Kessler-Froch 2: Mikkel has the talent to win this

By Boxing News - 02/20/2013 - Comments

kessler342334By Steven Ocallaghan: On the 25th May at the O2 Arena in London, arguably the biggest fight of the year takes place between 2 of the most exciting fighters of the last decade. IF super middleweight champion Carl Froch gets his long awaited rematch with one of only 2 guys to have beaten him, Mikkel Kessler. The first fight between these to warriors was a classic, just two guys completely letting go. A fight that could have went either way, I thought Kessler had done enough.

I think that fight had a wee change in strategy for Froch, because after that close battle he upped his work rate, which I think lost him the Kessler fight. Remember he was losing to Jermain Taylor until he got the 12th round KO. When it came to the Ward fight, he couldn’t figure Ward out, constantly getting tied up. Possibly a closer fight than many thought because I think when the scorecards were read out and two judges had it by only 2 rounds, many thought it was by at least 4.

Ward for me is number one in the division. After an early scare in his 2005 fight against Darnell Boone when he got floored in the 4th, he has barely lost a round since. Remember Boone went on to fight Jean Pascal, Brian Vera, Erislandy Lara and he had a 2nd round TKO win over Adonis Stevenson in 2010.

Since fighting Jean Pascal on 2008 Froch has only ever been in world title fights losing relatively close fights to Kessler and Ward and 2012 was a good year for Froch with a brutal stoppage over previously undefeated world champ Lucien Bute and a good win over the game but over-matched Yusaf Mack.

Kessler is on a 4-fight win streak since losing to Andre Ward back in 2009, beating Froch, then stoppage wins over Mehdi Boudla, Alan Green and regaining his title off Irishman Brian Magee in an easy KO win with some deadly body punches in the 3rd round.

2 very good fighters who don’t take a backward step will once again lay it all on the line, both hoping to try and get revenge over Andre Ward, and a win puts them right up there. I think, even in England that Kessler could win an even tighter contest, either by M/D or S/D. But it’s that close for me, which can only lead to another classic.



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