Arthur Abraham and Andre Dirrell faced off at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit to kick off the 2nd stage of the Super Six World Boxing Classic Tournament for the WBA and WBC super middleweight titles.
During the first 2 rounds, Dirrell attacked with a few good looping hooks around Abraham’s high guard and some hard shots to the body. Abraham did very little offensively in the first two rounds.
Abraham got busy in Rnd. 3 and landed some powerful head shots, including a particularly good right that snapped Dirrell’s head back.
Abraham was winning Rnd. 4 until Dirrell answered a late round attack with a powerful, straight left that sent Abraham to the canvas for the first time in his career, with 15 seconds left in the round.
In the last seconds of Rnd. 7, Dirrell landed a shot that sent Abraham into the ropes. The ropes obviously stopped Abraham from falling, which qualifies as a knockdown. Referee Lawrence Cole ruled that it was not a knock down.
In Rnd. 10, Abraham should have scored a knockdown, but Cole ruled it as a trip because his foot was partially caught behind Dirrell’s foot when the punch was landed. Regardless, it was the punch that sent him down.
In Rnd. 11, Dirrell slipped and went down. While he was on a knee, Abraham landed a brutal shot that actually knocked Dirrell out. Abraham was disqualified.
After the fight, Abraham expressed his opinion that he shouldn’t have been disqualified, saying ?He’s a good actor.?
A confused and emotional Dirrell left the ring apparently thinking that he had lost the fight despite continual reassurance by his team that he had won by disqualification.
