FanHouse Jermain Taylor

The past, nearly 10 months have been anything but joyous for Kelly Pavlik, the WBO and WBC middlewieght champion.

A native of blue collar Youngstown, Ohio, Pavlik was hailed as perhaps the sport's next matinee idol when he bravely rose from being floored and nearly knocked out in the second round of his seventh-round stoppage of previously, unbeaten and undisputed middleweight champion, Jermain Taylor.

But Pavik has recently endured questions about his courage from those in Youngstown and abroad -- even as he said that he survived a near-death experience that resulted from a staph infection in his left forefinger which forced the cancellation of a Dec. 5 title defense against talented Paul Williams (37-1, 27 knockouts).

"We weren't surprised. This is really the fourth time, now, so this fight will never take place," said Williams' trainer and manager, George Peterson, to FanHouse on Oct. 21.

"We're going to move on," said Peterson. "There's is no injury. He [Pavlik] just needs a heart transplant."

Showtime's Sports general manager, Ken Hershman, spoke to FanHouse on Monday regarding the Super Six World Boxing Classic and the latest clash, which has contributed more drama and intrigue to the unprecedented event.

Hershman called it "terrific for the tournament" that former Olympic gold medalist Andre Ward, of Oakland, Calif., scored Saturday night's stunning, 11th-round, technical decision over heavily-favored, Mikkel Kessler, before Ward's hometown crowd at Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif.

Although the move caused an initial uproar from Kessler's promoters, Hershman said that their concerns have been satisfactorily addressed, their ire quelled, and that they are "on board" for the event's continuation. See what else Hershman told FanHouse about the Super Six in this Q&A after the jump.

Denmark's WBA champion, Mikkel Kessler, is considered boxing's premier 168-pounder -- and for good reason.

And it is among those same reasons why the 30-year-old "Viking Warrior" is favored to take down 25-year-old former Olympic gold medalist Andre Ward in defense of his title on Saturday night at Oracle Arena.

"Mikkel Kessler's just been in with a higher quality of opponent. And Kessler's been involved with more big fights, fighting, more or less, for 12 rounds since Andre Ward has been a professional boxer," said Doug Fischer, co-editor of RingTV.com. "And now he's fighting in Andre Ward's hometown of Oakland, Calif., which is going to be nothing new to him."

Don't wish Bernard Hopkins success, wish him failure.

Specifically, tell the 44-year-old boxer that he's so far past his prime, that you believe he'll lose on Dec. 2 to unheralded 29-year-old Enrique Ornelas, the man he will meet in a non-title, 12-round light heavyweight (175 pounds) bout at Temple University's Liacouras Center in Hopkins' hometown of Philadelphia.

"People have written me off a lot of times in my life, and that's been my biggest motivation. I've always needed people to be rooting against me," said Hopkins, a former Philadelphia street criminal who survived three stabbings, was imprisoned at age 18 for five years, and released in 1988.

"I did not let the street life destroy me. I'm that throwback Philadephia fighter who just happened to take care of himself, and that's why I'm still here," said Hopkins, who is 49-5, with 32 knockouts.

Denmark's Mikkel Kessler has more than twice as many fights -- and wins -- as Andre Ward.

The champion has more than three times as many knockouts, and could be stronger than the challenger, if not equally as fast and athletic.

And although Kessler is six years older than Ward, the WBA super middleweight titlist seems to be in his prime.

Ward (pictured far right) appears to be the underdog in most phases of the matchup. But if you ask his promoter, Dan Goossen, that's just the way Ward likes it.

A scene involving former middleweight world champion, Jermain Taylor, represents one of the more compelling moments in FIGHT CAMP 360: Inside The Super Six World Boxing Classic.

Asked if he feels blessed to be in the tournament, pitting six of the world's premiere super middleweights (168 pounds) in a round-robin affair, Taylor responds to the affirmative.

"When I first heard about this tournament, I was on my boat. Then I get a call saying something about the Super Six [Tournament,]" said Taylor, a soft-spoken native of Little Rock, Ark., who speaks with a slight stutter.

"They said there are going to be six guys in the super middleweight division, and they're going to put us all in the ring, and 'May the best man win,' " said Taylor. "I was just like, 'This is a blessing.' After this tournament -- after I win it -- I'll be right back on top, no matter what happens."

By now, everyone knows what has happened, and it wasn't good for Taylor.

LAS VEGAS -- When former world champion Winky Wright enters the ring in San Juan's Coliseo de Puerto Rico on Dec. 11, it will be with the short-range goals of acheiving past glory.

Wright (51-5-1, 25 knockouts), a southpaw who turns 38 on Nov. 26, will end an eight-month layoff when he meets Brewer, who will turn 39 on Dec. 22. Brewer (26-11, 15 KOs) has won eight consecutive fights, inlcluding first- and, second-round knockouts of his past two opponents in May and August.

Wright twice defeated current world champion, Shane Mosley, as a junior middleweight (154 pounds) in 2004, and then followed that up with a rise to middleweight (160) for a one-sided, May, 2005, unanimous decision over former world champion and Puerto Rican great, Felix Trinidad.

Former Olympic gold medalist, Andre Ward, calls upcoming rival, Mikkel Kessler, of Denmark, "absolutely, without a shadow of a doubt the most skilled" fighter that he will have faced over the course of his nearly five-year professional career.

"He's the champion. He's very tough. I take nothing away from Mikkel Kessler," said Ward, who will put his 20-0 record with 13 knockouts on the line in pursing Kessler's WBA 168-pound title on Nov. 21 before a partisan crowd at Oracle Arena in Oakland. "At the same time, this is what it's all about -- taking the challenge and rising to it. And I plan on doing that 11 days from now."

Their first-round clash is part of Showtime's Super Six Middleweight World Boxing Classic.

Although Denmark's Mikkel Kessler is nicknamed "The Viking Warrior," he could easily borrow the monicker of another fighter, "The Road Warrior," given how he has embraced the prospect of defending his WBA crown against American Andre Ward on Nov. 21 in the latter's hometown of Oakland, Calif.

"I've been here for three weeks now in California. The climate and the time change are very good. You have to be there at least three weeks beforehand to adapt," said Kessler, 30, who will face Ward (20-0, 13 knockouts) in a 168-pound, first-round clash of Showtime's Super Six Middleweight World Boxing Classic at Oracle Arena.

"It took me about three or four days to get used to it, but I'm in a very good rhythm now, and my conditioning hasn't been better. I just fought eight rounds today, and it's been one of the best eight rounds of my life. I'm looking forward to Ward, and I'm so ready for Ward," said Kessler (42-1, 32 knockouts), who has fought only once in the U.S.

"I think after this fight, people are going to recognize me better. I'm going to show them how my boxing style is," said Kessler. "I'm ready to show the American boxing fans how I fight, because it's difficult for me, as a Danish guy, to get known in the U.S., so here's my big chance for it."

Southpaw "Bad" Chad Dawson moved effortlessly around the ring while Glen "The Road Warrior" Johnson was mostly flat-footed and looked old.

Dawson fired his right jab, following it up with left hooks and straight lefts. Dawson won the exchanges when they existed over the course of Saturday night's lopsided, 12-round unanimous decision over the aging Johnson before a partisan crowd at the XL Center in Hartford, Conn.

In victory, Dawson improved to 29-0 with 17 knockouts, earning the WBC's interim light heavyweight title while also defending his IBO crown, and in the process erasing all doubt as to who won the first Dawson-Johnson bout in April 2008.