Ward-Green: One Last Stare Down Before the Showdown

OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA — The build-up for the final Group Stage 2 bout of the Super Six World Boxing Classic, extended by two months due to injury, has finally reached its crescendo and all that is left is the fight itself. Andre Ward, the top super middleweight regardless of where some boxing publications rank him, defends his WBA Super Middleweight title for the first time against longtime contender Allan Green tonight at the Oracle Arena. The two counterparts got one last look at each other after weighing in Friday afternoon at the Hilton Oakland Airport.

Ward (21-0, 13 KOs) of Oakland will enter the ring tonight in his new role as the betting favorite to win the entire Super Six tournament. Ward found himself in that role by knocking off the number one 168-pounder in the world, and the original favorite, Mikkel Kessler in his last fight. Tonight’s fight also marks the first time in many years that a native San Francisco Bay Area fighter will be defending his world title in the Bay Area, once a thriving boxing hotbed.

Opposing Ward is the formidable tournament newcomer, Green (29-1, 20 KOs) of Tulsa, Oklahoma, who replaced Jermain Taylor after his scary knockout loss to Arthur Abraham last year. Green has been on the cusp of title contention for several years, but never before fought for a world title. Despite the lack of a big fight victory on his ledger, Green was disgusted that he was left off the original Super Six roster and hopes to show the odds-makers why he deserved the sixth spot from the beginning.

Somewhat ironically this is a fight that could have happened two or three years ago. Ward’s promoter Dan Goossen had attempted to put his promising young star in with Green then, but for whatever reason the talks ultimately broke down. Following a Ward victory in San Jose, California, Goossen even told the media on hand that he would not revisit the Green fight because of how poorly the negotiations went. In the two years that followed, advertently or inadvertently, Ward found another way of proving his superiority over Green: by beating old Green opponents more convincingly than Green had, and by beating Green’s lone conqueror, Edison Miranda.

Earlier in the week, those two other opponents, Rubin Williams and Jerson Ravelo, went on record by picking Ward to win tonight. In any event, a fight that would have been a pick ‘em contest two years ago, is not such today, but a compelling fight nonetheless. It is also a fight that could determine much of how the rest of the Super Six tournament plays out. There are too many possible what if scenarios to play out here, but the who wins and how is crucial to every participant in the tournament. On top of everything, it matches two contrasting styles in and out of the ring which should translate to compelling entertainment for those looking on at the Oracle Arena and for those watching on Showtime. Before their final nose-to-nose meeting, Ward scaled 167 ¾-pounds, while Green came in at 166.

Heading up the off-television undercard, unbeaten Steve Upsher Chambers (21-1-1, 6 KOs) of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania will take on venerable journeyman Hector Alatorre (16-9, 5 KOs) of Tulare, California in an eight-round welterweight fight. Chambers, who will fighting outside of his home state for the first time in his career, has fought all but one of his pro bouts at the Legendary Blue Horizon. Alatorre, who had an accomplished amateur career, is coming off of a tenth-round stoppage defeat to Victor Ortiz in February. Chambers scaled 144, while Alatorre weighed in at 142 ½-pounds.

Former amateur standout Michael Ruiz Jr. (2-0, 1 KO) of Fresno, California will see action against the pugnacious Juan Tepoz (4-2-1) of Santa Rosa, California in a four-round bantamweight fight. Ruiz, who scaled 117 ½, fought just last month and scored a devastating second-round knockout of Jose Pacheco on the Paul Williams-Kermit Cintron undercard in Carson, California. Tepoz, who weighed in at 118-pounds Friday, last fought in April, scoring a four-round decision over the same Jose Pacheco.

Making his debut under the DiBella Entertainment banner, Mark Tucker (13-0, 7 KOs) of Eldersburg, Maryland will take on the always tough Billy Bailey (10-7, 4 KOs) of Bakersfield, California for the vacant WBO NABO Youth Light Heavyweight title in an eight-rounder. Tucker has fought almost exclusively in his home state of Maryland, but has chalked up wins over a few faded, but notable names, including the aforementioned Rubin Williams. The streaky Bailey, coming in off of a controversial majority decision loss to former title challenger Danny Santiago in Florida, has fought a slew of prospects and been known to spring the occasional upset. Tucker originally scaled 175 ½-pounds, but was attempting to work off the extra one-half pound at press time. Bailey, a youthful 32-years-old, scaled 175-pounds even.

Welterweight prospect Willie Nelson (13-0-1, 8 KOs) of Cleveland, Ohio will take on former title challenger Jesse Feliciano (15-9-3, 9 KOs) of Las Vegas, Nevada in an eight-round swing bout. Nelson, in the Paul Williams mold of a welterweight by standing 6’3” with a unique reach advantage over every opponent he meets, took the fight after Kendall Holt passed in order to give himself more time to prepare as he readies to launch a comeback. The well-traveled Feliciano is hoping to end a four-fight skid which has come against top notch competition. Nelson weighed in at 148-pounds, while Feliciano scaled 149.

Opening up the fight card, Alexander Podrezov (1-0) of Los Angeles, California by way of Sukhumi, Abkhazia will take on John Dunham (1-5-1) of Stockton, California in a four-round welterweight fight. Podrezov, who scaled 144-pounds, turned professional in March, posting a four-round decision over J.C. Saade. Dunham, who came in at 142-pounds, broke through to the win column for the first time in his career two weeks ago, as he bested debuting Herman Bacho after four-rounds in San Rafael, California.

Former WBC Lightweight Champion Jessica Rakoczy (31-3, 11 KOs) of Las Vegas had hoped to end a layoff of nearly a year tonight as she begins a campaign at featherweight, however her scheduled opponent inexplicably came in grossly overweight, prompting the California State Athletic Commission to cancel the bout. Ella Nunez (9-6-1, 2 KOs) of Jamestown, New York took the scales only to come in at 137 ½-pounds, some 11 ½ pounds over the contracted weight. Nunez, who has some solid wins on her resume, including a knockout of current titlist Kina Malpartida, may have thought close would be good enough. Nunez outweighed her last opponent, Melissa Hernandez, by eight pounds in February. A dejected Rakoczy weighed in at 124 ½-pounds, but will have to wait longer than she expected to return to the ring.

Tickets for the event, promoted by Goossen Tutor Promotions, Antonio Leonard T&T Productions and DiBella Entertainment, are available online at Ticketmaster.com.

Quick Weigh-in Results:

WBA Super Middleweight Championship, 12 Rounds
Ward 167 ¾
Green 166

Welterweights, 8 Rounds
Upsher Chambers 144
Alatorre 142 ½

Bantamweights, 4 Rounds
Ruiz Jr. 117 ½
Tepoz 118

WBO NABO Youth Light Heavyweight Championship, 8 Rounds
Tucker 175 ½*
Bailey 175

Welterweights, 4 Rounds
Podrezov 144
Dunham 142

Welterweights, 8 Rounds
Nelson 148
Feliciano 149

Featherweights, 6 Rounds
Rakoczy 124 ½
Nunez 137 ½
-Fight called off due to weight disparity

*Tucker attempting to lose ½ pound at press time.

Ward-Green Photo by Jan Sanders/Goossen Tutor Promotions

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at ortega15rds@lycos.com.