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Andre Dirrell  faced Mike Paschall on the televised undercard of last Saturday's Showtime event. Here is the original recap of Andre Dirrell vs. Curtis Stevens:

HBO Boxing After Dark Recap Part 2

June 16, 2007

Mohegan Sun Casino-Uncasville, Connecticut

1. Super Middleweight (168 pounds) 10 Round Match:

Curtis Stevens (17-1, 12 KO's, 166.25 pounds) vs. Andre Dirrell (11-0, 7 KO's, 167 pounds)

Stevens is from Brownsville, New York, which is a rough neighborhood in central Brooklyn.  The area produced the infamous John Gotti, as well as some famous boxers including: Zab Judah, Riddick Bowe, and Mike Tyson.  Stevens' only loss came in a match he was winning, but then  was TKO'ed in round 8, against a boxer coming in on short notice.  It was an opponent Stevens should have defeated and a bad loss.  Since then, Stevens has four straight victories.  Stevens is coming off a 10 round unanimous decision victory, in the Hammerstein Ballroom, on March 22, of this year.

Dirrell won the boxing bronze medal at 165 pounds representing the United States at the 2004 Athens Summer Olympic Games.  Dirrell is a natural left-hander, but will box out of both the southpaw and orthodox stances.  His style has proven very effective at confusing opponents with the constant stance changes.  Dirrell was raised and trained by his maternal grandfather, an amateur in Louisville at the same time as the then Cassius Clay, now Muhammad Ali.  His last match was an 8 round unanimous decision victory, at the Playboy Mansion in February.

Stevens is a year younger then Dirrell, at 22-years-old.  Dirrell is 23-years-old.  Dirrell has a gigantic 7" height advantage towering in at 6' 2" tall, compared to the 5' 7" Stevens.  Their reach difference is not as extreme, with Dirrell having only a 2" advantage at a 24" reach, to a 22" reach for Stevens.  (HBO measures the reach from the armpit to the end of the fist.)  After post weigh-in rehydrating, Stevens has the unofficial weight advantage.  Stevens at match time will weigh 175 pounds, Dirrell is up to 168 pounds.

The unified rules of boxing are in effect for this match which include:  No 3 knockdown rule.  No standing 8 count.  Only the referee can stop the match.  In the case of an accidental headbutt leading to a cut necessitating a premature stoppage, the match will be determined by the scorecards after 4 rounds; any earlier and the match will be ruled a no contest.  A boxer cannot be saved from a knockout by the bell in any round.  Two of the judges are from New Jersey and one is from Connecticut, which could be an advantage to Stevens, versus the boxer from Michigan.  Keeping unofficial score for HBO will be Harold Lederman.

Not a lot happens in round 1.  Stevens may win round 1 based on aggressiveness, 10-9.  Lederman scored round 1 for Dirrell, 10-9.  The crowd is booing this match less then 2 minutes into the match and it is hard to argue with the crowd.  Some punches landed in round 2 and Dirrell got the best of it, winning round 2, 10-9.  This crowd is getting very harsh on this match, with very good reason.  Dirrell is running and not engaging versus an opponent who looks like a mini compared to him.  Lederman scored round 2 for Stevens, 10-9.  The physical difference here in size and builds, is almost exactly, like if Christian Cage boxed Davey Richards, with Dirrell playing Cage and Stevens as Richards.  Dirrell wins round 3, 10-9.  This is boxing's version of a Tim Sylvia title match.  The crowd has not stopped booing this match for the last ten minutes.  Lederman score round 3 for Dirrell, 10-9.  After 3 rounds we both have Dirrell ahead, 29-28.

With 50 seconds to go in round 4 the referee admonishes Dirrell for hitting with an open glove.  That is the most interesting thing to happen in this match, so far.  Dirrell wins round 4, 10-9.  It was really close to an even round because, because no one deserved to win that round.  Round 4 went in favor of Dirrell on the Lederman scorecard, 10-9.  With 56 seconds to go in round 5, the action is stopped to attend to loose tape on the left glove of Dirrell and the agony of everyone watching is extended.  Larry Merchant describes this match as, "the track and field version of boxing.  You run and you don't want to field any punches."  Dirrell wins round 5, 10-9.  Lederman scores round 5 for Dirrell, 10-9.  According to CompuBox, though the first 5 rounds, Stevens has landed 18 total punches.  Stevens had his best round in a while maybe good enough to win it.  Stevens generously wins round 6, 10-9.  Through 6 rounds Dirrell has landed 63 punches.  Lederman gave round 6 to Dirrell, 10-9.  Through 6 rounds I have Dirrell leading, 58-56.  Dirrell is ahead, 59-55, on Lederman's scorecard, and that is probably more accurate.

Dirrell wins round 7, 10-9.  Dirrell has only been past 6 rounds once before, and that was in his last match when he went 8 rounds.  He has never been past 8 rounds.  Stevens has gone 10 rounds, twice.  Lederman score round 7 for Stevens based on more effective punches, 10-9.  Round 8, is somewhat hard to score, but Dirrell probably won it, 10-9.  The boos are getting quieter at this point, because the crowd is losing their voice, not their anger.  Lederman scores round 8 for Dirrell, 10-9.  Through 8, we both have Dirrell ahead on our scorecards, 78-74.

In round 9, Dirrell has stopped boxing seriously, if you can call what he was doing earlier boxing seriously, and now has his hands completely down and is daring Stevens to hit him, as he dances around.  This is only making the match worse, because now Dirrell is throwing fewer punches and running more.  Merchant suggests Dirrell head back to the Olympics as a 5000 meter runner.  Lennox Lewis defends Dirrell's style as effective moving.  Dirrell lands some big wind up taunting uppercuts to end round 9 and win the round.  Dirrell takes round 9, 10-9.  Lederman, also scores round 9 for Dirrell, 10-9.  After giving his score for round 9, Lederman elaborated that Dirrell is boxing the worst match he had ever seen in his life.  When pressed on the point, Lederman stood by the assertion that Dirrell is boxing the worst match he has ever seen in the thousands of matches he has watched in his lifetime.  When asked by Merchant, Lewis actually says he would pay to watch Dirrell box, again.  Anyone else, who watched this match, and would pay over $30 to see Dirrell again, email me.  If I get any, I'll post the number in the next recap.  I will include emails from his entourage, who are getting their tickets free anyway, in the count.  Dirrell wins round 10, 10-9.  The crowd, who did pay to see this, mercilessly and properly boos this match when the final bell sounds.  Lewis continues to defend it and insists it was a great practice of the sweet science, saying it is not a crowd pleasing style, but it is a victorious one.  Merchant comments that sometimes you lose by winning and that is the case here.  In the Cotto-Judah match both men won.  Lederman gave round 10 to Dirrell, 10-9.  At the end of the match we both have Dirrell winning, 98-92.

The official decision is that the judges score the match:  97-93, 97-93, 98-92, all for the winner, and still undefeated Andre "The Matrix" Dirrell.  The win moves Dirrell to 12-0, with 7 of those wins coming by way of knockout.  He is heartily booed by the crowd with announcement.

The final CompuBox numbers, have Stevens landing 43 of the 351 punches he threw, good for a 12% connect percentage.  Dirrell landed 98 of the 399 punches he threw, good for 25% connect percentage.  In this match of the 43 punches Stevens landed 34 were power punches, but Dirrell nearly doubled that landing 62 power punches.

There is quality technical boxing, which is good and enjoyable to watch.  Then there is this run and hide garbage.  Dirrell should not be anywhere near a television camera, until he learns the difference.  Stevens is way too small for this weight class and needs to drop some muscle and move down to at least 147 pounds to be competitive at the highest levels.