Mikkel Kessler vs. Carl Froch II

Froch by KO in the mid rounds

 

Michael Kessler and Charles Froch are two warriors of the sport. :hat

 

Carl Froch round 11 for me.

 

WAR KESSSSLER!!!! Froch is going down!

 

Based on what?
You've been shitting on Froch for years and he proves you horribly,horribly wrong with Bute,who you said was gonna KHTFO,and now,a less than prime Kessler is gonna score multiple KD's?
Even if Froch loses your prediction(s) are bull**** based on nothing other than hate for Froch.

 

Kelvin Young said in a recent interview that he ate some BBQ because he thought the fight was cancelled :yep

Young added: “At one point he didn’t think the fight would even go ahead last time because of the whole ash cloud incident.

“It ruined his preparation and he even ate some burgers at a BBQ because he didn’t think the fight would go ahead.

“But it’s different this time. He is totally focused and his training camp has gone perfectly."

 

Got to admit, I wasn't excited about this fight, but it's acquired a lot of flavor. I'm pretty hyped.

My prediction:

Those follow up left hooks he was landing against Bute are great follow up shots once Kessler becomes wary of the lead and/or overhand right.

 

No ash-cloud excuses tonight.
Froch has put himself under pressure with his loud mouth!
Seem like he is nervous while Kessler is the silent killer.

Prepare for a better Kessler then last time!

 

Especially against a clearly shot and ill prepared Froch.

 

I would pick Kessler to win, but I'm not sure he's still any good. I have suspicions that he's not as well-preserved as Froch.

It's a 50-50, I'm sitting on the fence.

 

Froch has simply got to win this one.

If he doesn't..... he's just another 2nd tier Brit who couldn't quite do it.

Like Frank Bruno, Ricky Hatton and Amir Khan.

 

Hatton wasn't second tier. He was the the unified champ at 140lbs who became the man by beating the man. He could've created a far more substantial legacy if he had stayed at the weight and taken on all comers. Instead he decided to cultivate his 'man of the people persona', blowing up to 14 stone in between bouts, and chased unattainable dreams at the weight above.

 

Bit harsh on Hatton, Beeston. He fell short against two ATGs in their primes. Other than that he done well.

But for Froch, I honestly don't think this is the fight for him or anything. It's just a past-prime Kessler that he'll be beating. Ward is the man he needed to have done it against. This Kessler is just second best.

 

Very difficult fight to predict and in the last few days alone i have changed my decision more times than i care to remember. I will first explore a few of the issues and key points that i think will ultimately or may ultimately prove vital in either fighter having their hand raised at the end.

Momentum

This is quite clearly in Froch favour, he has faced the better opposition over the three years following the first fight and boxed almost four times the amount of rounds. He has also looked the more impressive and seems to have found a new level of confidence. His victory over Bute alone had ensured he enters the ring as the rightful favourite in this bout.

Wear and Tear

Kessler enters this bout at 33yrs of age and Froch enters at 35yrs of age, however this doesn't tell the whole story and Kessler is likely the fighter who has suffered the more wear and tear. He has had to overcome hand and eye problems and it is questionable whether he has truly overcome these injuries. Whilst Froch has never looked better going into this bout Kessler has maybe dropped off a little bit, his legs no longer move at the same speed or coordination they once did, the jab lacks the precision and sharpness it once had, it is clear to me that Kessler looks every bit of his 33yrs with a bit of interest. Froch on the other hand has gone from strength to strength and has not had to deal with nearly as many injuries. That added to the fact he is always near the 168lb limit and always in great shape its not difficult to see who has the most left for tonight's fight.

Improvements

Montoya has done a fantastic job in helping Kessler maximise what he has left, the legs are clearly going so he now stays in the pocket longer and his movement is more limited to allow him to sit down on punches more readily. That left hook looks vicious as Green found out and so does the straight right to the body as Magee duly found out. This version of Kessler definitely looks by far and away more defined than the version that previously faced Froch and indeed Ward. He has had to come to terms with the loss of his most revered gifts with age and Montoya must take a good deal of credit for that. The biggest improvement ive seen with Froch is he no longer seems to be in love with the power he has and is less inclined to load up on single punches. This was definitely evident in the fight with Bute in which he steamrolled him with combination after combination. It is clear he is able to do far more damage when not loading up on punches although Kessler poses a completely different challenge to deal with.

Prediction

1-3 rounds will be a cagey affair and will resemble the matador and the bull, Kessler will be attempting to circle Froch in a tight circle whilst springing in with hard jabs to head and body. I dont think Froch will be able to start quickly for a few reasons, firstly Kessler will be in the least bit intimidated by the crowd and will not give an inch like Bute did so readily, secondly the amount of nervous energy he has been exuding in the lead up to this fight will surely make McCracken weary of Carl walking onto something early if he isn't settled down. I think they will try and box initially which will allow Kessler to take at least 2 of the first 3 rounds.

rounds 4 - 8 i think will be the rounds that Froch will begin to settle down and get a foothold in the fight out of shear desperation, a little bit like the first fight. Only this time i see Carl getting the better of a lot of it, landing the first and last punch in each confrontation. Kessler will still be landing hard punches of his own but his inability to move out of range will see him take a lot of punishment during this stage of the fight.

rounds 9 -12 will be an all out brawl like the first one, both fighters will be tired and it will come down to who has the most left in the tank during tha last stretch, i believe this to be Froch and i think he takes all the rounds close but clear.

Froch UD 8-4 possibly with both sides scoring a KD.

 

My prediction:

Froch will come out stronger and look ontop rounds 1-3, Kessler will have a few shakey moments as Carl tries to end it early but Mikkel will weather the storm and start timing Froch for his left hooks and will then start to really come into the fight between rounds 4-8.

Froch will continue being the aggressor in the fight and it's this that will be his downfall as a big Kessler left hook connects flush on Froch and knocks him clean out.

Kessler wins by KO between rounds 4-8.