This is what The Super Six World Boxing Classic is all about. Forcing elite fighters to battle each other in a weight class where there seemed to be zero direction. American Andre Ward had been unexposed and held back to certain extent but on Saturday night with his win over one of the tournament's favorites, Mikkel Kessler, he showed that he may be able to fill the huge gap left by a seeming lack of great U.S. boxing prospects.

Monte Poole from The Modesto Bee says Ward is beyond perfect for the role of American boxing hero:

Ward is a man of virtue and good nature - but a cobra in the ring. Moreover, he is the kind of flag-carrier boxing today needs - not as abrasive as Bernard Hopkins, not as brazenly vain as Floyd Mayweather, not as earnestly glib as Oscar De La Hoya and certainly not as menacing as Mike Tyson.

Ward, now the WBA super middleweight champ, dominated Kessler from the get-go. He was too fast and crafty for the Danish veteran. Surviving the rough streets of Oakland, Ward is deeply spiritual:

Mostly, though, Ward fights for his faith, as indicated by his nickname "S. O. G.," son of God, and the robe he wore entering the ring, white with the words "Jesus Christ is King" inscribed in red on the back.

"I feel like I'm here to make my mark, to use the stage as a platform to glorify Him," Ward said. "Nothing is impossible with God on your side. Nothing."

Ward (21-0, 13 KOs) will fight Jermain Taylor next in The Super Six. Promoter Dan Goosen said it could Oakland again in March.