What if...

[PsychoGamer]

...Andre Dirrell had never slipped in his fight with Abraham in 2010? Many people suggest, he would be an actor, and would've get knocked out in Taylor fashion. However, i've been a big Abraham fan back then, and i think he would have lost a UD.

After this fight, (if i see it correctly) Dirrell would had to fight Froch once again. The first fight was close, and maybe he would've pulled of this one. And then the final. Ward vs Dirrell! Would Dirrell have a chance to win? I think it would end up with 115-113's for Ward, if Dirrell ends it strong, while Ward fades late in the fight.

Maybe this Abraham fight changed Dirrells career, instead of being the #1, #2, #3, at 168, he decides to be inactive, doing only four fights in five years.

2010 - Abraham
2011 - Cunningham
2012 - inactive
2013 - Gbenga
2014 - Biosse

[Cent0089]

Interresting post. IMO Dirrell have big chance to beat Ward now, he is very skilled (maybe not so skilled as Ward) but he is stronger and faster than Ward. WARD is on top of SMW division because he defeated many top guys. FROCH is on top of the division because he faced many top guys in entertaining fights and fans love him. ABRAHAM is paper champ now because he was defeated by top guys and now he is fighting against poor level of oposition. DIRRELL is nobody right now, but he can no.1 in few years. As i said he have potential to beat Ward. Froch will probably retire.

[HyacinthusTurnipseed]

I'm very confident Dirrell could've ran out the clock for a UD without all the other stuff (even his biggest doubters must surely concede that the guy could run when he needed to). If my memory is accurate though Dirrell was scheduled to face Ward next anyway - it's an intriguing hypothetical but I'd figure Ward to use his tools to make it his kind of fight in the main, alienating many fans even further before coming away with a super scrappy 117-111 type of decision.

That'd leave Ward with 6 points, (and assuming the other fights go the same way they did in real life) Froch with 4, Abraham with 3, Johnson with 3 and Dirrell with 2 and so out of the tournament.

That'd leave him trying to persuade Steiglitz or whoever had the other belt at the time over to the US, or going up to Canada to face a prime and unbroken Lucian Bute. Or just ticking over / being in limbo like he has been anyway.