Allan Green set for Super Six debut against Andre Ward

By Brett Okamoto

Tuesday, June 15, 2010 | 11:30 p.m.

Super middleweight Allan Green is set to make his debut in the Super Six World Boxing Classic on Saturday at the Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif., against newly crowned WBA Super champion and tournament favorite Andre Ward.

Green has had to wait a long time to break into the tournament. After being left off the initial Super Six roster, Green took the place of Jermain Taylor in February.

He was then scheduled to face Ward in April, but the fight was postponed after Ward suffered a knee injury in training.

Finally, eight months after the tournament's first fight took place, Green will get to join the party.

"It was hard at first," said Green, on being left out at the beginning of the tournament. "But you can't cry over spilled milk, and I had to go on with my career. Now, it's all panned out the way it was supposed to, and it's my opportunity to make good on it."

Green (29-1, 20 KO) will enter the tournament with the unenviable task of taking on the undefeated Ward (21-0, 13 KO) in his hometown.

The 30-year-old fighter has done nothing but welcome the challenge, however, eager to prove the Showtime Network made a mistake by not inviting him from the start.

"Whenever it comes to me, it's always something," Green said. "I felt I belonged in the tournament. The thing I didn't understand was Jermain Taylor getting in. I won my last fight and he lost his fight (before the selection). But I got pushed back and he got in the tournament. I just didn't get it."

As snubbed as Green feels, he still might not be the hungriest fighter in the tournament — or even the ring, come Saturday's fight, which will be aired on Showtime at 10 p.m. EDT/PDT (tape delayed on the West Coast).

Despite being considered the tournament favorite, Ward still feels the boxing community is far from paying him the respect he deserves.

Still widely known as a great amateur fighter — he won a gold medal at the 2004 Olympics — Ward still is making a name for himself as a professional.

His win over Mikkel Kessler in the tournament's first round somewhat was marred when Kessler accused him of intentionally butting heads with him in the fight's later rounds. Ward says he's also followed by the reputation of being a finesse fighter, incapable of standing in the pocket and exchanging punches with other super middleweights.

"I'm probably one of the most underestimated fighters in the game right now," Ward said. "Floyd Mayweather Jr. said it on 24/7, for some reason people look in from the outside and say, 'That's easy.'

"I've had to listen to all the comments that, 'He's a good amateur fighter, but he has a lot to learn.' That's true, I have a lot to learn, but for some reason guys don't see what's really happening in there. If (Green) has a chip on his shoulder, that makes two of us."

In addition to defending his belt for the first time, Ward could lock up one of the tournament's four semifinal spots with a win Saturday.

If successful, he'd be the only fighter in the tournament with an automatic pass. Arthur Abraham is the current leader with three points, while Ward, Kessler, Carl Froch and Andre Dirrell all follow with two.

Obviously having missed the entire first round of the tournament, Green comes in at a slight disadvantage. However, he said he felt no added pressure to catch up in the standings.

"I'm not coming in thinking about points," Green said. "I'm thinking about victories. And with victories, comes points. I'm not putting pressure on myself because of points. The only points I'm worried about are the judges' scores in the fight."

Brett Okamoto can be reached at 948-7817 or brett.okamoto@lasvegassun.com.