Ken Hershman: Super Six Tourney Is 'Unfolding in a Very Fascinating Way'

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.

FanHouse: So what are your thoughts on Andre Ward's performance against Mikkel Kessler?

Hershman: I was surprised I guess by how one-sided the fight was, but not surprised that Andre Ward stepped up his level of game, because that's what he showed throughout his career that he's capable of doing.

But I think it's terrific for the tournament. That's why we fight these fights, because you can predict a winner but you can't guarantee it. You've got to fight the fight.

FH: Do you think that it changes who people perceive as the top guy?

Hershman: I think that it is sort of why this tournament is so intriguing. Because, as each group stage goes along, there are going to be things that you expect to happen that will happen, but then, there will be some surprises that re-shuffle the deck a bit.

This is one of those that goes into the category of surprises. Not a big surprise, but it does re-shuffle the deck.

FH: How interesting a twist is it that in the next round, it's Andre Ward-Jermain Taylor, Carl Froch-Mikkel Kessler, and Andre Dirrell-Arthur Abraham, with Taylor and Kessler potentially being able to bounce back from losses to win the WBA, and, WBC titles?

Hershman: The draws are going to be interesting from here on out, but that's what makes this tournament so fascinating. I think that the U.S. public is thrilled to have an American on the board with a win with Andre Ward.

There's now a perception that Andre will have to be up there spoken about among the favorites to win the tournament.

FH: How intriguing are each of the next-round matchups, starting with Arthur Abraham and Andre Dirrell?

Hershman: To me, Dirrell-Abraham has the makings of a real classic style of a fight. I think that Andre Dirrell recognizes now that had he fought his entire fight with Carl Froch the way he fought the last half of the fight, he probably would have had a different result.

But Arthur Abraham is a different style of fighter -- very crafty, defensively, and very powerful. But you also have Andre Dirrell who is now down a few points and needs to get back in, and Arthur's got three points on the board and he's a bit ahead.

I think that adds a lot of intensity and a lot of significance.

FH: How much of a twist is it that Mikkel Kessler goes from being the favorite, to basically being taken advantage of, physically, by the underdog, and then, he's going into a potentially even more difficult fighter who has a style that is equally if not more physical?

Hershman: I don't think that Kessler is that style of a fighter, and Carl definitely is. Styles make fights, and styles make matchups. But one loss in the tournament should not be reflective of what your perception is of a fighter.

Mikkel Kessler is a tremendous fighter and a tremendous champion, and I think that he'll rebound very strongly in his next fight against Carl Froch. That style might be much more suited for Mikkel.

Obviously, we have to see how Mikkel's cuts heal and what's going to come of that, but that matchup has all of the hallmarks of a stand-in-the-middle, toe-to-toe, fight-it-out kind of fight.

Carl Froch might be going in with some confidence that "This is a guy who is ripe for the taking," so, it will be intriguing to see. Carl's not afraid of anybody. Just a little opening's all that he needs.

FH: What about Andre Ward-Jermain Taylor?

Hershman: Taylor-Ward, obviously, we have to evaluate what's going to happen. So with that fight, before I get into what that fight would look like, we have to find out definitively where Jermain stands.

But, just on paper, taking out the knockouts, Jermain's fought well, and fought competitively at a very high level and certainly has the skill sets to make Andre Ward feel very concerned.

FH: Is the Andre Dirrell-Arthur Abraham match set for Jan. 23, with any location established yet?

Hershman: No, we should have the location down hopefully before [Thanksgiving.]

FH: Are the dates set for Andre Ward-Jermain Taylor, or Carl Froch-Mikkel Kessler?

Hershman: Those fights are going to happen on March 6, with one big caveat -- Mikkel Kessler may not be able to train in time to make that March date.

FH: What do you make of promoter Wilfreid Sauerland's reactions to the Mikkel Kessler's loss to Andre Ward?

Hershman: There are a lot of emotions riding on these fights. People say things in the heat of the moment that they probably, upon reflection, wouldn't have said that way. We've had some private conversations since then.

I'm confident that everyone is in this for the long hall and in the best interest of the tournament and their fighters. I don't put any stock in what somebody might say immediately after a fight when their emotions are so high.

FH: So you've spoken to Sauerland promotions since the fight?

Hershman: Of course. I think that they're 100 percent on board with this tournament and the way that it's unfolded. They've had a good win with Arthur, and a disappointing performance with Mikkel, and I think that Mikkel would be the first one to say that.

But that's it, and you move on. The bottom line is that the referee and the judges didn't impact the outcome of this fight; Andre Ward impacted the outcome of this fight.

FH: Is there anything else that you would like to express about the tournament?

Hershman: I think that the tournament is unfolding in a very fascinating way. One thing that I noticed, and we didn't set it up to be this way, but the Europeans versus the Americans rivalry seems to have taken on a life of its own.

That's kind of fun. That was a surprise, but a nice surprise.

FH: So how much of into the nitty-gritty will FIGHT CAMP 360 get into depth about everything that has gone on?

Hershman: I think that you'll see that it's going to get right up in there. It's pretty compelling stuff. We're really pleased with the way that the first two episodes came out, but they didn't really scratch the surface.

Now, we're really getting into the fights themselves, and the story lines that come along with that, so I think that you'll see a tremendous episode 3 coming down the pike.