The boxing match of the year between Manuel Quezada vs Bowie Tupou is only a few days away. Everybody is excited for this fight, including those who are religiously following Manuel Quezada vs Bowie Tupou boxing careers.
The Super Six World Boxing Classic Semifinals are set to begin. Andre Ward, Arthur Abraham, Carl Froch and Glen Johnson are all one victory from the tournament final en route to 168-pound supremacy. On Saturday, May 14, Ward will defend his WBA super middleweight world title against European superstar Abraham to kick off the Semifinals of the groundbreaking tournament LIVE on SHOWTIME® at 10 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast) from The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif.
The event is co-promoted by Goossen Tutor Promotions, Antonio Leonard Productions and Sauerland Event and sponsored by Corona. In the co-featured non-televised portion of the card at The Home Depot Center heavyweight world contender and popular Southern California slugger Cristobal Arreola will try to stay on track for another opportunity of a world championship when he takes on Nagy Aguilera of the Dominican Republic.
“The stage is set for the dramatic conclusion of the Super Six World Boxing Classic,” said Ken Hershman, Executive Vice President and General Manager of SHOWTIME Sports®. “We have seen some tremendous fights, scintillating action and surprising twists and turns. These four semifinalists have all survived the tournament’s rigorous road to this point but they are not done yet. They need two more outstanding performances if they want to truly be considered No. 1. I can’t wait for May 14.”
For Ward (23-0, 13 KOs), with his November victory over Sakio Bika and convincing wins over Mikkel Kessler and Allan Green in the Group Stage portion of the tournament, he enters the single elimination bout against Abraham as the tournament favorite. Ward, of Oakland, Calif., can advance to the tournament Final to face the winner of the upcoming Froch vs. Johnson Semifinal bout with a win over the former middleweight champ.
“I’m ready to get back in the ring and kick off the Semifinals against Arthur Abraham on May 14,” Ward said. “I’m just one win away from reaching the Finals and achieving what I set out to achieve when I entered this tournament: Super Six champion and the world’s best 168-pound boxer.”
Ward continued: “I’m also happy to return to The Home Depot Center. I fought there once before and I think it’s a great outdoor venue. Arthur should have a lot of fans there with the large Armenian contingency in Los Angeles, and I will have a lot of fans as well.”
”California fans are going to be treated with what I believe will not only be a very exciting night of fights at the championship level, but witnessing the next superstar in Andre Ward. He reminds me of Sugar Ray Leonard, tough as nails, classy, charismatic with matinee idol looks,” stated Dan Goossen of Goossen Tutor Promotions.
Abraham (32-2, 26 KOs), of Berlin, Germany by way of Armenia, entered the tournament as a heavy favorite alongside Kessler. But after emerging from Group Stage 1 as the points leader with a knockout win over Jermain Taylor, Abraham is now trying to bounce back from consecutive tournament losses to Andre Dirrell and Froch in Group Stages 2 and 3, respectively.
With a win over Ward on May 14, Abraham, who entered the tournament with an unblemished record, can once again become a world champion and the tournament favorite heading into the Finals.
