BoxRec

gemmell wrote:http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/boxing/8307667.stm go on frochy!!!

Phenomenal-Nutrition wrote:Who does Froch think he is on his high horse about trash talk? Go on Dirrell

Phenomenal-Nutrition wrote:Who does Froch think he is on his high horse about trash talk? Go on Dirrell

Bennyblanco wrote:

gemmell wrote:http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/boxing/8307667.stm go on frochy!!!

wonder if dirrell will still have that smile on his face come fight night

gemmell wrote:http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/boxing/8307667.stm go on frochy!!!

gemmell wrote:http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/boxing/8307667.stm go on frochy!!!

gemmell wrote:

Phenomenal-Nutrition wrote:Who does Froch think he is on his high horse about trash talk? Go on Dirrell

what high horse? every boxer need's to be 100% conifdent to be 1 of the best..think your the one that need's to come off your high horse and oh yeh you say who does froch think he is? wbc super-middleweight champion 25-0

Carl Froch road to greatness starts again on Saturday night against Andre Dirrell
By Gareth A Davies,

Carl Froch, the World Boxing Council super-middleweight champion, likes nothing more than to indulge in pre-fight smack talk. In recent fights, he propounded his theories about top level opponents, and then delivered. So far, so good.



He has the advantages of a great chin, genuine world class power, a desire to stand toe-to-toe and fight, and a champion’s heart. He also has XL-sized cojones, which he proved beyond any doubt after being knocked down in his last fight against Jermain Taylor. Away from home, in the United States, defending the world title, Froch won over the American boxing fraternity. And ask any British boxing traveller to the US. It takes some doing.

Froch got up in his contest with Taylor, and had the mental strength to sap his opponent of stamina and stop him with 14 seconds remaining of the twelfth championship round. A knockout was a must. He was well behind on the cards. Yet he did it. The World Boxing Council 168lb crown was still his.

Within the sport, he is universally respected, regarded as a warrior, albeit with a flawed, open style. But he is admired for his pure fighting spirit. Yet the lack of widespread recognition gnaws at him.

He has been unfortunate. He emerged as Joe Calzaghe retired; his WBC championship reign, which began last December, in a barnstorming 12-rounder with Canadian Jean Pascal, failed to ignite television interest, in spite of the fact 5 million watched it live on ITV. Without luck again.

The coincidence of his rise coupled with a decline in television coverage on a Saturday night and a slow summer of cancellations in major fights, has left Froch without a major UK television deal. It gnaws at him. On Saturday night, he is being screened on Primetime, a one-off pay per view channel on the Sky platform.

It bothers him that he never met Calzaghe in the ring. He might have lost. But he might have given an ageing Calzaghe a mighty fright. Regardless of the outcome, it would have projected the graduate of Sports Science, who had a fine amateur career, onto the main stage. It would have been billed as the arrival of the New Pretender to the supermiddleweight crown Calzaghe had protected for a decade.

Froch was canny on Wednesday at the head-to-head news conference with his opponent, Andre Dirrell. Both men are unbeaten. Dirrell has not been in deep water, yet, in his career.

Froch delivered a psychological dressing down to Dirrell ahead of their Super Six World Boxing Classic opener, in what will be a late, late Saturday night show by insisting that it is Denmark’s Mikkel Kessler who remains “the tournament dangerman”.

"I consider Mikkel Kessler to be a serious threat in the tournament but I'm the most dangerous man in it and I think everyone knows that," said Froch. "Kessler has only lost one fight and that was to Joe Calzaghe who obviously dominated the super middleweight division for years.”

The Nottingham fighter begins his bid to be crowned undisputed champion of the six best supermiddleweights by taking on the unbeaten and untested American – Dirrell has enjoyed a run of 18 successive victories since joining the pro ranks - at the Trent FM Arena in his home town.

Froch, 32, unbeaten in 25 contests, is no stranger to verbal jousting in the pre-fight build-up, but insists that the "nonsense" from Dirrell for this contest was “becoming tiresome”.

Froch added: "Andre Dirrell and his team lack class as far as I'm concerned. The language has been bad, the banter has been terrible and I don't want to get involved in any of that nonsense.”

"He knows he's in deep water on Saturday and he knows when I start connecting with the bombs he's going to be in serious trouble. I've got a feeling he's going to run scared but it's 12 three-minute rounds and I will catch him up.

Mick Hennessy, Froch's promoter, insists the Super Six tournament is long overdue. Indeed, it mirrors the move taken largely by Don King, earlier in this decade, when Bernard Hopkins, William Joppy, Keith Holmes and Tito Trindidad battled for the undisputed middleweight world crown. And Hopkins is still around, and is setting up to fight ageing ring legend Roy Jones Jr next year.

"It's the biggest thing to happen in boxing in at least 20 years," said Hennessy, whose charge will be well-remunerated for his work in the tournament, which is in two groups of three fighters, and will progress to semi-finals and final.

There are any number of spin-offs. At the moment, there is no major UK tv deal, but generate excitement and it will come. For now, Showtime in the US are the chief broadcasters, hence the fight taking place in Nottingham at 2am.

"It's an incredible tournament," said Hennessy.

Denmark's Kessler - long time holder of the WBA title - is the bookmakers' favourite to win the six-man round robin tournament with Froch a close second.

"My opponent on Saturday night, Dirrell, keeps talking about being mentally prepared," said Froch. “I don't have to get mentally prepared - I'm a consummate professional.

"I've been in the trenches more than once and I've come out on top more than once. I'm an undefeated professional with an excellent knockout ratio. That I'm fighting in my home town just makes my job a whole lot easier."

Dirrell, from Michigan, believes the underdog status is to his advantage, and intends to use his fast hands and footwork to outthink, and outbox the heavy-hitting Midlands man. "If he's depending on being in his home town he's got a big problem.

"I'm glad he thinks it's a slight advantage for him because he's going to need it. I'm coming over with my A game and I guarantee you that I will keep that crowd quiet and he will get lost for words by the third or fourth round."

In Berlin on Saturday, Jermain Taylor and the former IBF middleweight world champion Arthur Abraham begin their Super Six campaigns at the O2 Arena, while Kessler and Andre Ward, the two other combatants, meet in Copenhagen in November.

The October 17 bout will be screened live on pay per view in the UK and Ireland on new satellite channel Primetime (Sky channel 480) as part of a knockout Super Six tournament double header from Nottingham and Berlin.

bigjack wrote:

gemmell wrote:http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/boxing/8307667.stm go on frochy!!!

This may seem like a daft question but is frochs title on the line this weekend, i'm just thinking what if he loses will he ever get a rematch with dirrell and how do they work out who gets paid what for each fight and do they get more if they hold a title.

davidas wrote:How can anyone complain about how froch came accross then? He was confident and told it as it was.
Drivels Another cocky big mouthed Yank to get sparked out. Cant wait.

Chambers2 wrote:

bigjack wrote:

gemmell wrote:http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/boxing/8307667.stm go on frochy!!!

This may seem like a daft question but is frochs title on the line this weekend, i'm just thinking what if he loses will he ever get a rematch with dirrell and how do they work out who gets paid what for each fight and do they get more if they hold a title.

Yes the title is on the line, not sure how they work out who gets paid what, but I've heard that Carl's estimated to earn £1m from his first 3 fights (or was it $1m???)

Riddick Blowe wrote:damn, i wish i could watch this one so badly. I really need to check dates of fights before i arrange to do stuff..i'm missing haye valuev as well!

bigjack wrote: The whole thing must have been very difficult to negotiate as usually there are rematch clauses etc and as a defending champ you should be getting the lions share of the money and 1 million dollars or pounds is pretty poor for such big fights,anyway i'm very excited about the whole thing and can't wait for saturday.