By Kieran Gallagher: Carl Froch (26 – 1, 20 KOs) Vs. Arthur Abraham (31 – 1, 25 KOs) has not only slugfest written all over it but also potentially fight of the Super Six. These two are no shrinking violets; typically both enter a bout fully prepared to wage a war of attrition. Sure they will get caught, that’s par for the course, but they know they can take the hit, whereas – statistically speaking – their opponents rarely do. Their stamina is formidable – in the final rounds they can be most effective when their adversary begins to flag – just like thoroughbreds finding that extra yard of pace with the winning line in site. It will come as no surprise to suggest this will not be a highly technical fight, we are not talking Ray Leonard or Pernell Whitaker here, but you really cannot beat some European mano a mano boxing for sheer entertainment value and I, for one, cannot wait.

Froch is without question tough as old boots but he has surprised better pundits than me by reaching such an elite level in his career. He has always had great power, an iron chin and bucket-loads of heart but the technical deficiencies in his game looked like prohibiting him from feeding at the top table. Infuriatingly, his defence has always been wide open. He likes to leave his hands low and rely on reflex and head-movement to avoid punches but he simply is not quick enough to prevent each one from landing. There was always the suspicion that sooner or later a natural boxer would outclass him and while Andre Dirrell might have had the tools, his blueprint was found wanting, and Froch’s only loss came when he was very slightly out-fought by a rejuvenated Mikkel Kessler. To thrive in spite of these faults then is testament to how good his chin, power and heart actually are and never underestimate his ability to drag an opponent into the trenches and then maul them like a lion.

Abraham also has an iron chin – and I mean that almost literally – he has had two titanium plates and 22 screws fitted after breaking it in his first win against Edison Miranda. To actually contest eight rounds with his jaw hanging off was one of the most courageous yet gruesome sporting feats I have ever witnessed. How anyone can fail to respect him after that is beyond comprehension. The other remarkable thing about the Armenian is his bombs. Pound-for-pound, his power is up there with anybody. Abe can bang like a barn door in a gale-force wind.

Paradoxically, his crude yet extremely effective defence is both a huge strength and an Achilles’ heel. He places his gloves in front of his face like two pillars of stone and tucks his elbows against his ribs to protect the body, then presses forward like a Sherman tank until he closes his opponent down. It is next to impossible to inflict any damage on him while he is in this posture but conversely his offence is very telegraphed once he corners his man and launches a peek-a-boo bomb. If he doesn’t land then he is off-balance and ripe for the counter. He found it very difficult to hit Dirrell all night utilising this style (except for when the Matrix was on his ass) but there were tangible signs that Dirrell was tiring and beginning to struggle. This is Abraham’s game plan; he will wear you down then knock you out and he is extremely good at it.

Despite the power of both men, I do not see a stoppage occurring. Froch and Abraham simply do not get knocked out, their chins are too good. I believe the fight will be won and lost in the early rounds and that depends on who gets busy first. Froch has been known to be sluggish when the opening bell rings out but Abraham is a notorious slow starter. Time-after-time he has gifted the first half of the fight away. He cannot afford to do that here and after his struggles with Dirrell, he has vowed not to.

Whether this turns out to be the case, who can say? We’ll just have to wait and see but based on previous performances we have to assume that he will stay true to form and Froch will start brighter and thus develop a point’s lead. The other significant factor is Froch’s considerable reach advantage – this should win rounds for him.

As the fight progresses past the halfway mark, I believe Abraham will come on strong and with Froch’s wide open defence (and tiredness creeping in), he is likely to land with more regularity and make the score cards competitive. Will it be enough? I suspect not, so I predict a decision win for the Englishman.

Froch on points then, but whatever the outcome, it will be an absolute war and this sort of fight is the reason we love the sport – two warriors at the top of their game going hell-for-leather to claim the knockout. Roll on 27th November!

kieranboxing@gmail.com