Andre Ward / Photo © Ivan Montiel

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Michael Nelson previews tonight's Super-Six match-up between Andre Ward and Allan Green.

Nine months after Kenny Kost made him do a shimmy along the ropes, a Darnell Boone right hand stiffened Andre Ward's legs and planted him on the canvas. Ward got up on shaky legs, survived the remainder of the round, and edged the fight. But in the eyes of the boxing world, he was exposed as another amateur star who lacked the chin and the toughness to be successful in the pro game.

What a difference five years can make. After becoming an extended reclamation project, Ward stands as the favorite to win the Super Six tournament. He passed his first real test before the tournament by beating up dangerous, but shop-worn Edison Miranda. Then he surpassed everyone's expectations by thoroughly outboxing super middleweight titan Mikkel Kessler.

Can Allan Green evoke memories of Boone tonight in Oakland? He certainly has the tools to make things interesting; namely, the most dangerous left hook Ward has seen in his professional career. His two round destruction of Carlos De Leon Jr. last year served as a reminder that eating flush hooks from Ghost Dog makes for a short night.

But Allan has mixed his spectacular knockouts with far too many uninspiring offerings. He followed a couple of quick knockouts in 2007 with a non-descript decision over Rubin Williams, in which he spent most of the bout glancing at his shoes. He followed the aforementioned steamrolling of Carlos De Leon Jr. with a low-contact struggle against the old and inactive Tarvis Simms.

As a result, Ward is the heavy favorite to defeat Green and solidify a lead in the tournament. He's the more well-rounded fighter; expertly mixing in a consistent body attack with jabs and flashy right hands to the head. He's solid defensively, so he rarely gets caught flush on the outside and his tendency to clinch makes it difficult for the opponent to move his hands on the inside. And while Green isn't slow, he'll be at a speed deficit against Ward.

But Allan's strong left hook is something that Kessler and Miranda largely lacked. It's a weapon that we haven't seen Andre deal with before. And considering that Kessler was a favorite over Ward, and Arthur Abraham was a favorite over Andre Dirrell, perhaps we shouldn't be shocked if another upset is in the books. These guys are all capable of exposing each others weaknesses.

Indeed, the label 'exposed' was branded on Ward during the infancy of his career. It has since faded away. Tonight, Green will search for a way to remind the boxing world that no matter how well-hidden or compensated for, everyone has chinks in their armor - while Ward will continue his quest for perfection

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