The MATRIX SEQUEL: Andre Dirrell’s Return to Boxing
By Gina L. Caliboso
In the opening round of the Super Six Middleweight tournament, Andre “The Matrix” Dirrell, 19-1, 13 KO’s, had to travel to England to face Carl “Cobra” Froch, 27-1, 20 KO’s.
Fighting in Froch’s backyard, Dirrell came into the fight as an aggressive southpaw. An American fighter on British soil. The odds were against him. As Froch came away with the decision, it should have been a split decision, especially with the questionable point deduction made against Dirrell for “pulling” on Froch. Either way, I liked the look of Dirrell and thought he did well.
In the next round of the Super Six, Dirrell went up against King Arthur Abraham in his home state of Michigan. Dirrell really came into his own in this fight, dominating Abraham from the minute the bell rang for round one.
Abraham looked a bit lost in this bout and couldn’t put together an aggressive offense in order to defeat Dirrell. Dirrell actually proved to be the effective puncher in this bout. Since Abraham had stolen the fight in his first round fight against Jermain “Bad Intentions” Taylor, he really had to box and defeat Dirrell. Then, it happened, upon slipping on the canvas, Dirrell fell, and while down, Abraham struck him. Dirrell remained down and as if in slow motion, and didn’t seem right afterward, even after the referee called for the DQ. He also seemed to look more than just frazzled.
I really do believe he suffered a concussion of some sort.
Following the Abraham bout, Dirrell then had to pull out of the Super Six tournament. He suffered “neurological problems” and also had a slight concussion. In an interview, Dirrell states that he had suffered dizzy spells while in training camp. He eventually decided to go to a neurologist and as a result, it was recommended he take three months off until he received a medical clearance.
Dirrell remained relatively quiet as the next round of the Super Six opponents had to be announced. As I’ve stated before, sometimes silence can be the best thing for a fighter to do. However, because Dirrell had to withdraw from the tournament where he could have possibly faced who I predict will be the tournament winner, Andre “S.O.G.” Ward, his silence parlayed into criticism.
Rumor line here: Dirrell hadn’t really been hurt, he was just too afraid to face Ward. I’m not too fond of the word, but I suppose those that criticized Dirrell are what some call “haters.”
Haters aside, I’d like to consider more about Dirrell’s possibilities. Yes, the Super Six tournament remains key to the super middleweight division because Ward, Froch, Abraham, and even newcomer Glenn Johnson play into the competitive nature among the ranks of the super middleweights. There is also the placement of Kelly “Ghost” Pavlik who is also making a return to boxing. But let’s consider the obvious for Dirrell. Let’s start with his health.
As of February 2011, Dirrell is now medically cleared.
It has recently been reported that he is sparring with David Haye’s ingénue fighter, Commonwealth super middleweight George Groves, 12-0, 10 KO’s. This is definitely the right step in the direction of a comeback. But again, we’ll have to be patient to how carefully Dirrell tries to choose any upcoming bouts.
But yes, I’ll be the first to say it. I’ll put some intent out there in the boxing forces i.e. the promoters of both Dirrell and Abraham. There has to be a rematch between both Dirrell and Abraham.
But that of course, is down the line, only because the other rematch should definitely be against Froch. In order to clear or confront his own competitive spirit, even though I’d like to use the word demons, Dirrell might need to revisit the challenges of fighters who defeated him.
Yes, I know that Abraham got a DQ, but I’m talking more on redemption on the part of Dirrell. In an article, Dirrell had alluded that perhaps his participation in the Super Six tournament may not have been a good time. This may be true to an extent because Ward has definitely showed he is the super middleweight to beat.
So there it is, I suggested that both Abraham and Froch need to rematch against Dirrell. But there could be another fighter out there that may be as good a match for Dirrell as well. He could easily fight against Jermain “Bad Intentions” Taylor. It would be a great comeback fight for either fighter. I’m beginning to think that Dirrell should be offered a Super Six Middleweight tournament Redux maybe?
But for the sake of boxing ethics argument, I’d offer that since Dirrell and Taylor faced potential life threatening injuries from their last knockdowns, they should proceed with caution. As I recall, Taylor looked done against Abraham as he lost the bout in the final seconds of the 12th round. Taylor has been through his fair share of fights and it could be time for him to retire as well or again, take more time off, as fighters tend to do these days, and evaluate where he is before he can fight again.
As I recently wrote an article on the possibility of Pavlik making a return to boxing, I think that Dirrell is similarly facing a comeback as well. But I definitely hope and pray that Dirrell’s comeback is a sound one. As I just revealed the core of the super middleweight division lies with the outcome of the Super Six, there is also the #1 ranked presence of Lucian Bute, 28-0, 23 KO’s.
Dirrell had the bad luck to have had tough matches in the Super Six, but given that his injury may be healed and he is completely recovered, then I’d like to welcome him back to boxing. He has a quiet drive and intensity to be fierce and I think the Abraham DQ may have thrown off his potential both physically and mentally. Dirrell’s return to boxing should be soon if only to demonstrate he is healthy and ready to take on any fighter.