By Scott Gilfoid: It looks like IBF super middleweight champion Carl Froch’s grand plans on facing WBA super middleweight champion Mikkel Kessler next are quickly going down the drain, as RDS.ca is reporting that the negotiations are at an impasse and that now Froch’s #1 IBF mandatory challenger Adonis Stevenson could be the one that Froch faces next.
Froch has until January 15th to agree to fight Stevenson, and he reportedly no longer has the option to put off the fight with Stevenson. Froch now has decide whether he wants to keep the International Boxing Federation 168 pound strap or if he’s okay with giving it up or having it stripped from him.
It’s still unclear whether Froch will free himself of the title so he doesn’t have to risk his neck against the power and extremely talented Stevenson or if he feels it’s worth it to keep the strap and fight Stevenson. If the title is stripped or vacated by Froch, Stevenson will then face unbeaten #5 Thomas Oosthuizen next on March 2nd to fight for the vacant IBF title. That fight will be shown on either HBO or Showtime, as Stevenson’s promoter Jean Michel is pressing to have it televised in the United States.
I always figured that Froch was going to have a devil of a time trying to put together a rematch with Kessler. With Froch wanting the rematch to take place in the UK, I saw that as a deal breaker right off the bat. I’m surprised Froch was even bothering to mention that nonsense because Kessler now has the World Boxing Association 168 pound title and he’s not just some lowly challenger that has to come to the UK because he’s not in a bargaining position.
It’s equal terms now and that means that they either fight in Denmark or a neutral venue. I don’t see Kessler wanting to fight in the UK in front of 20,000 screaming Froch fans, and why should he? The man has his own title now, and it’s a different ballgame than it was a month ago before Kessler had the WBA strap.
Stevenson said on his twitter today “the next [fight] is carl froch this no deal sign whit kessler. Froch is a perfect style for me .”
I wouldn’t be surprised if Froch vacates his title doubly quick because Stevenson is simply too fast and too powerful for Froch. It would be like watching someone in hyper speed facing a guy in slow motion. Froch is too slow and he’d take a beating against Stevenson. I see a Froch-Stevenson fight going a lot like the Stevenson vs. Don George fight with Stevenson dominating every round with his fast hands and explosive punching power.
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