Hearn: Kessler can face Froch next if he wants it; Stevenson is the backup plan

By Boxing News - 01/05/2013 - Comments

froch457 - CopyBy Scott Gilfoid: Eddie Hearn, the promoter for IBF super middleweight champion Carl Froch, cleared up some of the confusion today by saying that Mikkel Kessler is the guy that they want to fight next 100 percent. He’s the one that Froch is chomping at the bit to face next, but if he chooses not to agree to the offer made to him then Froch will choose to fight his #1 IBF mandatory challenger Adonis Stevenson.

Hearn said on his twitter “1. Carl Froch’s next fight is currently undecided. If Kessler wants it he’s got it. If not, we will most probably fight Stevenson. It can be Kessler’s WBA. It’s not about the belt; it’s about the fight, especially at this stage.”

I think what Hearn’s is saying is that if the International Boxing Federation try and force Froch to fight Stevenson next, they’ll vacate the IBF title and just fight for Kessler’s WBA strap. They want the Kessler fight BAD, and will probably do anything they can do get it. I guess I don’t blame them because the good green cash is too good to pass up for that fight, and there are a lot of unknowns about what would happen in a fight against Stevenson. If Froch takes the fight against Stevenson he could end up getting spanked and taken out. If Kessler, Andre Dirrell and Jermain Taylor were able to hurt Froch, then Stevenson can too, and he’s got the power and the hand speed to finish him if he gets him on the deck.

Hearn says it’s “about the fight, especially at this stage.” I think he’s trying to say that Froch has made a star out of himself and that he’s above belts. I don’t agree. Froch got beat soundly just a couple of fights ago by Andre Ward, and he was beaten by Kessler not too long. Froch has that questionable decision over Andre Dirrell. I don’t know how you can say belts don’t matter for a guy with that many losses.

I see Froch vacating the IBF title even if the Kessler fight doesn’t happen. If Hearn is saying that the title doesn’t matter, then that’s a shot across the bow that the IBF strap could be vacated soon by Froch rather than him trying to tackle the dangerous and talented Stevenson.



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