Froch - Abraham:Poll

[whiskey]

Abraham looked a bit nervous today in Helsinki and confirmed he is fine in the day, but a bit worried on a night time.

[Deserter]

Froch is my current favourite British fighter and while I can envisage a scenario where he pulls off a victory, I think his leaky defence is going to be his downfall. Yes, he's got an iron chin, but Abraham is a serious banger and no-one can keep on soaking up shots indefinitely. I agree Froch's jab can be a really impressive weapon (as evidenced in the second half of the Pascal fight) but I just don't think he'll be able to resist getting in the trenches in a bid to prove he can mix it and 'out-man' AA, and that will ultimately prove to be his downfall.
Please prove me wrong Carl!

[yiddo14]

One of them fights where I really, really, REALLY want a fighter to win. That doesn't happen often.

Come on Cobra!!!! He wins this and he is p4p number 1 in Britain.

[Chambers2]

Frochy on points........ COME ON CARL!!!!

[ourkid1984]

As the Sky team would say if they had the fight...... It's a real pick em!

I'm going for FRoch on TKO or KO as I can't see a fight between 2 hard hitters going all the way and with Abrahams mentality in the ring recently not being great and not looking like he has taken up all his power to super middle I see Froch jumping on him early being able to with stand Abrahams punches enough to get him out of there within 7.

[MightyWarrior]

They'll both be hurt in this one you'd think. Both can seriously bang, are very crafty. And have cast iron chins. But have always thought the difference will be AA's better defence. I'd hate to see it, but get the impression Abraham wins late on, with those big punches crashing home and taking their toll. Carl will probably make him walk though hell in the process though.

Still, there's a 50/50 argument here, and the poll looks like that too.

[Lenny]

Maybe i'm really off with this but i'm starting to doubt Carl's cast iron chin. Don't get me wrong, he can really take a shot but imo both Kessler and Dirrell looked to have the power to stop Carl in his tracks and obviously Taylor had him over. I'd say AA hits harder and is more aggressive than anyone Carl has fought before and at 33 I just can't see his defence improving. He'll still be relying on blocking shots with his shoulder and he's hardly James Toney.

Of course Carl has got all the physical advantages, good power himself and is definitely capable of beating the fairly one paced AA which is why I have had a little covering bet on Froch on points but the main money has to be on a late stoppage for Abraham

[cooey]

First post... go easy on me guys!

Absolute 50/50 fight in my opinion... Both are tremendous punchers with solid chins so its either going to be who can grind out a win or who can catch the other with an absolute peach of a shot...

Personaly I think Froch will edge it and will stop Abraham around the 8th/9th but I can see arguments for Abraham winning too...

Either way, really looking forward to this one!!

[black panther]

118 votes and its 50% for Froch , 50% fro Abraham! Shows how close the fight is in peoples eyes. To win this fight I initially thought Abraham has to be able to hurt/stop Froch. But he was way ahead on all cards (107-102 | judge: Stanley Christodoulou 105-103 | judge: Craig Metcalfe 106-102 ) going into the twelfth against Taylor whilst Froch needed the knockout.

I didn't see that whole fight - just the knockout. Were the scores justified? How did he build up a lead against Taylor? It couldn't have been on workrate - Abraham generally has a very low punch output - he tends to open up in bursts.

[Asterix]

118 votes and its 50% for Froch , 50% fro Abraham! Shows how close the fight is in peoples eyes. To win this fight I initially thought Abraham has to be able to hurt/stop Froch. But he was way ahead on all cards (107-102 | judge: Stanley Christodoulou 105-103 | judge: Craig Metcalfe 106-102 ) going into the twelfth against Taylor whilst Froch needed the knockout.

I didn't see that whole fight - just the knockout. Were the scores justified? How did he build up a lead against Taylor? It couldn't have been on workrate - Abraham generally has a very low punch output - he tends to open up in bursts.

Taylor did well early on but Abraham got to him more and more as the fight wore on. The scorecards were fair, iirc.

Don't forget that this is the 'British & Irish' forum, so votes will be skewed towards Froch.

[whiskey]

Taylor facing Abraham straight after the war with Froch was not a good move by Dibella.

In onnecticut, the guy was carried down the steps out of the ring after he almost fell head over heels ducking under the ropes getting out. The next day he was helped lifted into an Escalade outside by two of his team.

I think he tried to economise himself a bit and was caught between worrying about his stamina and worrying about getting knocked out - rather than going for the win like he did in his previous fight.

[liamlion]

I have put down Abraham by late stoppage. But I so hope im wrong.

I really rate the understated work done by McCracken and Froch. Good luck lads

[THEBUTCH]

Good luck Frochy. I know caution isn't your style but watch out in the close quarter exchanges....that's where AA usually lands those shocking bombs. Pelt him with longer range punches all night long.

[black panther]

118 votes and its 50% for Froch , 50% fro Abraham! Shows how close the fight is in peoples eyes. To win this fight I initially thought Abraham has to be able to hurt/stop Froch. But he was way ahead on all cards (107-102 | judge: Stanley Christodoulou 105-103 | judge: Craig Metcalfe 106-102 ) going into the twelfth against Taylor whilst Froch needed the knockout.

I didn't see that whole fight - just the knockout. Were the scores justified? How did he build up a lead against Taylor? It couldn't have been on workrate - Abraham generally has a very low punch output - he tends to open up in bursts.

Taylor did well early on but Abraham got to him more and more as the fight wore on. The scorecards were fair, iirc.

Don't forget that this is the 'British & Irish' forum, so votes will be skewed towards Froch.

For sure. I think the bookies have got it about right with them making Abraham a slight favourite.

[brian13]

Abraham knocks Froch out in the 10th after beating his ass for the previous 6 rounds. Froch's style is made for Abraham and Froch is going to get beat up bad on Saturday night.

[boxerbob]

i think froch will win the fight by 2-3 rounds due to his workrate and abrahams passive start to his fights

but i believe froch will get robbed and the fight will go to abraham

[bennie]

Carl Froch fought like a man who felt he was invincible when he dropped a unanimous 12-round decision to Mikkel Kessler last April in Denmark. Froch went into the fight unbeaten but rarely threw enough punches to win the rounds away from home. It may serve as a timely lesson for the big, strong Nottingham man who ventures to Finland this weekend to face huge-punching German Arthur Abraham in the biggest trade fight for many a year.
Froch had looked lucky to take a split decision over Andre Dirrell prior to Kessler and was trailing on points when he finished Jermain Taylor with just seconds to go last year. Lady Luck deserted him against Kessler and she does him no favours with this match, either.
Abraham, a burly former middleweight star, won the respect of the boxing world four years ago when he survived a horribly broken jaw to outpoint Colombian wildman Edison Miranda. Abraham hammered Miranda in four rounds in a rematch and ran out of challengers at middleweight, moving up to super-middleweight last year with a respective 12-round knockout of the unfortunate Taylor. However, like Froch, Abraham comes off a humbling first defeat. He was frustrated by the slick, talented Dirrell earlier this year in the States and, way behind on points, whacked Dirrell on the floor in the 11th round after a slip, and was slung out.
Now with a record of 31-1 (25), "King" Arthur first came to prominence with a unanimous points win over Froch's then stablemate Howard Eastman in a 12-rounder in 2005. Two fights later he picked up the IBF middleweight belt by blasting Nigeria's Kingsley Ikeke in five rounds and went on to make 10 successful defences, some of them spectacular, prior to his fledgling super-middleweight campaign.
For his part, Froch, 26-1 (20), dominated the domestic super-middleweight scene for many years, stopping men of the calibre of Brian Magee and Robin Reid, before graduating to the WBC super-middleweight title with a thrilling decision over top Canadian Jean Pascal in 2008, now the WBC light-heavyweight champion, a belt Froch retained twice up to Kessler. The sheer size of Froch might surprise Abraham, who has yet to really 'grow' into the 12 stoners. Froch's durability may also surprise Abraham, so used to bowling over the middleweights.
Nevertheless, this is classic pick 'em, one of those rare meetings on which you would never bet your house. Personally, I lean towards Froch, after one almighty struggle.

[lefthook82]

Boxing fans win

Sorry for the cliche but I cant call this fight at all

[states]

I went for Froch by decision, but there's a fair amount of heart over head in that one. I do think Froch can put rounds in the bank by working behind his jab, Abraham isn't the busiest. I'm not convinced he will though.

[Counter-puncher]

Maybe i'm really off with this but i'm starting to doubt Carl's cast iron chin.

i thought he took Kessler's shots better than kessler took his, though (and Kessler's beard isn't bad)

[Final round]

Abraham TKO, I think Carl is battle worn and will gamble plenty to get Arthur to open up and get caught in the process.

[berealman]

I can see this being such a war, I just hope both guys come out of it ok

[bennie]

All even. For once we have an interesting poll.

[Datsue]

i've said this before, if AA targets Froch with the right hand to the body, where kessler really seemed to get to him, it could make things very interesting.

Absolutely, yes, Kessler took his nuts with those right hands.

But going to the body like that means AA has to come out of the turtle. Mikkel had the height & reach to land that straight right. AA doesn't. He's going to actually have to risk it to land that same shot, as his arms are about three inches long. Will he do it? What if Frochety gets inside his head when AA finds he can't muscle him about in the clinches? Will he shut down completely?

It's going to be a fascinating weekend.

[Chambers2]

Good luck Frochy. I know caution isn't your style but watch out in the close quarter exchanges....that's where AA usually lands those shocking bombs. Pelt him with longer range punches all night long.

Yup use those loooooooooong arms Frochy