ABRAHAM VS FROCH FOR WBC TITLE Newly-crowned WBC super middleweight (168 pounds) champion Mikkel Kessler of Denmark has withdrawn with an eye injury from his Sept. 25 bout with Allan Green of Oklahoma that was to be televised as part of Showtime's Super Middleweight World Boxing Classic, BoxingScene.com reported. The injury has affected Kessler's vision for the past few months, and the fighter has been advised to stay away from sparring and boxing for at least nine months, even as he hopes to fight again in the early part of 2011. Kessler's promoter Kalle Sauerland said the fighter did "absolutely the right thing." The injury delivers a blow to the Super Six, which has had several fights postponed. The scheduled, Sept. 25 bout between WBA king Andre Ward (22-0, 13 knockouts) and Andre Dirrell (19-1, 13 KOs) threatens to be postponed as well since no site has yet been determined. Green lost his first tournament bout in June by unanimous decision against Ward, having replaced former middleweight (160 pounds) champ, Jermain Taylor (28-4-1, 17 KOs) in January. Taylor pulled out following October's 12th-round knockout loss to Germany's Arthur Abraham. Showtime Sports Executive Vice President Ken Hershman, expressed disappointment for Kessler, but assures the boxing fans around the world that the tournament will go on. The Super Six tournament features six of the premiere 168-pound boxers in the world in three group stage fights that determine four semifinalists based on points toward eventually coming up with a championship bout in 2011. If a suitable replacement can't be found to face Green, a potential tournament remedy might be to fast-forward, making Ward-Dirrell, and, Abraham-Froch the semifinals, with the winners to meet in the overall championship bout next year. Kessler has "a verbal agreement" for a fight next year with the Super Six winner, according to Sauerland and The Associated Press. As it stands, Ward already has secured a semifinal berth heading into the third and final qualifying round of the tournament, with the switch-hitting, 26-year-old Dirrell, of Flint, Mich., being fourth among the top six competitors. Carl Froch-Abraham features the tournament's remaining second and third seeds, with Kessler having pulled out. The 31-year-old Kessler (43-2, 32 knockouts) dethroned England's 33-year-old Froch (26-1, 20 KOs) as WBC king by unanimous decision in April, this as a rebound after having suffered cuts over both eyes and bruises on his face during a November, 11th-round, technical decision loss to the 26-year-old Ward of Oakland, Calif., that dethroned Kessler as WBA king. Team Sauerland's Chris Meyer, the promoters' general manager, believes the WBC will support Kessler's situation. "We are saddened to see Mikkel pulling out, but his health is more important than anything he could win inside the ring," said Meyer. "The WBC will probably make him 'Champion Emeritus,' so that he can fight against the reigning [WBC] champion once he is ready to come back." Meyer also told BoxingScene that a "likely scenario" is that Kessler will vacate his WBC title, and that the upcoming Froch-Abraham bout, slated for Oct. 2 in Monaco, will be for the vacant crown. Dirrell is the WBC's No. 1-ranked contender, but is scheduled to face Ward. Since Dirrell is unavailable, it leaves Froch, who is ranked No. 2, Abraham, who is ranked No. 3, to fight for the crown. | 
