By Scott Gilfoid: World Boxing Council super middleweight champion Carl Froch (26-0, 20 KO’s) had a good year in 2009, beating Jermain Taylor and Andre Dirrell. The win against Dirrell, a highly questionable one, gave Froch his first win in Showtime’s Super Six tournament. Froch, 32, wasn’t about to complain about getting the decision over the highly talented American Dirrell, as he’ll take them anyway he can get them.
However, on April 17th, Froch will be testing his luck again when he steps into the ring against former WBA super middleweight champion Mikkel Kessler (42-2, 32 KO’s) in the Danish fighter’s home country at the MCH Messecenter Herning, Herning. Kessler is a superb boxer/puncher who seems to specialize in making crude sluggers look bad in his ability to out-box them and jab them into submission.
Froch prides himself in his ability to overwhelm his opponents with his power and size. He’s not very skilled on defense, as he often relies on his sturdy chin to block incoming fire and get him through fights. In many of his fights, Froch simply walks though his opponent’s shots to get to them to wear them down with a heavy bombardment.
Froch’s hand speed is poor, and he instead has to rely on being able to time his opponents to his painfully slow shots in. However, it works for him, at least until now. Kessler seems to be a style nightmare for Froch going into their April 17th fight. Of course, Froch will be the last to admit that.
Froch assumes he’ll be able to run Kessler down like he has most of his opponents. That won’t be easy. Kessler has a powerful jab, right hand and left hook. He also likes to shift position to get out of the way of fighters like Froch who like to come forward in straight lines. Froch was exposed by Dirrell in his last fight, and shown to be lacking in the ability to move laterally and adjust to a fighter that is changing directions on him.
Kessler, no doubt, will be taking notes from Dirrell’s impressive performance against Froch and will be looking to keep Froch following him. Kessler will do well if he can make the stationary Froch use his slow legs to follow him around. While Froch plods after him, Kessler will be pumping in powerful jabs and literally ramming them down Froch’s throat one after another.
I see this fight getting out of hand quickly, as Froch finds himself eating too many shots, falling way behind in the fight and getting confused and disoriented. By the 8th round, Froch will need another knockout like the one he incredibly pulled out in the 12th round against Jermain Taylor in April 2009. However, Kessler, who has one of the best chins in the super middleweight division, will be immune to Froch’s slow moving shots and will take the few that slip through his guard.
Kessler’s defense will be like a steel trap, and I can’t see Froch landing many punches during the fight. And the Danish crowd is going to be a huge problem for Froch. Carl has become accustomed to be cheered in his fights in his home town of Nottingham, and he’ll quickly find himself in a bit of shock at all the booing he’ll be getting in Herning, Denmark.
There won’t be any cheering for Froch on April 17th, believe me. Froch says that it doesn’t bother him fighting in a hostile environment. I don’t buy that. I see the Danish crowd getting to Froch, unnerving him and causing him to fight poorly as he begins to doubt himself. The ultimate outcome of all the things working against Froch will end with Kessler winning a lopsided 12 round decision, and possibly scoring a late knockout in the fight.
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