Froch-Kessler2 close to being done; Carl may give up IBF strap

By Boxing News - 01/09/2013 - Comments

froch43By Scott Gilfoid: A rematch IBF super middleweight champion Carl Froch and WBA champion Mikkel Kessler is close to being done, according to the BBC. Froch will have to give up his International Boxing Federation 168 lb strap for the fight to take place but he’s ready to give it up.

The IBF already ordered Froch to defend his title against his #1 IBF mandatory challenger Adonis Stevenson, and Froch has until January 15th to start negotiations for a fight against him. It will go to purse bid if a fight can’t be arranged by then. However, it looks like the Kessler-Froch 2 fight negotiations will have been concluded well before then.

If this fight happens I’ll be really surprised because I figured Kessler wouldn’t agree to take the fight if it’s staged in the UK. The only way I’d advise Kessler to take the fight with Froch is if they paid him huge cash, well above the 2 million pound offer that was made by Froch’s promoter. Kessler will be the visiting fighter and with over 20,000 screaming Froch fan, I don’t see how Kessler can win a decision.

If the money is worth putting himself in that situation so be it, but I think Kessler is better off simply defending his WBA strap for good cash each fight, even it’s less money than he’ll make for the Froch rematch. I mean, I’m all for a Froch-Kessler rematch, but only if it takes place in a neutral venue.

I wonder what happened to former IBF champ Lucian Bute? He should have been speaking up about his rematch clause because he should be the one that’s facing Froch next, not Kessler. Bute needs to get the Froch fight out of the way so he can regain his IBF strap. It looks bad if he lets Kessler do his dirty work for him.



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