lured into an enormous fishbowl

On a busy weekend for super middleweights, Joe Calzaghe was finally voted off Strictly Come Dancing, and the Super Six World Boxing Classic kicked off with wins for Carl Froch and Arthur Abraham.

In a modified round-robin format, Mikkel Kessler, Arthur Abraham, Carl Froch, Jermain Taylor, Andre Ward, and Andre Dirrell will engage in at least three bouts each, with the fighters garnering the four highest point totals advancing to the semifinal round. (Fighters will earn three points for a KO win, two for a decisions win, and one for a draw.)

Beginning with the semifinal round, the tournament will be single-elimination.

Over the course of two years, the winner will have engaged in five bouts against championship-level opposition and won at least four of them (conceivably, a fighter could make the semis with a loss in group stage). At that point, there will be no doubt regarding the identity of the number one 168-pounder in the game.

Last year, I predicted that, post-Calzaghe, Andre Ward could well dominate the division, but his first fight - while admittedly at home in Oakland - against Kessler on November 7, will be a big step up in class. Kessler has a 41-1 record now, it's great to remember that we were there when Joe C inflicted his only defeat.