Will Showtime's Super Six World Boxing Classic survive?

Andre Ward

The news of Carl Froch pulling out of his Super Six World Boxing Classic bout with Arthur Abraham on Monday was like listening to the sound of air coming out of a punctured tire. 

Froch was the third fighter to pull out of the tournament and the second in less than three weeks. Jermain Taylor was the first to pull out last year and Mikkel Kessler followed suit a few weeks ago, citing an eye injury.

But the tournament could still keep its legs. Froch, who pulled out claiming a back injury, could be ready by early December. The question is will Abraham's camp want to wait that long. Will Showtime, the chief financer of this tournament, wait?

The Froch-Abraham fight is supposed to be a Group Stage 3 fight. Group Stage 3 is supposed to mark the end of the round-robbin part of the tournament, with the top four fighters moving on to the semifinal.

After Kessler dropped out, Showtime was reportedly going to make both the Froch-Abraham and Andre Ward-Andre Dirrell fights semifinal bouts. Froch withdrawing could be a death blow if the fight is not re-scheduled.

Making matters more complicated is the Ward-Dirrell fight. The fight is scheduled for September 25. No ticket has been sold nor has a venue been secured. There hasn't been a press conference either. But showtime has continued to advertise the fight.

Although no official announcement has been made, that fight is not happening on September 25. Neither Ward promoter Dan Goossen or Dirrell promoter Gary Shaw will speak on the specifics.

The bottom line is something needs to happen fast or this tournament, lauded by fans and media members as a great thing for boxing, will fall apart.