Sauerland: Froch-Kessler2 almost a sellout

By Boxing News - 02/05/2013 - Comments

1Cph(Photo credit: Team Sauerland) By Scott Gilfoid: Kalle Sauerland, the promoter for WBA super middleweight champion Mikkel Kessler, is proud to say Kessler’s May 25th rematch against IBF super middleweight champion Carl Froch at the O2 Arena in London, England, is almost a sellout with 15,000 tickets sold after a little over one day. The venue holds 17,000, so it’s going to be sold out soon, if not today.

Sauerland said “We sold 15,000 tickets on the first day and we’re virtually sold out. The interest has been huge, but that’s not surprise given the dramatic first fight.”

Yeah, I find it incredibly odd the high interest in the Froch-Kessler rematch because both of these guys were easily beaten Andre Ward in the past. As a fan, I’d have lost interest completely in seeing Kessler and Froch fight again because the fight is like a consolation bracket of fighters that are second best. They do both hold titles, but in the watered down super middleweight division with the four sanctioning bodies, you get guys holding titles despite already having been beaten.

The Froch-Kessler 2 fight will be on Sky Box Office. Eddie Hearn, the promoter for Froch, said to Sky Sports News “If I had it my own way it wouldn’t be on box office. It would be open to as many people as possible, but the reality is no box office, no fight. It would have been impossible to make, so embrace the fact its happening.”

In other words, Kessler and Froch both wanted a lot of money for this fight to take place and there wouldn’t have been enough revenue generated from the live gate and regular television to cover their hefty checks.

I don’t think either fighter has done enough to deserve to get the big money they’re getting for this fight. Froch was beaten in the Super Six tournament by Ward, as was Kessler, and Froch had a HIGHLY questionable win Andre Dirrell in the Super Six. Since the tournament has ended, Froch has beaten Lucian Bute and Yusaf Mack, and I don’t see those victories as being big enough for Froch to be getting big money.

If Froch were to face Dirrell in a rematch and beat him in a neutral venue, and then face Ward and beat him, then I could see Froch deserving the big money he’s getting for this fight, but I don’t think he’s worth even one-tenth of what he’s getting now. As for Kessler, he got whipped by Ward in the Super Six tourney, and the only thing he’s done since then is beat Froch, Mehdi Bouadla, Allan Green and Brian Magee. That’s not exactly really tough opposition when you ignore the Froch fight, is it?



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