Dirrell shows up, smashes Hanshaw

Well where in the hell was that guy last year?

We all remember watching Andre Dirrell's 2007 fight with Curtis Stevens, declared by many to be the worst fight of the year, and enough to make myself and several others out there want to never see Dirrell fight again.

He ran. He ran, and ran, and ran some more. He did legitimately win the fight, since Stevens didn't exactly go after him all that hard and never did anything. But it was one of the least impressive legit, wide wins you'll ever see. I'm not totally a blood-and-guts sort of guy. Sure, I love a good brawl, but I also love to watch a good, technically sound fighter, and I love guys that can hit and avoid being hit. It's an art.

Dirrell seemed to have that potential, but it all left with the Stevens fight. If you want to call it a fight, that is.

Last night on Shobox, Andre Dirrell showed up, got rocked early by Anthony Hanshaw, and then went to town. The southpaw from Flint, Michigan, exhibited all the talents he was known for coming out of the 2004 Olympic Games. Hand speed (and how), power, great combination punching, and a legit killer instinct. Dirrell looked like a predator against Hanshaw, who's a perfectly credible fighter.

Dirrell (15-0, 10 KO) even sounded like a changed fighter afterward. Said Dirrell after knocking Hanshaw out in the fifth round, "I felt we both lost that fight (Dirrell-Stevens) and they didn't see the real Andre Dirrell. They got to see the real Andre Dirrell tonight and they will see more."

Well by God, let's hope so, because if this is the real Andre Dirrell, look out -- super middleweight just got another damn good fighter, one who has all the physical gifts to be a world champion.

Listen, like my favorite referee, I'm fair but firm. Dirrell stunk out the joint last year and I haven't wanted to see or hear anything about him since then. I wondered how on earth Showtime could risk giving that guy a TV slot last night. Well he shut me up something fierce. Anyone that wasn't impressed with Dirrell last night is nuts.