-=[Froch/Dirrel Real Punch Stats]=-

Dirrell can only blame himself for making the fight close enough to give the judges a reason to take it away from him. The difference in skill and speed was so dramatic that this should have been a virtual shutout for Dirrell had he boxed with more conviction. Had he spent more time punching and less time bear-hugging and leaning (which prompted the bulk of those shots to the side of the head), he would have won clearly. STATS LANDED BLOWS ROUND BY ROUND 1. D - 9 jabs, 0 pp F - 7 jabs, 3 pp Very little of consequence going on. Mostly a feeling out round which neither guy took, IMO. A swing round if you like. 10-10 to me. 2. D - 6 jabs, 1 pp F - 10 jabs, 2 pp Froch does more in another largely uneventful round. Dirrell starts to show flashes of Road Runner, but isn't looking desperate. 10-9 Froch. 3. D - 5 jabs, 7 pp F - 2 jabs, 7 pp Very few jabs going on this round. Froch has some success at one point chasing Dirrell down and hitting him flush, to the extreme delight of the crowd. Dirrell retreats all round, but in the end edges the round on ring generalship. 10-9 Dirrell. 4. D - 6 jabs, 6 pp F - 7 jabs, 4 pp "A very close round" according to Al Bernstein. Neither guy more effective than the other, for the most part. Another swing round. I gave it to Froch on aggression. 10-9 Froch. 5. D - 4 jabs, 5 pp F - 12 jabs, 3 pp Froch does more (basically with landed jabs) and so takes the round. A note on the "throwdown." Having watched it three times now I don't really think Froch was all that to blame for it. He's dirty at other times in the fight, no doubt, but in this case they were turning and twisting together and when the equilibrium of balance is lost for them Froch makes a point of releasing so he doesn't go down. Dirrell does, but only because of where they were in the dance, so to speak. In any case, Froch round 10-9 6. D - 3 jabs, 3 pp F - 3 jabs, 4 pp Very close, ineffective round for both guys. Dirrell really starting to run a lot, and Froch trying to make him box. Another swing round which I gave to Froch for trying to make it a contest. Froch 10-9. 7. D - 4 jabs, 17 pp F - 3 jabs, 13 pp Most active round of the fight so far. Very few jabs, lots of power punches. Dirrell round 10-9 8. D - 4 jabs, 3 pp F - 6 jabs, 5 pp Very good round for Froch who slams Dirrell with a huge shot at around the 2 min mark. Dirrell clutches desperately as a result and for the rest of the round while Froch keeps working. 10-9 Froch. 9. D - 6 jabs, 7 pp F - 10 jabs, 6 pp Fairly even round, but Froch effective jab wins him the round IMO. Dirrell's power shots were slightly better overall, but Froch did more. Froch 10-9. 10. D - 5 jabs, 9 pp (one of them huge) F - 11 jabs, 3 pp Dirrell's best round of the fight by far, only it was squandered by the excessive holding which finally cost him the point. Dirrell got the Froch with 3 or 4 big shots, one of which had Froch playing the "where's the floor" game for a split second. 9-9 round. 11. D - 5 jabs, 14 pp F - 5 jabs, 8 pp The most exciting and action packed round of the fight, now that Dirrell has largely stopped holding. And he wins it big in my books. Froch was effective too, but far less. Dirrell 10-9. 12. D - 3 jabs, 11 pp F - 6 jabs, 8 pp Another round for Dirrell from simply doing better. 10-9 Dirrell. Final tally 115-113 Froch on my card.