Froch-Kessler: Is Carl’s power overrated?
February 26th, 2010
By Scott Gilfoid: World Boxing Council super middleweight champion Carl Froch (26-0, 20 KO’s) gets a lot of credit from boxing fans as being a huge puncher with supposedly devastating power. But as far as I can tell, Froch’s isn’t all that big of a puncher at all. In fact, I think his April 24th Super Six opponent Mikkel Kessler (42-2, 32 KO’s) is a bigger puncher than Froch will ever be. Kessler has a really good right hand, and powerful left hook to go along with it. Kessler doesn’t miss with his shots like Froch. Kessler may have missed a lot in his last fight against American Andre Ward, but that was only because Ward is so talented and fast.
I think Allan Green, Kessler, Arthur Abraham, Andre Ward and Andre Dirrell are all bigger punchers than Froch. Not only are they bigger punchers in my view, but they also are slightly better at placing their punches. Those guys tend to land the cleaner shots, and have better accuracy than what I’ve seen of Froch in his fights. I recently re-watched Froch’s win over Jean Pascal today.
In Froch’s fight with Jean Pascal, Pascal was landing with cleaner shots for much of the fight, even long after he ran out of gas in the second half of the fight. Pascal was still throwing with better accuracy while Froch missed with a lot of his shots.
Froch didn’t look like he was hitting as hard as Pascal. I think what Froch’s knockouts come from is his constant pressure that he puts on his opponents rather than any kind of so-called power. Froch basically sets a really high pace and seems to wear down his less conditioned opponents. This was the case in his 12th round knockout win over Jermain Taylor last year in April. But it wasn’t going to happen against Dirrell, no way.
It was the first time that Dirrell had gone 12 rounds, yet he wasn’t fazed by Froch’s high pressure tactics and actually ended up being the stronger fighter in the past three rounds. I think Froch is more of a fighter with moderate power. Of Froch’s knockout wins, 19 of the 20 of them have come against European opponents. Jermain Taylor is the only non-Euro fighter that Froch has stopped.
I think the 19 opponents that Froch stopped prior to his fight against Taylor was a case of Froch stopping 2nd tier and not 1st tier fighters. Dirrell was never in the least troubled by Froch’s punches, and I seriously doubt that Kessler will be bothered with Froch’s punches either. I think what we’ll find out on April 24th is that Kessler is the bigger puncher in that fight and the one that will be hurting Froch over and over again with big right hands that will land cleanly.
Froch will make it easier for Kessler by keeping his hands down by his sides the way he always does. Froch won’t have the quickness to lean away from Kessler’s fast right hands, stiff jabs and big left hooks, and I see Froch taking a beating in this fight.
Tags: 32 Responses to “Froch-Kessler: Is Carl’s power overrated?”
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Froch is not one of my favorite fighters however he hits like a mule kicks. Hell yes he has power
Froch isn’t a single punch knockout artist. He has power but not the kind where he only he has to hit you once to stretch you. Gilfoid is right that speed = power but that isn’t always the case. Paulie Malignaggi has lightning fast hands but can’t break an egg. Ali was the fastes heavyweight ever but was he the hardest hitting? No. George Foreman had looping and comparatively slow punches yet he is one of the hardest hitters in boxing history. Enough said.
I believe if Froch stuck to laderal movement and worked the jab more consistentely he would be a more complete fighter. If you notice a lot of his (misses) are due to no commiting to working off the jab.
HAHAHAHAAAHAHAHAHAHAH “Froch might be the weakest puncher in the Super Six. I mean that” HAHAHAAHAHAHAHAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAH
Thing is .. Darren Barker, who has done some sparring with Kessler always bigs up Froch in comparison .. something you would expect from a good friend and stablemate of Carl Froch.
Froch built the reputation of being a big punching granite chinned guy by facing a much lower level of fighter .. in his last few fights he has shown both these things are over-rated. Taylor isn`t a big puncher .. even at middleweight had Froch down heavilly .. and Froch has not shown the same dynamite punch also.
Froch can definately bang – its become his major problem as he’s been too reliant on his power and forgets to box. Against Dirrell, he was constantly loading up rather than utilising his jab whilst offering some movement.
Another reason I know he hits hard is he sparred with Darren Barker (British middleweight champ) who said he hits too hard – funny enough, he also sparred Kessler and still said Froch was the bigger hitter.
hes chick is fine thou
by the way i’m english & yes scott it is possible to open your eyes to the world around you you biased tw@t
Froch can only utilize those heavy arms when he throws uppercuts. Apart from the uppercut or ‘cobra sting’, if you like, the other punches he throws are shoulder punches with little power. This may sound outrageous but i actually think i hit harder than Froch. i’m not particularly strong or athletic but i’ve developed my snap shot so i can cause instant death to potential future bullys & i understand how muscle boundness effects speed which ultimately effects power so knowing that i try to stay slim & agile with strong triceps for power, something Froch just doesn’t understand. I get what Scott Gilroys saying but i also get how he likes to only compliment Americans & take away from Euros which is exactely what he did in this article, though he does have a point bout Froch who i agree is overrated
I think Froch is the second hardest hitter in the super six, the hardest i think being Abraham, I think he has a massive heart and great will to win and confidence and as for chin in my opinion it is un-questionabley granite hard but i think what people are underestimating is how good andre dirrel is. everyone goes on about kessler losing to the now favourite ward but what about froch beating direll. i think dirrel is a brilliant boxer and should be the co-favourite with andre ward yet froch still found the heart and will to win despite how argueable the discision was froch still one and at no point in the fight even remotely looked like quiting. so i think he will bully kessler and ultimately ko him with a big right uppercut. but then again i may be wrong lol thats the great thing with boxing you never know.
The best way to find out how hard froch hits is to hang your chin out scot? LOL
Froch is heavy handed but this can wear an opponent down and I think it works pretty well for Froch. Dirrell would give anyone problems so in this argument that fight does not count – being heavy handed has worked out just fine in all of Froch’s other fights, as it will against Kessler – who is over-rated and past his best.
Kessler has only beat Beyer and Andrade and who are they? They’re no-ones. Calzaghe’s style can make average fighters look good or good fighters look bad. Kessler was an average one who looked good but ultimately lost. Froch will steamroller the guy.
Jesus christ on a cross scott,for once i agree with one of your articles!!
and i personally think anyone who thinks froch has devastating power is wrong. he is heavy handed and carries his power for twelve rounds, he’s no tyson. so at least something you say is true
where is henry porras from? europe?
oh wait no he’s from puerto rico…….
Scott – Stop Jinxing Kessler!!!
Froch is fundamentally a flawed fighter with a hanging low left hand and zero defence. Power and a granite chin will only take you so far for so long. I think he’s going to be in deep water against Kessler. Kessler late stoppage.
Anyone who agrees with anything this “writer” says has problems. They possibly have a very limited knowledge of boxing and wouldn’t know a star if one hit them in the face.
Froch is a A1 bum and hes gonna get whats coming to him, I pitty the fool!
Froch and Kessler have a similar KO% but Kessler has maintained this over many more bouts so he is probably the bigger puncher of the two. Bare in mind that when Joe Calzaghe was 26-0 he had something like 24 stoppages (and people say he couldn’t punch at all)…maybe Froch should up his work rate and work on his hand speed a little!
How many top tier fighters have the likes of Dirrell, Ward and Kessler ko’ed???
froch is one of the worst champions ever. this writer is great
froch chin is also over rated
Of course he has great power,
Froch’s power is ok not great, but he has an excellent chin.
he’s got a bang on him. don’t really know how you can deny that. don’t really know why either. he’s not tyson or anything but he hits hard for smw…probably not as hard as aa…maybe not as hard as kessler…maybe…i think that’s close but kessler doesn’t load up as often…so it’s hard to say.
but power only matters at the elite level if you’ve got timing too…froch doesn’t have great timing. decent…but not great. imo that’s his problem rather than “power”.
carl is heavy handed u dam fool,ask anyone who has fouht froch and they will tell you,and why did dirrell run all night,,,yes because of froch’s power,,,jean pascal would make mincemeat of any fighter in this super 6 and look what froch did to him,,wake up scot,we all know your afraid of froch,its almost an obsession..
Froch couldn’t trouble Dirrell because Dirrell was running half the fight and holding the other half. How on earth can you suggest that, on the basis of that fight, Froch is the least powerful puncher in the tournament? There might be an argument that Abraham is heavier-handed, and Allan Green certainly has some pop, however Carl is undoubtedly a heavier puncher than Kessler, Ward and Dirrell. If he wasn’t heavy-handed, why would Dirrell keep running the whole fight? People will always underestimate Carl because he looks awkward and lacks the techincal discipline of an American fighter, but he’ll keep proving you wrong and keep winning fights.
I LAUGH WHEN I WATCH THE DIRRELL FIGHT. WATCH FROCH WHEN HE THROWS A LEFT HOOK FROM DISTANCE ITS PATHETIC. FROCH MOANED THAT DIRRELL WAS RUNNING ABOUT IN THE FIGHT WHEN IN ACTUAL FACT HE JUST COULDNT HIT HIM, NO ONE IS GOING TO STAND IN FRONT OF A SO CALLED BIG PUNCHER. I STILL THINK DIRRELL HAS A STAMINA PROBLEM THATS WHY HE COULDNT SUSTAIN HIS WORK IN THE SECOND HALF OF THE FIGHT. FROCH HAS BRILLIANT FITNESS BUT TECHNICALLY HE IS JUST AVERAGE.
Doesnt matter what tier they were in
Froch has a lot of power he wears opponents down
A fat bum could have a better chin than Kessler
look he was strong at domestic level but world class he is not i dont think he would beat jean pascal now had it gone to points with taylor he would of lost and lets face it taylor is shot dirrel was robbed i do think frock face has been lucky but how much luck can one man have
Well Dirrell was certainly troubled by something Froch was doing. But i dont see Froch as a devestating knock out puncher either.
Hes certainly heavy handed and his opponants mainly seem to be stopped by barrages more than singular shots.
But then that aint what your saying Scott.