Quote Originally Posted by ross View Post
So far, including myself, 80% in this thread think Bika won

Dirrell could have tried doing more but he would have tired and wouldnt have had the same bursts of success. Bika is better as you know even if you hurt him hes still capable of recuperating fast and smashing you up. Dirrell laid on the ropes because Bika took him there and kept him there. Dirll likes to think of himself as a puncher. He does have power but if he really felt he could have stepped up and stopped Bika he would have tried. Maybe he did try and we didnt notice because Bika made Dirrell ineffective.
I'm no real advocate of Dirrell, but he clearly did try. I think fatigue had alot to do with it. He'd never even been 10 rounds, let alone 12 but he buzzed and hurt Bika on multiple occasions. The thing that Bika is good at is constant pressure and that couple with the multiple body shots were likely the reason Dirrell didn't go in for the kill. More 12 round experience of how to pace himself over the distance would have helped, and I think he could and would have stopped him. Bika just didn't see that right hand coming and I think that was what was hurting him rather than the power. He was just so fast. I thought Dirrell nicked the fight, but I didn't think a draw or a close win either way could be considered a robbery.

I remember thinking at the halfway stage that we could have another decent Super-Middleweight contender for Andre Ward to fight, but the 2nd half of the fight showed he needs alot more experience & heart at this level.