Just looked at the fight & my initial thoughts are yes good fight & that Froch can count himself very unlucky to lose.. (admittedly I'm a Froch fan) my points below.. a) Froch definitely looked the more powerful puncher really should have capitalised further in the 5th & in the 6th, Kessler looked like he was ripe for taking and hurt at end of 5th.. b) Froch hurt I think in the 8th, but recovered well - don't think he was as hurt as Kessler in 5th.. c) Froch's Jab I thought worked quite well throughout the fight & yes Kessler was coming forward more but I didn't get the sense that he was dominating Froch.. d) Last couple of rounds & exchanges, these could have been scored either way but I again I thought Froch looked the stronger fighter & landed the bigger shots e) What was the story with Saurerland's celebrating at the end ?? I wonder did that influence the judges & result in the apparent delay in reading of scorecards.. f) Scoring - 117 - 111 to me was a joke & also thought 116 -112 was way off - at most I could see 2 rounds between them, also having seen the fight am amazed it was a unanimous decison not a Split Decision or a draw - I personally had it to froch by one point.. Very interested to see the press journalists on Showtimes coverage gave it to Froch by 2 - 1.. Froch has probably only himself to blame, certainly should have pressured more and thrown more right hands but overall in my opinion I think he can count himself slightly unlucky to lose..
e) is mind games and happens in every close fight that goes to points. The fact Frochs camp didn't do it might tell a tale.
Froch should consider himself fortunate he has so many fans that will state black is white. They are managing to make this defeat look quite good.
It was the sort of fight where you scored what you preferred. Kessler's consistency or Froch's marauding sorties.
Like ??? Last time I checked this forum was all about opinions... I just don't see in this fight how anyone can say one fighter totally deserved to win & therefore feel Froch was unlucky to be on the wrong end of a decision..
Just sat and watched it myself. I had them sharing the last round to make it Kessler 115- 114 Froch. Very difficult to score a lot of the rounds.
Very different two evenly matched fighters succesful in their own ways througout the fight tough one to call a rematch would still be a 50/50 affair imo
C'mon it was a tough battle and Kessler won, that's it really. Even many of the Auzzies and Americans are giving Froch credit, some even have him winning, many of them despised Froch prefight - generally they all have it closer than the official scorecards.
I had Froch a round ahead going into the last round, and gave the last round to Kessler. Rewatched it today and had Kessler a round ahead going into the last, and gave the last to Froch I guess a close decision either way would have been OK, but 2 of those scorecards were ****ing outrageous and Froch has a right to feel aggrieved about it.
Kessler totally deserved to win, and Froch wasn't unlucky at all. Some of the scoring may have been a bit partisan, but in my view there was no mistaking the winner. I'm a Froch fan, but this was Kessler's night, no doubt about it. At the end, Kessler knew he had won, whilst Froch's celebrations were just going through the motions.
Haven't been online over weekend but scoring as went along had Kessler 1 up live - just seemed to want it more. Froch just didn't do enough to win over there unfortunately. Froch didn't celebrate like he thought he won at he end, I'm not sure I have seen him do so after 12 rounds and points decision to come though.