By Scott Gilfoid: IBF super middleweight champion Carl Froch (29-2, 21 KO’s) has grand plans for himself for 2013 with a good paying rematch against former IBF super middleweight champion Lucian Bute early in the year, and a potential big money rematch against Mikkel Kessler. If Froch emerges from the Mack, Bute and Kessler fights still holding into the International Boxing Federation 168 pound title and still cogent, then he could face the winner of the Adonis Stevenson vs. Donovan George fight later in 2013.

I don’t necessarily see that fight happening, though, even if Froch beats Mack, Bute and Kessler. Froch might opt for retirement if he beats all those guys because he’d have a nice little nest egg that he could live off of for perhaps the remainder of his life if he doesn’t blow it all in a hurry or lose it one way or another.

Mack, 32, has the power in his right hand to ruin Froch’s plans with a single swing of his arm. If Mack, a light heavyweight contender, isn’t weight drained in coming down in weight from 175, he could have enough power to knock Froch out if he sits down on his punches early and goes after Froch’s big lantern jaw. Mack has go right after Froch’s chin as early as possible in this fight because the longer he waits the more likely that he runs out of energy due to the strain of melting down from 175. It also leaves more opportunities for Froch to land one of his own big shots if Mack takes his time in trying to go after the Brit.

Froch isn’t impossible to knockout, as we saw in his fights with Jermain Taylor and Andre Dirrell. All Mack has to do is throw hard early and he’ll have a good chance of stopping Froch. Dirrell staggered Froch in the 10th, but he likely would have done the same had he started slugging early in the fight. Taylor was able to drop Froch in the 3rd round in their fight in April 2009. If Taylor hadn’t gassed out in that fight then he likely would have finished Froch and put him out of his misery.