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It was about a year and a half ago that the Super Six World Boxing Classic began. With a field of Andre Ward, Andre Dirrell, Carl Froch, Mikkel Kessler, Arthur Abraham and Jermain Taylor, it was quite arguably the most talent-laden and interesting boxing tournament of all-time.
When the tournament began, the oddsmakers installed Denmark's Kessler and Germany-based Armenian Abraham as the split odds-on favorites to win the tournament. Shortly after the opening odds, Kessler was dismantled by American Andre Ward, and just months later Abraham would lose to Dirrell in Detroit, followed by a loss to Froch.
Over time, both Taylor and Kessler dropped out of the tournament, and Ward, who went 2-0 and also defeated Sakio Bika in a non-tournament fight last November, became the clear star of the tournament. Tonight, he faces Abraham in the first of two tournament semifinal bouts, and the odds are steep against "King" Arthur.
| Sportsbook | Ward | Abraham |
|---|---|---|
| betED | -550 | +350 |
| BetUS | -600 | +400 |
| Bodog | -550 | +350 |
| Bookmaker | -650 | +500 |
| Gamblers Palace | -650 | +500 |
| Intertops | -700 | +425 |
| Justbet | -670 | +460 |
| Sportsbook.com | -525 | +325 |
The best bet you can get on King Arthur is a +500, while the lowest is a +325. These aren't quite Pacquiao vs Mosley odds from last weekend, but honestly they aren't all that far off, either. Ward being as steep as a -700 really surprises me, and the best value listed on him here is -525, which is a heavy, heavy favorite.
Obviously, Abraham has been designated the clear underdog after two straight underwhelming performances have left many doubting his status as a true elite-level fighter, while Ward is considered no worse than the No. 2 super middleweight in the world.
Bad Left Hook will have more today on the Ward vs Abraham fight, with live coverage starting tonight at 10 p.m. EDT on Showtime, led by the Pacquiao vs Mosley replay.