Andre Ward (24-0, 13 KO’s) vs Carl Froch (28-1, 20 KO’s) Prediction

With all due respect to Lucian Bute, when Andre Ward and Carl Froch meet in Atlantic City, New Jersey in a little over two weeks, the two best super middleweights in the world will be facing each other. And I’m not saying this because I feel that Bute isn’t a worthy champion.

It’s just that these two men, thanks largely to Showtime Championship Boxing’s unprecedented "Super Six" tournament, have clearly faced the best 168-pound boxers in the world.

When the dust settles, I am pretty sure that the more complete boxer will emerge victorious in this super middleweight unification bout. And that boxer is Andre Ward.

The fight will not be a Ward blowout victory by any stretch of the imagination, but I expect him to befuddle Froch the same way he befuddled Mikkel Kessler and Arthur Abraham. Like those two men, Froch is going to find out that Ward is very difficult to hit cleanly, takes a good punch, and has enough snap on his punches to keep him honest.

I also think that Ward, who is arguably one of the smartest boxers I have recently seen both inside and outside of the ring, will be very well-prepared for anything that Froch brings to the table in two weeks. His ring intelligence, buoyed by his highly-decorated amateur career, will be a bundle for a fighter as unrefined (technically) as Froch to deal with.

Look for a hotly-contested, but unanimous decision victory for Andre Ward over Carl Froch on Saturday, December 17. It’ll be a nice bout to end the superfight calendar year.