(Photo credit: Amanda Kwok/SHOWTIME) By Scott Gilfoid: Speedy super middleweight contender Andre Dirrell (23-1, 16 KOs) is hoping that a win over Derek Edwards (27-3-1, 14 KOs) tonight in their 12 round fight will ultimately lead to a rematch against Carl Froch in the future.
Dirrell lost to Froch five years ago by a very questionable decision in Froch’s home city, and ever since then Dirrell has longed for a rematch against the British fighter.
Dirrell’s fight against Edwards tonight will be an IBF super middleweight eliminator bout, so this in theory should put Dirrell on a crash course with Froch, who holds the IBF and WBA 168 pound titles. However, Froch has talked about wanting only a fight against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr next year.
Beyond that, it’s thought that Froch will relinquish his two titles and then retire from the sport rather than fight on against risky opponents like Dirrell and Andre Ward.
If Froch does retire at this point, it would be similar to the way that Joe Calzaghe retired. Calzaghe could have stuck around to fight the younger fighters that had emerged in the division like Ward, but instead he opted to retire.
“I want a rematch with Carl Froch,” Dirrell said via ESPN.com. “He’s the IBF champion and a win will bring me closer to fighting him again and proving that I beat him the first time.”
I hope Dirrell isn’t too focused on getting the Froch fight, because it could be a big letdown for him when/if he fails to get the fight against Froch. I think it’s painfully obvious that Froch is playing out his string. He’s not going to fight Dirrell or his brother Anthony Dirrell.
Froch is looking for one or two fights and then he’s gone. I suspect that Froch will fight Chavez Jr early next year, and then he’ll possibly fight the winner of a fight between George Groves vs. James DeGale if the winner of the fight is Groves. If DeGale wins, then I don’t see Froch taking that fight.
Dirrell, #7 IBF, #7 WBC, will be facing Edwards at the Colisee de Quebec, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The fight will be on the undercard of the Adonis Stevenson vs. Dmitry Sukhotskymatch.
This is an opportunity for Dirrell to shine because his fight against Edwards will be televised on Showtime tonight, and there will no doubt be a lot of boxing fans tuning in to see the card. Dirrell has recently looked impressive in beating Nick Brinson and Vladine Biosse by knockouts. Dirrell is sitting down on his punches a lot more now compared to when he was fighting in 2009.
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