Froch-Ward, Round By Round,Results & Discussion Dec.17/11

[Crold1]

This is it. The Super Six Final. Someone feel free to pin this. I got the RbR.

The Ledgers

Carl Froch 

Age: 34

Titles: WBC Super Middleweight (2010-Present, 1 Defense)
Previous Titles: WBC Super Middleweight (2008-10, 2 Defenses)
Height: 6’1
Weight: 167.5 lbs.

Average Weight – Last Five Fights: 167.2 lbs.
Hails from: Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom

Record: 28-1, 20 KO

BoxingScene Rank: #1 at Super Middleweight
Record in Major Title Fights: 5-1, 1 KO
Current/Former World Champions/Titlists Defeated: 5 (Robin Reid, Jean Pascal, Jermain Taylor, Arthur Abraham, Glen Johnson)
Current/Former World Champions/Titlists Faced in Defeat: 1 (Mikkel Kessler)

Vs.

Andre Ward 

Age: 27
Title: WBA Super Middleweight (2009-Present, 3 Defenses)

Height: 6’1

Weight: 168 lbs.
Average Weight – Last Five Fights: 168.3 lbs.
Hails from: Oakland, California

Record: 24-0, 13 KO
BoxingScene Rank: #2 at Super Middleweight
Record in Major Title Fights: 4-0

Current/Former World Champions/Titlists Defeated: 2 (Mikkel Kessler, Arthur Abraham)

[Crold1]

ROUND ONE

Ward with a good left hook out of the clinch...Froch pawing right, eats a jab, lands a jab...Froch misses a right...trade jabs...Hard Froch jab...Trading in the clinch...Trade jabs...Another Ward jab...Froch right at the bell...Feeling out round through and through...Even.

10-10

ROUND TWO

Froch two cuts inside...Ward left...Another...Froch blocks one...lots of infighting...Froch cut...Froch jab...Ward misses cut...Froch cut in close...Froch to the body but misses upstairs...Ward hook...Ward to the body but misses right at the head...Froch to the bdy but takes hard hook to the head...Ward uppercut and stiff left hook...Ward round sealed late.

Ward 20-19

ROUND THREE

Tactical until halfway but Froch comes alive to the body...Ward with a right but two hooks blocked...Froch hard to the belly...Trade hard body shots...Ward edges again but better round for Froch.

Ward 30-28

ROUND FOUR

Ward uppercut...nice exchange in close...Ward stiff jab...Ward clean right...Another...Again...Froch against the ropes and both guys battling...Ward ends with a three punch response to a body hook.

Ward 40-37

ROUND FIVE

Ward left hook...right and pushes Froch back...hook to the body...Froch rushes with a flurry and gets a left to the face...Froch to the body...Froch right...Froch right to the body and left upstairs...Two to the body but a left upstairs from Ward...Froch came on a bit in the last minute but still digging a hole.

Ward 50-46

ROUND SIX

Ward again controls the first two minutes...Froch starts a comeback with some rights but Ward fires back nasty...backs Froch to the ropes and lands hard hooks...a right near center ring seems to stun Froch.

Ward 60-55

ROUND SEVEN

Froch getting beat up and looking tired...Froch with a left and right at mid-ring halfway through...Froch landing well in a grappling session...Froch with a good body hook at the bell...Not enough.

Ward 70-64

ROUND EIGHT

Ward jab...Froch right to the chest near the corner...Quick left hook from Ward...Froch warned for backhanding...Ward right rocks Froch...Froch right to the body and left to the face along the ropes...Ward two the body and a left upstairs, blocked...right-left Ward...Froch left the face slapping...Ward with a combo against the ropes...Froch with a shot after the bell.

Ward 80-73

ROUND NINE

Froch again with a last minute rally...fought hard off the ropes, landed some bombs...a big right in the middle...Ward fires a left back...Ward switches to southie and holds on the ropes, his face showing a hint of surprise at the rally...Froch round.

89-83

ROUND TEN

Froch right...Ward left...Ward holding a lot and not firing like he was earlier...blocks a Ward left...Ward lead left...boxing to shore the lead...Nice Ward combo on the ropes...Ward left over the top...Froch needs a miracle.

Ward 99-92

ROUND ELEVEN

Mauling round but Froch with a nice right at about a minute left...Ward just holding and walking him back...Froch left near the ropes and ward looking a little tired...Froch left inside...close round but Ward edges.

Ward 109-101

ROUND TWELVE

Froch left backs Ward off of the ropes...Another and Ward nods at Froch...Ward loses his mouthpiece; time; time in...Ward on defense with pop counters to keep Froch honest...Left hook for Ward and Froch needs to let everything go...Ward using every type of hold and turn against the clock...Both men miss wild hooks late and smile at each other...ward with a final left hook...Lopsided win but Ward had to work hard...Bring on Bute.

Ward 119-110

OFFICIAL SCORES

John Stewart 115-113
Craig Metcalf 115-113
John Keane 118-110

Unanimous Decison - Andre Ward

Shockingly (read absurdly) close scores twice.

[GorDoom]

Hey, thanks, Cliff!

GD

[prototypeofamodernmadman]

Froch has got to stop fighting backing up, I dont think I've ever seem someone fight Ward backing up, Ward is always the one backing up

[prototypeofamodernmadman]

Ward starting to get into his hold and hit dirty tactics

[prototypeofamodernmadman]

They keep comparing Ward to Mayweather or Roy jones, but he seems to be more like Bernard Hopkins, cagey, dirty, very difficult to fight and makes you look bad.

[prototypeofamodernmadman]

Carl looks awful, his punches are wild, wide and slow

[prototypeofamodernmadman]

Ward has enough rounds in the bank, now he's just gonna grapple and make it ugly

[prototypeofamodernmadman]

Good 11th for Froch, too little too late pal!!

[Crold1]

No problem. Merry Christmas bro.

[Crold1]

Froch was all class. Said it was a bad night and gave Ward his props. Recognized that what Ward was doing is PART OF BOXING. Mad respect for both dudes.

[apollack]

Ward's fights are never particularly entertaining, but he is a winner. He knows how to use skill, defense, well timed quick punches, inside and out to earn himself rounds. The Mayweather of 168. Bring on Bute.

[apollack]

One other thing. I was impressed and pleased with the intelligence, thoughtfulness, honesty, humility, and sportsmanship that both fighters exhibited in the post-fight interviews. It is so rare these days that it was not only refreshing, but surprising.

[PeterD]

One of the rare times when I pick a winner in advance. I chose Ward to win the tourney beofre it started, he is a class fighter. Not exciting but very much in the vein of a Hopkins or Mayweather. He should be in the Rings P4P now.

[Overhand_Right]

Froch's strong man style just doesn't work on this level. Kessler showed it, so did Dirrell, and exactly as I predicted so did Ward. He's a good fighter and by UK boxer standards is something of a freak, willing to fight anyone anywhere. Too bad he can't tighten up his style. I think Eubank, Watson, Benn and Collins all beat him.

[walshb]

Add Calzaghes to that list, OHR

Calzaghe would have won that tournament without too much trouble. Ward is very good, but still nothing special.

[kikibalt]

Its a sad state of affairs when a fighter like Froch can be consider a world class fighter, much less fight for a world title, maybe even being a world champion at some point. I'm not sure if he has won a world title before. Show how much I follow contemporary boxing...

[mrbig1]

Its a sad state of affairs when a fighter like Froch can be consider a world class fighter, much less fight for a world title, maybe even being a world champion at some point. I'm not sure if he has won a world title before. Show how much I follow contemporary boxing...

Let's not get carried away. Froch is a very good fighter. He's not unbeatable, but very good. Style makes fights. Louis looked bad vs Conn for most of the fight. That doesn't mean Louis was crap. At 34 Froch still has some good years ahead. I would take Froch over Lucian Bute.

[Crold1]

Froch's strong man style just doesn't work on this level. Kessler showed it, so did Dirrell, and exactly as I predicted so did Ward. He's a good fighter and by UK boxer standards is something of a freak, willing to fight anyone anywhere. Too bad he can't tighten up his style. I think Eubank, Watson, Benn and Collins all beat him.

I disagree. He's had the toughest draw in the sport over his last seven and gone 5-2. Pascal, Taylor (which was much closer than the TV guys were seeing), Abraham, and Johnson were all very good wins. Kessler could have gone the other way easily and was an all out war on both sides; so could Dirrell (I had each of those scored for the man who officially won). He was far more competitive with Ward than Kessler even in a lopsided loss.

His style has worked on 'this level' if you mean the world class level in general. It didn't work against Ward. No one else's has so far either.

[apollack]

Agree Crold. Ward's style will make most guys look bad. Probably the only ones with the footwork or speed to give Ward any trouble at all are Bute and possibly Andre Dirrell.

I'd like to see Froch - Pavlik, if Kelly ever gets his act together again. That would make for a much more entertaining match-up.

[HE Grant]

Ward simply was too fast and too good ... he hit Froch at will , hard and often ... at times he definitely stunned Carl as well .. in the middle rounds I actually thought for a round or two that Froch was not going to make it .. Wrd looked like a young Roy Jones last night , a terrific performance ... wonder if he fights Old Man Hopkins next ?

[Crold1]

Ward simply was too fast and too good ... he hit Froch at will , hard and often ... at times he definitely stunned Carl as well .. in the middle rounds I actually thought for a round or two that Froch was not going to make it .. Wrd looked like a young Roy Jones last night , a terrific performance ... wonder if he fights Old Man Hopkins next ?

Frcoh landed some good stuff late when Ward was flagging and Ward sucked it up well. Tough too. Hopkins ain't happening. Hopkins explicitly said he's not interested in Ward among potential foes at the Peterson-Khan presser.

[don1234]

One other thing. I was impressed and pleased with the intelligence, thoughtfulness, honesty, humility, and sportsmanship that both fighters exhibited in the post-fight interviews. It is so rare these days that it was not only refreshing, but surprising.

+1 (most impressive part of the telecast - this one's for you, gentlemen!)

[Phillyfan]

Any one else find goosen annoying? Post fight his arm was always on wards shoulders and his head no more than 6 inches from ward at all times. Please ban all air horns at future boxing matches.

[The Welterweight Epitome]

Ward's fights are never particularly entertaining, but he is a winner. He knows how to use skill, defense, well timed quick punches, inside and out to earn himself rounds. The Mayweather of 168. Bring on Bute.

Indeed. Ward does all the subtle things well, some used to compare him to Roy Jones Jr, but he isn't anything like RJJ, he reminds me of watching the new generation of BHOP, although wiley and cagey like the old BHOP, not prepared to get into a scrap like BHOP was in his younger years.

[gregbeyer]

lucien butte would be a better opponent for ward than froch was.....

[The Welterweight Epitome]

lucien butte would be a better opponent for ward than froch was.....

Much better.

[Crold1]

Ward Rules at 168: Weekend Review and Ratings Update
Cliff Rold

The favorite proved why but he had to work for it. The defeated man showed the world so many of the characteristics that make him easy to respect. Then he took it up a notch with a display of sportsmanship and class in the post-fight interviews. He took his loss like a man, the same way he fights.

Andre Ward (24-0, 13 KO) was the better man in the ring. By night’s end, Carl Froch (28-2, 20 KO) could stand side by side with Ward as a man outside it. The Super Six Super Middleweight tournament was over.

Ward ended as the only man of eight official competitors in the field to exit without a defeat. The silver cup, pair of belts, and lineal crown Ward collected along the way was well earned. In besting Mikkel Kessler in the opening round, and Froch in the final, Ward posted wins over arguably the two best fighters in the class. He may have lost three rounds total to both of them.

Froch was the soul of the endeavor. For all the fighter quality to speak of, there weren’t an abundance of excellent action fights. Froch made the difference there, narrowly losing a Fight of the Year candidate to Kessler in round two, defeating the rugged Glen Johnson, and, even in a losing final, bringing drama in the late stanzas. He endured the toughest overall draw of the tournament and, along with memorable wars and wins prior to the tournament against Jean Pascal and Jermain Taylor, has emerged 5-2 against a full range of world-class foes.

Now he says he’s ready for undefeated IBF titlist Lucian Bute. Ward says Bute can wait for now. The tournament is done. Welcome to tomorrow.


Let’s got to the report cards.