By Scott Gilfoid: WBA World super middleweight champion Mikkel Kessler (46-2, 35 KO’s) seems to be growing stronger instead of weaker as he gets older. At 33, Kessler is sitting down on his punches more than ever and has knocked out his last three opponents. The last guy Kessler didn’t KO was Carl Froch back in April 2010, but even in that fight, Kessler staggered Froch. Now Kessler and Froch are in negotiations for a rematch that will likely take place in the first six months of the year possibly in England.
I think we might see Kessler KO Froch in this fight, I really do. Froch hasn’t been knocked out yet during his 11-year pro career but he’s been hurt plenty of times and he’s getting hit even more than he ever did before due to his over-confidence. Froch has picked up a couple of wins after getting beaten by Andre Ward in December 2011, and wins over Lucian Bute and Yusaf Mack has Froch acting like he’s invincible with his wide open defense. Froch is leading with his chin when he fights and that’s a no-no when you fight Kessler.
If you walk in blindly with your lantern jaw hanging out the way that Froch does, bad things are going to happen. I see Froch getting hit with some monstrous shots from Kessler in this fight and I just hope that Froch’s chin is up to snuff because he’s going to get hit hard in this fight. Kessler’s punching better with his left hook now than he was the last time he fought Froch, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he tests Froch’s whiskers early and often with that punch.
Kessler destroyed Brian Magee with a series of hard body shots in stopping him in the 3rd round last December to capture his WBA title. You can bet that Kessler will be testing Froch’s midsection to see if he can take it there. I can’t remember the last time I saw Froch get hit with a hard body shot and I wonder if he’ll be ready to take getting hit hard to the body. That’s another way see Kessler score a knockout.
Kessler is the much better puncher in this fight and when you’ve got a guy that is as cocky as Froch is right now from his two recent wins, it’s a recipe for disaster for him.
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