Dirrell will only get better. Kessler can only decline. I'd go with Dirrell by close decision if they fought next.
Froch didn't beat the same version of Dirrell that beat Abraham. The version of Dirrell that beat Abraham would probably have stopped Froch after dominating big.
Come on, that's not an argument. I could say that Dirrell didn't fight the Froch that beat Pascal. Froch fought Dirrell much differently than Abraham fought Dirrell. It makes no sense to look at Dirrell's performance against Abraham and say "well if THAT Dirrell fought Froch it would be a different result". And again, then the same 1-up'ing can be played from the other perspective "well, thankfully Dirrell didn't fight the Froch that beat Pascal or Taylor".
First off, Froch got a gift. Secondly when Dirrell did open up in the 10th, 11th and 12th, it was clear who the superior fighter was.
Froch would lose that fight if they meet again in the semi's. Even if it takes place in nottingham again. Dirrell got the better of Froch when he took a risk, and IMO Froch can only win a rematch with a lucky punch.
Dirrell by UD. Dirrell's style is a nightmare for Kessler. He would tee off on him and move before Kessler could get off all night long.
I'd have favored a prime Kessler over today's Dirrell, but I'm not sure what remains is a prime Kessler. And I'd pick Ward over any version of Kessler. He's all wrong for him.
No, Froch didn't get a gift. Froch did work in clinches and landed clean and effective shots - made Dirrell pay for clinching. The only way you could say Froch got a gift is if you discounted the shots Froch landed in clinches. But there's no reason that is not arbitrary to discount punches landed in the clinch. Froch won and deserved to win.
The only work Froch did in the clinches was rabbit punching. Froch landed one clean punch in the clinch the whole night, an uppercut near the end of the fight. The rest of the time anytime Dirrell grabbed Froch Froch put his hands up clearly not wanting to fight in the clinch. Froch didnt land any punches in the clinches. Legal punches. He hardily landed any punches the entire fight, let alone in the clinch. Froch is a scrub who got a gift in his hometown. At a nuetral venue he either gets disqualified or sparked out.