By Scott Gilfoid: In an article from WBC super middleweight champion Carl Froch at Thisisnottingham, discusses his upcoming April 17th fight against former World Boxing Association super middleweight champion Mikkel Kessler in their group stage 2 bout of the Super Six tournament in Denmark. Froch, 32, notes that Kessler is a strong fighter and is skilled at using both of his hands. He also says “He [Kessler] does spectacular but everything he does, he does well.”

Froch goes on to say that he’s motivated about traveling to Denmark to fight Kessler in his home country. Instead of feeling apprehensive about it, Froch seems to be looking forward to it for some reason. It’s easy for Froch to say that he’ll be motivated by fighting in front of foreign audience, but once he steps into the arena and starts hearing the pro-Kessler crowd screaming their heads off, we might see something different from Froch.

I don’t think it’s a good thing for Froch to be fighting a talented fighter like Kessler in front of Mikkel’s home crowd no matter how Froch wants to paint it. That can’t be a good thing. Kessler was soundly defeated in his last fight against American Andre Ward on November 21st. Froch thinks that Kessler will be “bigger threat” to him because of the loss to Ward. I doubt it. Kessler will be the same fighter as usual regardless of the loss to Ward. He’s a professional and when he sees an opening on Froch, he’s going to capitalize on it just as he would have before the loss to Ward.

Speaking about Andre Dirrell, who Froch beat by a controversial 12 round split decision in front of Carl’s home crowd in Nottingham, England, Froch says “Dirrell is a fast, slippery, negative operator. The way he tried to run and steal a decision against me – and nearly managed it – was all that is boring in boxing.” I disagree. I think Dirrell boxed like a young Muhammad Ali and Sugar Ray Robinson against Froch.

The object was to hit and not be hit, and Dirrell did an excellent job of that. Do I think Dirrell could have thrown more punches? Yes, I do. I think he should have thrown more punches so that he could shut the yaps of all the complainers who say that Froch won.

However, I think Dirrell landed the cleaner and harder shots in virtually every round of the fight. I gave Dirrell the win by an 8-3 margin with 1 round even. Froch had good success in holding and hitting, and roughing Dirrell up with rabbit shots. At one point in the fight, Froch rudely body slammed Dirrell to the canvas, which incredibly he was docked any points for.

Froch says “Dirrell has no excuses as he was taller and heavier than me, yet fought like he was afraid to trade all night long.” Dirrell is taller than Froch by an inch at 6’2”, but he certainly wasn’t afraid to trade. Dirrell was landing some hard shots and at one point in the fight, he staggered Froch in the 10th round with a hard left hand. Froch thinks that Dirrell will have problems in his next Super Six match against Arthur Abraham in April. Froch says “Dirrell would struggle to land anything.”

Abraham likes to cover up much of the time and only fight in brief spurts in every round. But I see Dirrell having no problems landing through Abraham’s guard. Even with him his gloves glued to his face, Dirrell will find a way through his gloves and have no problems hitting him. When Abraham makes his attacks in the last 30 seconds of every round, Dirrell will be ready for him and will chop him up with shots.

Froch doesn’t think that Dirrell will be opening up with his offense very much against Abraham, and says “It would be a shame for Abraham and a shame for boxing if Dirrell used the same tactics to shad a very slim verdict.” Froch is talking about Dirrell’s clinching. However, Dirrell didn’t really clinch all that much. I’ve seen much worse.

Froch just didn’t seem comfortable with the clinching, and acted like it was something alien to him. Some fighters clinch, I hate to be the one to break this to Froch, but that’s part of boxing. Dirrell was doing what is legal. He wasn’t throwing rabbit punches or hitting, body slamming his opponent or hitting and holding. Dirrell was occasionally clinching, and I don’t see any problem with it.

Froch is hoping that Abraham will come out of the fight with Dirrell still unbeaten, so it could set up a big fight with him in the following bout. Froch was hoping that Kessler was going to come out of his bout with Ward with a win and his WBA title still in his possession so that his fight against Kessler would be a bigger deal.

Unfortunately, Ward stole Froch’s thunder. I expect the same thing to happen with Dirrell and Abraham. Dirrell will probably beat Abraham by a lopsided decision, and thus upsetting Froch’s grand plans of having a big showdown with an unbeaten Abraham. It’s okay. Froch can still fight Abraham, just not with an unbeaten record.

By the way, I expect Kessler to dominate Froch and beat him easily by a 12 round decision.