The Super Sixes - will it work?

[stujones]

I hate to put a downer on such a great idea, but I do have some doubts about how it can work in a comercial point of view. We've all seen how the great plans of David Haye have fallen through - his plans for 2 years.

I mean what happens if some of the fights do end up like Pacquiao vs Hatton - we are saying that Hatton cannot be considered a serious threat for the elite, but say if Froch gets destroyed by Dirrell and then by Abraham/Kessler (I am sorry, cannot remember which is his next scheduled fight) - will people seriously pay to see Froch fight in his 3rd fight. If Froch loses back to back fights... should he really be commercially allowed to cue jump into a world title fight straight after?

Its fantastic in theory, but this sport is so unpreditable and so are the fans. Who would have thought that after his brilliant display against Malignaggi that Hatton would be written off as both a commercial (in the states) and physical force less than 6 months later.

[steve689]

I love the idea and the line-up simply due to the fact that literally any of them could win the tournament. I cannot pick a winner and a case can be made for all six men. Will it work? Probably not! After all this is boxing

[Adamj1987]

id still go and see him if ti was in the UK, i dont think back to back defeats would hurt him if they were competative but if it was a clear shut out bouth times or easy KOs then that would i think we have to be more concerened about injuries

[stujones]

Well I cannot help but go back to the Heavyweight tournament on 1986/1987 - which worked a treat (aside from Spinks not being involved). Just thinking would Tyson vs Witherspoon been sellable immediately after Bonecrusher vs Witherspoon?

I think a "you lose and your out" scenerio is just more applicable as that tournament was.

Loved it if it would have been an 8 fighters serious - encorporating Bute vs Andrade and culminating in a unification fight. Maybe like this.

Bute vs Andrade Winner, vs Dirrell vs Froch Winner = 1 Semi Final

Abraham vs Ward winner, vs Kessler vs Taylor = 2 Semi Final.

Winner of Semi Final 1 vs Winner of Semi Final 2.

[Dioufy]

I love the idea, but on a bad note, if Dirrel gets blasted by Froch he'll have to go in against Kessler. I wouldn't wanna see that.

A youngster with his confidence smashed going in against someone like Kessler.

[lirva]

It's ridiculous how they have a "tournament" with points etc. I'd prefer just a knockout type of system where the winner goes on to fight the next fight and loser is eliminated. If one fighter gets injured, the whole thing is f*cked.

[lefthook82]

Dont think it will work

Just wanna see Dirrell/Kessler v Froch anyway. The rest I can do without

[Datsue]

I mean what happens if some of the fights do end up like Pacquiao vs Hatton - we are saying that Hatton cannot be considered a serious threat for the elite, but say if Froch gets destroyed by Dirrell and then by Abraham/Kessler (I am sorry, cannot remember which is his next scheduled fight) - will people seriously pay to see Froch fight in his 3rd fight. If Froch loses back to back fights... should he really be commercially allowed to cue jump into a world title fight straight after?

Its fantastic in theory, but this sport is so unpreditable and so are the fans. Who would have thought that after his brilliant display against Malignaggi that Hatton would be written off as both a commercial (in the states) and physical force less than 6 months later.

Stu, that's absolute shite mate.

Only us lot on here have "written Hatton off". Hatton would still fill a huge bloody arena if he was fighting at light-heavy next week & you know it. D'you really think people wouldn't pay to see him again? Real people, I mean, actual human beings not Boxrec denizens; I know bloody well Spud & Lirva wouldn't, I give you that, but Dave & Darren ManCityFan, yes, yes they would.

I know this isn't the most popular opinion ever evinced, but I see this tournament somewhat as boxing's response to the UFC: tough, interesting, high-calibre matchups, all the time. No drivel, no mandatories dug up from a Brazilian favela, no hiding at home fighting soft touches.

You can whine all you like about Bute being left out (I'm not that bothered, he can go dig up William Joppy for a rematch for all I care), about the likelihood of injuries -- even that Balszay is somehow deserving of contention (though I'd laugh at you) -- but whoever is left standing at the end of this will be thought of as that most potent distillate of fighting excellence, the only thing with appeal to cross-over to the mainstream sports-fan: The Man At The Weight To Beat.

This tourney is not about "conventional boxing wisdom" nor even the bizarre, bitter brand of it exercised on Boxrec. This is about getting the casual fan interested, about getting local support for a fighter, about cutting through the bullshite of boxing politricks to get (at least one) top class boxer recognised when he walks down the street. So I do wish we'd all call a bloody armistice on the sniping, the hand-wringing, the prevaricating & the conspiracy theorising, at least on this one subject.

I see this as boxing's best, brightest hope: a new (-ish) way of doing business in tough times, & at times like this, "proper boxing fans" seem the sport's worst enemy.

We can start again like washer-women when the dust is settled & the winner has gone on a World Tour, fighting ex-lightmiddleweight champions on PPV at a catchweight to be decided. I will even lead the brigade, by saying "Well, he's not unbeatable, is he, he's already been beaten..."

[Datsue]

BTW: Haye's plans have failed because he -- & his brainstrust -- has been thinking like a boxer & like a boxing promoter.

What could be more like a boxer than arrange a fight a year, act like a prima-donna, jump weight-classes & sign a crayzee contract without apparently reading it, then pulling out of multiple fights?

[Autobarn]

Of course it's going to work unless it's messed up by injuries, etc.

It's a massive investment and there's a reason the various TV companies are going for it.

You actually get to find out whom the best fighter is; you have a fantastic mix of styles; you have world champions risking their necks and prospects alike; a 24/7 format to show us the mix of personalities (hopefully this bit doesn't come across as totally false ie the DLH shows); a slugger like Froch who's been in back to back fight of the year candidates, and Arthur Abraham who suddenly pounces and all but knocks his opponents' heads off...add to that there could be some great fights.

And the great thing is it tells the Unbeaten myth to fvck off. If someone loses they still have a chance to rebound.

If it was just made of Americans who run around the ring, win dull decisions, and after the fight say: "I'd like to thank my promoter, my trainer and manager - AND MOST OF ALL I'D LIKE TO THANK GAD." then it would be shit.

Doom and gloom, of course it's not going to work. :( Let's have some more doom and gloom, and fewer bold attempts to do something exciting with boxing.

[martin_g91]

I can't see Kessler not winning this thing. After Joe retired, Kessler is the best of the rest by a mile. I think he'll eat Froch.

[Datsue]

And the great thing is it tells the Unbeaten myth to fvck off. If someone loses they still have a chance to rebound.

Yes, thanks mate, this is exactly what I'm getting at (& I failed miserably & far less concisely) -- going on about a guy's marketability by the old (boxing) thingy of sniffing "Well, he's not unbeaten" is exactly what will derail this tournament in the eyes of the sporting mainstream. It's one of the major reasons why boxing's gone down a cul-de-sac.

The UFC bloke (I don't know his name, sorry, the bald one who was in the Scorpion King sequel) who lost to the steroid case last year, what was he? 15-7-2 or something?* But I didn't hear my UFC-loving mates going "He's crap, he's lost half a dozen times". They loved him. He was the Champ in their eyes. He'd come back from those losses to win the title.

I find such an attitude refreshing. It's a blizzard of fresh air. Normal people think the same about Manny Pac-man.

If we -- the boxing anoraks -- are all saying "Ah, he ain't all that, he LOST! A! FIGHT! ONCE! OR! EVEN! TWICE!", what hope do we have for this sport to be taken seriously by people who aren't bloody obssessed by all the horrible nasty cancers that riddle modern boxing?







*: Apologies if I've got his record wrong -- I know nothing about UFC, sorry.

[black panther]

And the great thing is it tells the Unbeaten myth to fvck off. If someone loses they still have a chance to rebound.

Yes, thanks mate, this is exactly what I'm getting at (& I failed miserably & far less concisely) -- going on about a guy's marketability by the old (boxing) thingy of sniffing "Well, he's not unbeaten" is exactly what will derail this tournament in the eyes of the sporting mainstream. It's one of the major reasons why boxing's gone down a cul-de-sac.

The UFC bloke (I don't know his name, sorry, the bald one who was in the Scorpion King sequel) who lost to the steroid case last year, what was he? 15-7-2 or something?* But I didn't hear my UFC-loving mates going "He's crap, he's lost half a dozen times". They loved him. He was the Champ in their eyes. He'd come back from those losses to win the title.

I find such an attitude refreshing. It's a blizzard of fresh air. Normal people think the same about Manny Pac-man.

If we -- the boxing anoraks -- are all saying "Ah, he ain't all that, he LOST! A! FIGHT! ONCE! OR! EVEN! TWICE!", what hope do we have for this sport to be taken seriously by people who aren't bloody obssessed by all the horrible nasty cancers that riddle modern boxing?







*: Apologies if I've got his record wrong -- I know nothing about UFC, sorry.

Randy Couture?

[Datsue]

Randy Couture?

Yep, that's him! Ta!

[ArtOfWar]

It's conceivable that someone who gets knocked out of this tournament could end up with one or even two belts.

[josh fg]

the fear is that someone will get injured in the round robin or someone's promoter freaks out at two losses in a row but if that happens they could well be replaced by a Pavlic Inkin or Bute (who will probably want in when they see how big it is).

If someone is convincingly beaten by someone and wins their other two they may be called on to fight the same person in the semi's or in the final that will obviously damage the hunger to see the fight again which would be a shame for the final but I do think this is an exciting format. I think the three best fighters are Abrhams Kesslar and Froch and they will all fight each other early on they all have balls that put some other fighters to shame.

[CheckHook]

Its difficult to say anything negative against this tournament since its such a great idea and exactly the sort of thing fans should want to see, but my main concern would be the the pressure on the fighters that get KO'd in the first round. There'll be no time to rebuild their career and confidence.

Taylor, for example, is coming into this tournament on the back of a tough 12 rounder where he got KO'd late. What if he gets dropped heavy in his first fight? He's gotta go straight in with another dangerous opponent and potentially he could get dropped heavy in his second fight and still has one fight to go. If he were to get KO'd in his first & possibly second fight, that would be a nasty string of KO defeats to lead into his final fight of the tournament.

I personally don't want to see a fighter put in the difficult situation of fulfilling contractual obligations to secure there career at a time when they should be taking a step down in class. I'm sure the fighters well being will of course be placed as prime concern, but I don't want to see anyone pushed to far, this is a tough group of competitors and there aren't any easy fights.

That said, the standard of fighter in this competition is what makes it so exciting. Personally, I can't pick a winner, I think all have qualities that make them dangerous and all have questions marks hanging over them. Kessler has been inactive and hasn't fought top guys since the Calzaghe defeat, is he still what he was 2 or 3 years ago? Taylor appears to be on the slide, but he's sliding from a higher place than the other fighters have ever seen. Abraham has built his career at 160 and is on his way up, will he cary his vicious power to 168? Froch is defensivly naive, but is durable, tenacious and never takes a backward step. Then you have the two kids, Dirrell and Ward. Both look like great prospects, but we still have no idea whether they can step up to the next level.

You only have to look at the comments here on Boxrec to know, as fans, we're in for a treat. I rekon I've heard every one of the six tipped to win and near enough everyone of 'em tipped to be the whipping boy...Lets hope it all goes well, because it certainly deserves to.

[bennie]

To answer the original question, now that Kevin Pietersen is out I am not sure it will.

[DavidPayne]

BTW: Haye's plans have failed because he -- & his brainstrust -- has been thinking like a boxer & like a boxing promoter.

What could be more like a boxer than arrange a fight a year, act like a prima-donna, jump weight-classes & sign a crayzee contract without apparently reading it, then pulling out of multiple fights?

Datsue.

Ah bisto. Those two posts were different gravy.

Some sense among the anoracknophobics.

[Phenomenal-Nutrition]

I'm not sure I get the point in the losers still being in it and with the styles make fights aspect of boxing I wouldn't be suprised if we had 4 boxers with an extra loss after 2 fights.

Also what happens if a boxer gets a better offer elsewhere? Or gets seriously injured?

I think there is a good reason for boxing has always had knock out style comps

[Old bones Ian]

How does it all work then? i'm slightly confused

[josh fg]

How does it all work then? i'm slightly confused

a round robin where each fighter will have three fights and they will score two points for a win 3 for a KO and one for a draw Froch's fights are.
1 Dirrell
2 Kesslar
3 Abraham
Frankly to me it looks like froch will have the easiest first fight he could have and then two stinkers, Kesslar will have had his first fight in a while against very good opposition (that he should still win) in Ward and by the time froch faces him Abraham will have fought twice at the weight so froch can't hope to be too big for a guy stepping up in the same way.