I find that amusing as well, particularly as Dirrell was getting his 1st world title shot and was only on mediocre form, yet in his very next fight he was matured and at his best and had learnt so so much knowing he can do 12 rounds, even though he had trained for it
Yeah, that wasn't Dirrell underperforming too much. He just looked awful because he was scared. Froch found it very hard to fight against that style, but it quite clearly wasn't his best. Just a bad styles clash, but to say Dirrell underperformed and Froch was at his best is miles off. But then again, Dirrell is flavour of the month whilst Froch is being lambasted so it's no suprise. Froch is a better fighter than Dirrell. He has a better resume, is better head to head and will do better in the tournament.
Dirrell still isn't at his best. He still needs another half dozen fights to get there. But he was certainly better against Abraham. Less nervy, more composed. He learned. If you don't think fighters can learn anything from one fight to the next then I don't think you've watched much boxing. Hell, rematches are predicated on the idea that fighters can grow significantly from the experience they gain in one fight. The most compelling argument, though, is that Dirrell's best rounds of the Froch fight were the last 3, not the first 3. Watch the last 3 rounds of Froch/Dirrell and you'll see the blueprint for AA/Dirrell. As a side note, it's pretty hilarious that the same people who are calling Dirrell a world class win were calling him a bum when he entered this tournament because he had no resume. So he was a bum when he fought Froch, but he's a world class win for Froch now that he's beaten Abraham? I don't think you get to have it both ways, particularly not given the order of events.
Froch has the easiest path through the tournament, given how things are shaking out. He gets Dirrell, in only the kids 19th fight, then Kessler coming off of an upset loss, and Abraham coming off an upset loss. Dirrell's first fight is against the reigning WBC champ, in his back yard, then he fights Abraham, considered the new tournament favorite, and then Ward, who just beat the old tournament favorite. Every guy Dirrell faces in this tournament, at the time that he's facing them, is undefeated. So yea, it's very possible that Froch will make it further, but only as far as it takes him to meet Ward. And likely not even that far, since I think Kessler beats him.
froch is running track now. will he be considered "a runner" when he is using his legs and getting out of the way of punches?