanimous decision victory in a non tournament championship defense in what was a rough fight against the gritty Australian, Sakio Bika, in a tougher than expected fight. Ward enters the semi finals as the number one seed following wins over Mikkel Kessler in Group Stage 1, Allan Green in Group Stage 2 and Andre Dirrell in Group Stage 3 in a bout that was never actually contested but ruled a victory by way of forfeiture following Dirrell’s exit from the tournament. Ward, who was viewed as a longshot at the commencement of the tournament, is now the favorite to win the Super Six World Boxing Classic.
Meanwhile, Abraham is coming off a decision victory of his own in non tournament action as he faced and defeated a solid opponent by way of technical decision in beating Stjepan Bozik who had recently challenged for the WBA super middleweight championship against champion, Dimitri Sartison (not to be confused with Ward’s WBA Super super middleweigh championship). Abraham entered the tournament as the favorite to win and got off to a blazing start with a knockout victory over Jermain Taylor in Group Stage 1 but has suffered setbacks in a disqualification loss to Andre Direll in Group Stage 2, and a wide unanious decision loss to Carl “The Cobra” Froch in Group Stage 3. In losing his last two bouts, Abraham now limps into the semi finals as the number four seed and must fight a perfect fight in order to stay competitive against the new tournament favorite, Andre Ward. Not to be forgotten, however, is that prior to his last two losses, Abraham boasted a perfect record of 31-0 (25KO) including 10 successful defenses of his IBF middleweight championship.
By Rocco Morales
Wednesday afternoon, Arnie Morton’s Steakhouse in Burbank, California, was the site of the final press conference for the showdown between WBA Super World super middleweight champion, Andre “S.O.G.” Ward, and former IBF middleweight chamion, “King” Arthur Abraham.
Emotions ran high, particularly from the Ward camp, at the press conference as there seemed to be some hostility regarding the Abraham camp’s insistence on neutral ringside officials. However, the Abraham camp responded that this was in the contract all along not only for this fight but for all Super Six World Boxing Classic tournament fights. Ward’s camp, however, chose to portray things differently, and not look it as a contractual issue as much as a matter of Abraham’s camp losing faith in their fighter and looking for any possible advantage.
In addressing the crowd, Abraham’s promoter, Wilfred Sauerland, Sauerland Event, said, “We liked the idea of the tournament when we first heard about it. It brings the best of the division against each other.” “There has been a lot of uproar about asking for a neutral referee but it appears that a contract is not necessarily a contract. I’ve heard complaints from Mr. Goossen but this has been the agreement all along for neutral ringside officials.”
Ulle Wegner, the trainer of Abraham, took the podium and said, “I know it will be a very difficult fight for us, and I am hoping the best man will win and I hope we have a fair fight with fair officials and be good for the sport of boxing and a real treat for fans. We’re done with the talking and now it is time to enter the ring on Saturday night.”
In response, Ward promoter and host of the press conference, Dan Goossen of Goossen Tutor Promotions said, “To make something clear, there was never, ever, any problem with the officials for this event and why this is still being brought up I cannot tell you. I don’t want to look like I’ve done something devious which I haven’t. The Showtime tournament contract spelled out there would neutral ringside officials and there is a Puerto Rican referee, a German judge, a South African judge and an American judge—just because he is a Goossen is no reason to get upset” deadpanned Goossen.
Ward’s trainer, Virgil Hunter, next took the podium and continued the attack on the Abraham camp. “I have mixed emotions about this event. I can recall when it all began that Andre wasn’t perceived as a threat and none of these things about officials or tactics ever hit the table. The whole goal of putting the Americans—Andre Ward, Jermain Taylor and Andre Direll—in the tournament was to make superstars out of Arthur Abraham and Mikkel Kessler but things haven’t quite worked out that way.”
Next up to the stage was the challenger, King Arthur Abraham, who seemed unscathed by the concerted attempts of the Ward camp to rile him up with their repeated comments that his camp had lost confidence in him. Abraham addressed the crowd and said “I’m very happy to be here. This tournament started well and now it will end well. I don’t have to speak that much. Europeans don’t speak as much as Americans as we’re here to fight and we’re here to win” concluded the affable Abraham.
In quite the introduction, Goossen had the following to say about his fighter and golden goose, Andre Ward. “From my perspective, come Saturday night, we’re going to get another performance from whom I think and I believe, along with his team, along with himself, is one of the main superstars and future stars of the sport. He does everything inside and outside the ring that it takes to be a champion and that goes side by side with all the other great fellow Olympic Gold Medalists from Muhammad Ali, to Sugar Ray Leonard to Oscar De La Hoya. Come Saturday night, he’s not going to disappoint.”
Ward, appearing much tenser than Abraham, took the podium and in response to Abraham’s comments said “I’m born and raised here in America and I don’t talk that much. There’s not much else to say. I’ve prepared the way I’m supposed to and the way a champion’s supposed to prepare. I respect Arthur Abraham. It’s going to be a tough fight but I want to be a great fighter and I’m not there yet. These are the kind of fights you’ve got to take and win to be a great fighter. I won’t hear the crowd, I won’t hear anybody come Saturday night, I’m locked in. I’m prepared to defend my belt and keep my belt, right here in America.”
The Super Six World Boxing Classic semifinal showdown takes place at the Carson Home Depot Center this Saturday, May 14th, with doors opening at 5pm and the first fight beginning at 5pm. There will be a substantial undercard of eight fights including the return of heavyweight contender Chris Arreola facing Nagy Aguilera, 2008 U.S. Olympian, Shawn Estrada in a 6 round bout, and fringe heavyweight contender, Manuel Quezada, facing once beaten Bowie Tupou in an 8 round attraction. Tickets are priced at $200, $100 and $50 and are available at www.Ticketmaster.co as well as The Home Depot Center Box Office. The main event will be televised by Showtime Championship Boxing at 10PM ET/PT. Promoters for the event are Goosen Tutor Promotions and Sauerland Event.
* * *
Ward is coming off a unanimous decision victory in a non tournament championship defense in what was a rough fight against the gritty Australian, Sakio Bika, in a tougher than expected fight. Ward enters the semi finals as the number one seed following wins over Mikkel Kessler in Group Stage 1, Allan Green in Group Stage 2 and Andre Dirrell in Group Stage 3 in a bout that was never actually contested but ruled a victory by way of forfeiture following Dirrell’s exit from the tournament. Ward, who was viewed as a longshot at the commencement of the tournament, is now the favorite to win the Super Six World Boxing Classic.
Meanwhile, Abraham is coming off a decision victory of his own in non tournament action as he faced and defeated a solid opponent by way of technical decision in beating Stjepan Bozik who had recently challenged for the WBA super middleweight championship against champion, Dimitri Sartison (not to be confused with Ward’s WBA Super super middleweigh championship). Abraham entered the tournament as the favorite to win and got off to a blazing start with a knockout victory over Jermain Taylor in Group Stage 1 but has suffered setbacks in a disqualification loss to Andre Direll in Group Stage 2, and a wide unanious decision loss to Carl “The Cobra” Froch in Group Stage 3. In losing his last two bouts, Abraham now limps into the semi finals as the number four seed and must fight a perfect fight in order to stay competitive against the new tournament favorite, Andre Ward. Not to be forgotten, however, is that prior to his last two losses, Abraham boasted a perfect record of 31-0 (25KO) including 10 successful defenses of his IBF middleweight championship.