----------------

 Replay of Saturday’s Telecast Tuesday, Nov. 30, at 10 p.m. ET/PT on SHO2

 

OAKLAND, Calif., (Nov. 27, 2010)–-Andre “S.O.G.” Ward out-brawled and out-battled a rough and tumble and otherwise worthy opponent in Sakio “The Scorpion” Bika on Saturday night, winning a unanimous 12-round decision to defend his World Boxing Association (WBA) Super Middleweight championship belt in front of his enthusiastic hometown fans at the Oracle Arena and on SHOWTIME. 

Earlier in the day, Ward’s Super Six World Boxing Classic opponent was learned as he will next face Arthur Abraham in the Tournament Semifinals. One of the pre-tournament favorites going into the Tournament, Abraham lost a 12-round unanimous decision against Carl Froch in Helsinki, Finland, also on SHOWTIME. Froch will take on Glen Johnson in the other Tournament Semifinal.  

The tournament’s top-seeded Ward won on all three judges’ scorecards, 118-110 twice and 120-108. SHOWTIME commentator Al Bernstein actually saw the fight closer giving Ward the victory by a four-point margin. “Bika proved to be a tough out,” Bernstein said. “This just shows another side of Andre Ward. He’s a chameleon and can beat you in so many different ways.” 

SHOWTIME play-by-play announcer Gus Johnson called Ward’s second defense of his world title a “dirty and nasty war” the likes of which Ward had not seen before in his career. Ward remains undefeated at 23-0 (13 KOs). Bika falls to 28-5-2 (19 KOs). 

“I did what I had to do,” Ward said. “I’ll have to watch the tape to see what I did wrong and to see what I did right. I’m hard on myself. I don’t think I fought a good fight tonight. But we got the win and I’m proud of that.” 

He added: “Bika’s and my styles clashed. There were head butts and elbows, but we found a way to win.” 

The 31-year-old Bika couldn’t find an answer to Ward’s left jab all night and was never able to really hurt Ward, 27, with his big right hand. Ward did suffer cuts under both of his eyes and said after the fight that each one of his cuts was due to a head butt or an elbow.  

Referee Dan Stell kept busy all night, coming between the fighters and repeatedly warning them. Bika fell to the canvas in the fourth but Stell ruled it a slip after the two got tangled. 

After the fight, Ward called Bika a “tough and rugged fighter” and added, “It’s not how you win but if you win." 

Bika was just thankful for the opportunity and called Ward a great boxer and champion. “I can’t complain,” he said. “We both fought a great fight. I gave everything I had. He’s a great champion. I'm just thankful he gave me the opportunity." 

The standings after the Group Stages are as follows: 

FINAL GROUP STAGE SUPER SIX WORLD BOXING CLASSIC SCOREBOARD

Record      Fighter                          Points

 3-0             Andre Ward                       6

 2-1             Carl Froch                         4

 1-0, 1 KO   Glen Johnson*                 3

 1-2, 1 KO   Arthur Abraham               3 

* Johnson wins tiebreaker based on total judges’ scorecard points.  

Saturday’s fights will re-air on Sho2 on Tuesday, Nov. 30, at 7 p.m. ET/PT. It will be available On Demand from Nov. 30 to Dec. 27.  

For information on all SHOWTIME Sports telecasts, including exclusive behind-the-scenes video and photo galleries from its events and complete information on the Super Six World Boxing Classic, please visit the website at http://www.sports.sho.com

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Goossen Tutor Promotions and TNT Boxing are promoting this night of World Championship boxing, with the championship bout in association with Golden Boy Promotions, the promoter for Bika.  

In the first bout of the split-site doubleheader on SHOWTIME, former world champions "King" Arthur Abraham (31-1, 25 KO's) of Germany and Carl "The Cobra" Froch (26-1, 20 KOs) of England will battle in the final Group Stage 3 bout of the Super Six World Boxing Classic. from Helsinki, Finland. 

Here’s some of what the fighters had to say on Friday: 

ANDRE WARD: 

“I had a date to fight and I wanted to keep it. I wanted to choose the next best available boxer and we did that with Sakio Bika. Plus, there weren’t a lot of other options.  

“I’m a competitor. I don’t like to lose at anything be it pickup basketball or a game of cards with my family. But they all like to beat me because of it. Even my family conspires to beat me at cards.  

“Boxing is one of the only sports that if you’re pinned with one loss your pay scale definitely decreases. It’s important for me and my family that I get this win tomorrow night. 

“I don’t care who wins tomorrow night’s first fight on SHOWTIME (between Abraham and Froch). I’m so locked into my own. I won’t even ask and I don’t care if anyone tells me. It doesn’t matter. I’ve never been so focused for a fight as I am for this one.” 

SAKIO BIKA: 

“We have studied what we need to do and we just have to do it. We have to do stuff that other fighters have not been able to do. 

“We are not going to be like the other fighters he’s faced and go for the knockout. We just want to go for the win. 

“People have labeled me a rough and tough fighter, even a dirty fighter. I will show that I can truly box and that I belong with the elite of this sport. 

“Andre Ward is a champion. He wants to remain a champion. It’s my job to disrupt that and shake up the Super Six by pinning him with his first loss. 

“I didn’t even watch him weigh in. I didn’t need to check him out. I’ve seen him before. I know what he looks like.”