When: Saturday, June 19, 2010
Where: Oracle Arena, Oakland, California
TV: Showtime at 10:00 p.m. (EST)
Weight Class: WBA Super Middleweight Championship: 12 Rounds
By Scotty L of Predictem.com
Andre Ward, 21-0 (13 KOs), Oakland, California, WBA Super Middleweight Champion. Vs. Allan Green, 29-1 (20 KOs), Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Fight Odds: Andre Ward (-600), Allan Green (+400)
Analysis: The Super Six World Boxing Classic continues its second round with Andre Ward vs. Allan Green. Here we have two undefeated and rising young talents doing battle, which is always a good thing. Ward proved his world-class standing in his last fightan eye-popping spanking of champion Mikkel Kessler. His performance was somewhat reminiscent of a young Roy Jones. He looked phenomenal. He showed the kind of athleticism, timing, flash, power, and guts you like to see in a potential future great.
Allan Green caught a break to even be in this tournament. Jermain Taylor thankfully pulled out, having suffered some awful knockouts recently. Despite that, Greens talent is indeed world-class. He has not had an easy ride to this point. He suffered from a colon disease that eventually required surgery where the majority of it was removed. It perhaps explains his sluggish performance against Edison Miranda, who defeated Green in his only defeat over 3 years ago. Ward was able to beat Miranda convincingly a year ago. The Miranda that Green fought was a better version.
Green is a big super middleweight at 62 and he can really do some serious damage. He throws punches quickly and has legitimate power. He has been seen many times on ESPN and Showtime. His style is exciting. There have been some mental hang-ups that have been ironed out. In one strange ESPN appearance a few years ago, he kept looking at his feet incessantly. It was one of the strangest ticks Ive ever seen on a fighter. He literally did it every few seconds. Its good to see he got that out of his routine, but it makes you wonder a little bit about the guy.
Ward was brilliant against Kessler in one of the more resounding coming-out parties in recent memory. He seemed truly inspired by the hometown crowd in Oakland, which will be the site for this fight. His speed is obviously a big advantage, but Green is by no means a slow fighter. He just doesnt have the razzle-dazzle type of flurries in his repertoire that Ward possesses. I think both men will each be facing their most talented and athletic opponents in this fight.
I see a decent matchup here. Therefore, the early odds are a bit stunning. Ward at 600 seems incredibly high. He is certainly a great fighter. He might one day rise to the point where he will be rightfully quoted a 6-1 favorite against the likes of Allan Green, but I dont think he has yet. Green has a lot of talent and power. He was a National Golden Gloves Champion with a long amateur pedigree. He has had one loss, which he has a good excuse for, being that most of his colon was removed shortly after. There have been fights where he shows great offensive ability. He can be a bit inconsistent, but one has to assume he will be up for this fight, the biggest opportunity of his career.
I dont question whether Ward should be the favorite. His win against Kessler, while perhaps overrated a tad, is a win that Green doesnt have. His resounding defeat of a still-dangerous Edison Miranda prior to that showed that he belongs at the top. Green, meanwhile, only looks like he can do it, whereas Ward actually has done it.
Scotty L’s Pick: I think Ward will win the fight. Hes fighting at home at a high level of confidence. Green has shown himself to be erratic and not terribly intelligent in the ring. If the tide starts going against him, he might not be able to reverse it. At +400 or more, however, I think he deserves some support. He might not win. Oddsmakers dont make the big bucks for giving people gifts. I just think Greens skill-set is robust enough to make him a legitimate threat against Ward. At these odds, I think there is tremendous value in betting on Green, even if I dont necessarily think hes going to win. Take the +400 on Allan Green to win.
