OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA — Their fight may not be part of the Super Six World Boxing Classic, but the outcome of tonight’s Andre Ward-Sakio Bika title bout may have greater implications on the tournament than even the Carl Froch-Arthur Abraham clash which will end hours earlier. Ward is not only defending his WBA belt, but the remaining sanctity of the Super Six concept against a determined and willing challenger that was not deemed “Super” enough for whatever reasons. Their fight, to be televised live by Showtime, takes place on Ward’s home turf, the Oracle Arena in Oakland. Fighters weighed in Friday, down the road at the Hilton Oakland Airport.

Bika (28-4-2, 19 KOs) of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia by way of Douala, Cameroon has been a perennial 168-pound contender since battling then-WBC ruler Markus Beyer to a technical draw in 2006. Bika’s wild career has seen him lose to Joe Calzaghe before a packed M.E.N. Arena in Manchester, England on international television to fighting in relative obscurity on undercards in Australia. Bika’s biggest claim to fame was winning The Contender reality series tournament in 2007, but he did so at a time when the show had been placated to ESPN and thus the victory did not have the career-lifting effect such as it had for its initial run. However, with an upset victory tonight, Bika will have turned the division on its ear.

Ward (22-0, 13 KOs) of Oakland has distanced himself from the pack in the Super Six as the clear favorite and the fighter to most likely emerge from tournament as a new boxing star. Ward knocked off the pre-tourney favorite Mikkel Kessler to claim the WBA Super Middleweight title and carried that momentum into a twelve-round drubbing of Allan Green this past June. Now Ward attempts to solidify his claim to the throne of division leader against the WBA #13 ranked Bika. Those who believe that title belongs to Lucian Bute will have some basis for a comparison once tonight’s bout is over, as Bika dropped a clear-cut decision to the reigning IBF belt-holder over three years ago. Both Ward and Bika scaled an even 168-pounds Friday.

In undercard action, 2008 U.S. Olympian Javier Molina (4-0, 4 KOs) of Norwalk, California will take on weathered journeyman Francisco Rios Gil (17-13, 12 KOs) of Phoenix, Arizona by way of Huatabampo, Sonora, Mexico in a six-round light middleweight bout. Molina, who came in at 149-pounds, takes the ring for the second time in two months after an injury-induced fourteen-month layoff. Rios Gil, who scaled 149 as well, has built up his win total in Mexico and most of his loss total against American prospects, as is the case tonight.

Lightweight prospect Stan Martyniouk (10-0, 1 KO) of Sacramento, California will take on Khadaphi Proctor (6-5-1) of Hesperia, California in a six-round fight. Martyniouk, who came in at 134 ½-pounds, took on renowned world class trainer Joe Goossen just before his last fight in July and gets a chance to show off what he has learned tonight in front of some of his supporters making the short trip down to Oakland from Northern California. Proctor, coming off of a pay-per-view victory over Rynell Griffin two months ago, scaled 135-pounds.

Promising super middleweight Cornelius White (15-0, 14 KOs) of Houston, Texas will take on the experienced Demetrius Davis (20-24-5, 8 KOs) of Washington, District of Columbia in a swing bout set for either six or eight-rounds and contracted for just over the 168-pound division limit. After a brief amateur run, White has reeled of an impressive knockout tally, but will take on by far the most durable opponent of his career to date. Davis began his career when White was just five-years-old and worked his way to a regional title try against Thomas Tate in 1998, before taking a nearly nine-year sabbatical from the sport. White came in at 171 ½-pounds, while Davis scaled 166.

There may not be a bona fide co-feature on the card, but the supporting bout of the night is expected to be the six-rounder between former national amateur standout Michael Ruiz Jr. (6-0, 3 KOs) of Fresno, California and all-action fighter Jonathan Alcantara (4-3-1) of Novato, California. Ruiz, who scaled 120 ½-pounds, has torn through his competition since turning pro just over seven months ago. Alcantara, who came in at 119, has made a career out of going against former national amateur stars, posting a 2-2 record in such fights.

Bantamweight prospect Matt Villanueva (3-0, 3 KOs) of Van Nuys, California takes on six-year veteran Adrian Aleman (6-7-3, 4 KOs) of Cathedral City, California in a four-round bout. Villanueva, who came in at 117 ½-pounds, has blasted out three opponents in just under eleven combined minutes. Aleman, who scaled 117, has dropped five straight, but four came against unbeaten foes and all went the distance.

In a swing bout scheduled for either four or six-rounds, unbeaten lightweight Roman Andreev (9-0, 7 KOs) of the Komi Republic, Russia will take on Manuel Del Cid (4-3, 1 KO) of Los Angeles, California. Andreev, who trained for the bout in Southern California, scaled 135-pounds. Del Cid, who also scaled 135 on Friday, has the unenviable task of taking on Andreev in his first fight since suffering a second-round knockout at the hands of Jose Benavidez Jr. just over two months ago.

Quick Weigh-in Results:

WBA Super Middleweight Championship, 12 Rounds
Ward 168
Bika 168

Light Middleweights, 6 Rounds
Molina 149
Rios Gil 149

Lightweights, 6 Rounds
Martyniouk 134 ½
Proctor 135

Light Heavyweights, 6 or 8 Rounds
White 171 ½
Davis 166

Super Bantamweights, 6 Rounds
Ruiz Jr. 120 ½
Alcantara 119

Bantamweights, 4 Rounds
Villanueva 117 ½
Aleman 117

Lightweights, 4 or 6 Rounds
Andreev 135
Delcid 135

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at ortega15rds@lycos.com.

The Super Six World Boxing Classic has given Andre Ward the platform to showcase his skills like never before in his professional career, but the ride has been full of surprises. When the three Group Stages were first charted out, Ward was to fight then reigning WBA kingpin Mikkel Kessler, followed by Jermain Taylor and then ultimately Andre Dirrell in the third stage. Well he fought (and dominated) Kessler to claim the title, but it has been one curveball after another since. The latest will be that he will not have a Group Stage 3 fight at all, having already qualified for the semi-finals, and will instead defend his title against rugged two-time title challenger Sakio Bika this coming Saturday at the Oracle Arena in Oakland, California.

Bika (28-4-2, 19 KOs) of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia by way of Douala, Cameroon provides a very different challenge than Dirrell would have. A muscularly built specimen, Bika is a straight forward clubber who rarely takes a backward, or lateral, step. “I think that everybody in the boxing world knows what Bika is going to do,” stated Ward at a press conference two weeks ago. “He’s going to come full steam ahead. He’s going to swing with both arms. He’s not a really skillful guy, but he throws a lot of wild punches. I just got to have my eyes open and just continue to do what I do and that is a little bit of everything.”

As Ward (22-0, 13 KOs) of Oakland proved in both his title-winning effort against Kessler and his Group Stage 2 drubbing of Allan Green, he is a fighter that can adapt mid-fight in order fight the best fight possible. “I try not to put myself in a box because adjustments in these big fights are key,” says Ward. “We didn’t plan to fight Allan Green necessarily the way we fought him the last time. We were going to get inside in spots, but it turned out to be close combat for most of the night. It just happened and I had to make that adjustment on the fly. We always have a general game plan, but we always keep the door open for adjustments that need to be made. As the fight unfolds I will know what I need to do based on what Bika is doing or based on what he is not doing.”

Bika has fought many of the top super middleweights of recent years, and though he has come up short against the very upper tier, he has never been stopped. Ward is very much aware of Bika’s solid chin. “I am not going to come outside of myself to try and prove anything,” said Ward. “I am going to do what I do, but just try to do it a little better. Sakio Bika has never been stopped and that is obviously the goal. Win the fight, but that would definitely be great to get a stoppage in this fight.”

Along with his reputation for an aggressive style and solid whiskers, Bika has been known to go outside the rules at times. The most recent example would be Bika’s disqualification loss to Jean Paul Mendy in September. Despite dominating the action and downing Mendy, Bika ended up the loser for clubbing Mendy while he was down, much in the same fashion Arthur Abraham did against Andre Dirrell earlier in the year.

In preparing for Bika, Ward has noticed the trend of fouls in his past and will likely take measures against falling victim to any similar tactics. “At the end of the day, the referee has a job to do, but I am also going to protect myself,” proclaimed Ward. “He does get very frustrated at times. I saw in the Peter Manfredo fight he got upset with the referee because he didn’t agree with a call, and push the referee. He headbutted Lucian Bute on purpose. He hits behind the head. I am not going to call him a dirty fighter, but let’s just say that he tends to do those things and we are prepared for that.”

While a bout with Dirrell would have likely provided for a scientific boxing match, the clash against Bika should instead provide for an action-packed contest. In fact, Bika could be Ward’s sternest test to date. “Bika is, in my estimation, probably the toughest guy we have fought when it comes to just pure, unadulterated toughness,” said Ward’s trainer Virgil Hunter. “We have a good plan, and we plan to see that through. I think it is going to be a very entertaining and eventful night.”

With the Super Six ongoing, it would not be surprising if the tournament front runner Ward were to look past Bika this coming Saturday, and look forward to his next opponent. But with expectations higher than ever, Ward continues to say all the right things. “I have a lot of stiff competition, first with my fight on November 27, but also as the tournament moves forward into the semi-finals and finals,” said Ward. “I just want you guys to know that I am preparing, I’m dedicating myself, and putting in all the hard work. I want to do everything I can to put on a tremendous performance and outdo the last performance. I have a tough opponent in Sakio Bika. Sakio is going to bring it, but I am going to bring it too, so we should have a good fight.”

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at ortega15rds@lycos.com.

Goossen Tutor Promotions hosted a press conference this past Tuesday at Ricky’s Sports Theatre & Grill in San Leandro, California to officially announce the upcoming clash between Andre Ward and Sakio Bika. Ward (22-0, 13 KOs) of Oakland, California will be making the second defense of his WBA Super Middleweight title November 27th at the Oracle Arena in Oakland. Bika (28-4-2, 19 KOs) of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia by way of Douala, Cameroon is best known for winning The Contender tournament in 2007 and will be vying for a world title for the third time in his career.


Watch Andre Ward Press Conference

NEW YORK (Oct. 15, 2010) – Super Six World Boxing Classic fans will get a chance to see WBA world champion and tournament-point leader Andre Ward headline the SHOWTIME telecast on Saturday, Nov. 27 (live at 9p.m. ET/PT), it was officially announced one week after Ward’s tournament opponent Andre Dirrell pulled out of their Group Stage 3 fight due to injury.

Ward, who has already locked up a Semifinal berth in the Super Six World Boxing Classic, will defend his WBA super middleweight world title against world ranked top-10 contender Sakio “The Scorpion” Bika (28-4-2, 19 KOs) of Sydney, Australia, by way of Douala, Cameroon, in the second-half of a SHOWTIME doubleheader.

The fight, which will take place in front of Ward’s hometown fans at Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif., will not be part of the Super Six tournament, Ken Hershman, Executive Vice President and General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports®, announced. The event is being promoted by Goossen Tutor Promotions in association with Golden Boy Promotions, the promoter for Bika.

There will, however, be Super Six World Boxing Classic tournament action on Saturday, Nov. 27, from Finland. In the opening bout of the SHOWTIME doubleheader, “King” Arthur Abraham will meet Carl “The Cobra” Froch for their pivotal Group Stage 3 bout for the vacant WBC world title. This bout will air on same day delay from the Hartwall Areena in Helsinki.

The 31-year-old Bika will be making his third world title appearance, challenging for the belt that Ward wrested from Mikkel Kessler with a brilliant performance in the opening Group Stage of the Super Six tournament. Bika is 0-1-1 in world title fights, having lost a decision to Joe Calzaghe in Oct. 2006 and being forced to settle for a controversial draw against Marcus Beyer in Germany in May 2006.

Two of Bika’s most noteworthy victories came when he crushed Peter Manfredo, Jr. (TKO 3) in Nov. 2008 and when he outpointed Sam Soliman across eight rounds in Oct. 2007.

As evidenced by the fact that he has never been knocked out, Bika is known for his granite chin and is regarded as one of the toughest fighters in the world at 168 pounds. A 2000 Olympian for Cameroon, Bika has fought some of the division’s elite champions, but has long accused the big-name super middleweights of avoiding him.

In an opportunity to get back into the world title picture, Bika lost his most recent start controversially when he was disqualified for hitting Jean Paul Mendy while he was down in the first round of an IBF world title eliminator this past July 31. On his way to what looked like a certain knockout win, Bika dropped Mendy to his knees with a left hand, then landed a right uppercut that caused Mendy to pitch forward face-first on the canvas. Referee Joe Cortez ruled that Bika had fouled Mendy and he called the fight at 1:19 of the first round.

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Promoters acted quickly after last week’s pullout of Andre Dirrell for his world title shot against WBA Super Middleweight champion Andre Ward as espn.com Dan Rafael is reporting that former world title challenger Sakio Bika will now step in for that November 27th opportunity.

“We’re working on that. Bika is definitely interested in doing the fight,” Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer, Bika’s co-promoter, told ESPN.com on Tuesday. “It’s not done, but it’s being worked on.”

What has not been decided is whether Ward’s bout will be part of the tournament. He is the only fighter in the field to have already secured a semifinal berth heading into the Group Stage 3 bouts, the last of the round robin portion of the tournament. The tournament contract allows for fighters to fight outside of the tournament with Showtime’s approval.

“We’re working on that too,” Schaefer said.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, an intriguing IBF Super Middleweight elimination bout between undefeated Jean Paul Mendy and former world title challenger Sakio Bika has been added to the off-tv portion of the packed cardthat will feature the Lightweight title rematch of the 2009 fight of the year between Juan Manuel Marquez and Juan Diaz that will take place July 31st in Las Vegas.

The winner of Bika-Mendy will earn a mandatory shot against 168-pound titleholder Lucian Bute.

“This is truly a ‘Fight Freak’ card for the ages,” said Richard Schaefer , CEO of Golden Boy Promotions who will promote the card. “We are going all out to make July 31 a night to remember for boxing and sports fans. The addition of Bika versus Mendy is another all-action fight which supplements a card which I consider to be one of the best top to bottom boxing events in the past few years.”

Schaefer said Bika-Mendy will take place just before the HBO PPV telecast begins but that highlights of the bout would air during the broadcast. However, he said is working on having the fight, along with another undercard match featuring blue-chip junior welterweight prospect Frankie Gomez, shown live as a free preview in the hour preceding the start of the pay-per-view telecast.

“We’re trying now to secure the free window from the PPV channels,” Schaefer said. “Looking good.”