Abraham disqualified in Super Six

Story from BBC SPORT:
boxing/8591725.stm

Published: 2010/03/28 15:21:43 GMT

American Andre Dirrell beat German Arthur Abraham on a
disqualification for a shock win in the Super Six super middleweight
tournament in Detroit.

Dirrell slipped in the 11th round as he took a glancing blow to the
chin from Abraham who then struck his opponent while he was kneeling
on the canvas.

The foul resulted in Abraham’s first loss in 31, although Dirrell was
winning on points before the incident.

Abraham tops the six-man leaderboard by a point from Carl Froch and Andre Ward.

Dirrell’s quick hands saw him dominate early on, and he floored
Abraham in the fourth with a right.

"I was off-balance," Abraham said. "It wasn’t a bad knock-down. I
didn’t have my balance."

Abraham rose to take a standing eight count, and he was in trouble
again three rounds later when Dirrell opened a cut by Abraham’s right
eye.

IBF middleweight champion Abraham appeared to knock down Dirrell with
a straight right in the 10th, but referee Laurence Cole ruled it was a
slip.

BallchinianMuffwig
When the German was disqualified in the 11th, Dirrell was ahead with
all three judges – 97-92, 98-91, 97-92.

"He wasn’t on the ground, I shouldn’t be disqualified for this,"
Abraham protested afterwards.

Armenian-born Abraham came into the bout as the leader of the
tournament with three points after he knocked out last October by
American Jermain Taylor – who subsequently quit the competition to be
replaced by Allan Green.

Dirrell lost his opener to WBC super middleweight champion Froch on
the same night in Nottingham.

WBA champion Ward matched unbeaten Froch in winning by decision but
Abraham’s extra point for a knockout gave him a lead after the first
of three rounds of fights.

Dirrell next faces American compatriot Ward in his third and final
group fight, with Abraham facing Froch later this year.

Froch’s next bout, though, comes against the tournament favourite,
Dane Mikkel Kessler in Herning, Denmark on 24 April.

The four leading points scorers will advance to the semi-finals, with
the top-ranked facing the fourth, and second facing third.

The tournament, masterminded by American broadcaster Showtime, will
culminate in early 2011 with the finalists battling it out for the
inaugural Super Six World Boxing Classic trophy.

Meanwhile, in Las Vegas, Joan Guzman earned a 12-round split decision
over Ali Funeka.

Dominican Guzman won on two cards – 114-113 and 116-111 – with the
third judge going 114-113 in South African Funeka’s favour.

Guzman, remains unbeaten, on 30-0 with one draw, but does not claim
the vacant IBF lightweight belt after weighing in nine pounds over the
135-pound limit.