All Business: Allan Green Enters the Super Six
By Gina L. Caliboso
When it was first announced that Jermain “Bad Intentions” Taylor’s manager had “fired” his client because of his ill advised intention to stay in the tournament, I was thinking that Taylor really needed a time out.
It seems after some evaluation, Taylor has decided to take some time off from boxing after getting knocked out by Arthur Abraham in the 12th round of his opening bout of the tournament. But now, who can possibly replace Taylor?
I immediately thought about Lucian “Le Tombeur” Bute. I love Bute and he recently made quick and methodical work of Librado Andrade. I’m not going to criticize the matchmakers of the Super Six Tournament, but really? But here we go boxing fans, will American Allan “Ghost Dog” Green please stand up?
Will anyone in the division for that matter please stand up?
A little background here because I just needed a moment – much like Taylor – trying to wrap my head around why a currently ranked #9 super middleweight fighter is really being given a once in a lifetime shot. Think Rocky Balboa meets Apollo Creed from Rocky I here. Allan “Ghost Dog” Green hails from Tulsa, Oklahoma. He stands 6’2, aged 30, with a rather impressive record of 29-1, 20 KO’s.
Impressive for sure.
On April 17, 2010, Green will now fight fellow American Andre Ward in Oakland, California, for the WBA Super World Super Middleweight title. The bout signals Group Stage 2 of the tournament.>
For Green, his fight record reveals that he has yet to fight a 12 round championship bout. With the international appeal and flavor of the Super Six, Oakland will be the championship stage that will put him into the spotlight – fast.
Going back to 2007, his record reveals a notable loss to Edison Miranda in a 10 round unanimous decision. Since then, he hasn’t had to fight a lot – he’s beaten every single one of his opponents – rather convincingly. After his loss to Miranda, he fought 4 months later against Darrell Woods with a 1st round KO. He fought again 3 months later in October against Sherwin Davis with a 2nd round KO in a scheduled 8 round bout.
As he entered January 2008, he fought against Rubin Williams and defeated him in a 10 round unanimous decision. He fought again in November against Carl Daniels and defeated him with a 7th round TKO. Green has consistently shown he is getting better.
In April 2009, he defeated Carlos De Leon, JR., with a 2nd round TKO in a scheduled 10 round bout. Finally, his last fight occurred in November 2009. He fought Tarvis Simms, and defeated him over 10 rounds with a unanimous decision. In the footage against De Leon JR., a Showtime commentator stated that Green “is all business.”
In Round 2 of the De Leon, JR., fight, De Leon was down four times in Round 2. Green had floored him with an incredible hook to the head that left him wobbly and barely standing. Green leads with a powerful left hook followed with a cross to the body and head.
Even though his opponents with the notable exception of Miranda, currently ranked #17 among super middleweights, haven’t been of top caliber or rank, Green puts some much needed competition into the tournament. And, he makes for an exciting underdog into the tournament. All Americans seem to be underdogs these days in boxing.
So, I think my moment is over as I’ve wrapped my head around the super middleweight drama. Green can potentially give some much needed competition into the mix of middleweight fighters, but I still have to wonder just why Lucian “Le Tombeur” Bute remains out of the mix among the super middleweights. Or rather, why does he remain out of the Super Six Tournament?
Bute is currently ranked #2 behind #1 ranked Arthur Abraham. Among the top 10, Bute is only one of two southpaws in the division. Andre Dirrell is the other. I can’t help but think that matters.
After Bute had convincingly defeated Andrade, I put Bute as the man of the super middleweight division. But now, looking at the potential match-ups of the super middleweight division, the fighters have a serious case of ducking.
The records of the top super middleweight contenders have notable losses against one another, but those fighters with an undefeated record, including Bute, Abraham, Carl Froch, Ward have not shown a willingness to put the record at risk. There are such things as rematches.
Rematches create drama.
So at this point, I’ll take a step back from the fight records and simply add that the records among the super middleweights remain safely padded and intact. The ducking of the super middleweights against one another must end, and someone, anyone in the division, needs to step up and fight Bute.
So there is drama in the super middleweight division, but who’s going to actually stand up, step up and make some noise?