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The career of Carl Froch has never been easy. And becoming a world champion has not changed that. Froch defends his WBC super-middleweight title against Mikkel Kessler tonight in the remote Danish town of Herning. It is his third title defence and the second time that he has had to travel to his challenger’s country. Home-town decisions are as old as the sport itself so, not for the first time in his reign as a world champion, Froch finds the cards stacked against him. And he admits that should he be on the wrong end of controversy in Denmark, he could even consider quitting. The bout is Froch’s second in the Super Six, the super-middleweight tournament set up by Showtime, the US television company, to cut through the confusion caused by numerous sanctioning bodies. Not that the Super Six has been short on controversy.[/I]
So far all four bouts in the tournament have been won by the home boxer, with the opponent often going away aggrieved. Andre Dirrell believed he should have been awarded the win against Froch in Nottingham last October, when Froch was handed the split points decision, and Kessler and Arthur Abraham — who are promoted by Sauerland Event, the German promotional company — complained of home-town bias when they lost in the United States to Andre Ward and Dirrell respectively. “I should not have to go to Denmark and have to knock him out to win,” Froch, 32, said. “I shouldn’t be worried about going to Denmark and getting cheated. I know the better man is me. I’m expecting to get a fair crack of the whip and let’s hope that is the case. “But there is politics involved in boxing. If something should happen, it would be a disgrace to boxing and make a farce of the Super Six. “I might even turn it in if that happens. If that happens, boxing isn’t the sport I think it is. “I do not want a situation that any of the close rounds go to Kessler because it is in Denmark. But a lot of people are talking about that. Close rounds should go to the guy who wins the round, even if he only lands one more punch. I’m the champion, it should be up to him to come and take my title. “I’m putting my faith in the WBC that they are going to be honourable. They are a prestigious and honourable organisation.” Froch has stood on the edge of superstardom for some time. And he’s still waiting. But few could argue with his performances in the ring. Unbeaten in 26 bouts, he won the vacant WBC title by beating Jean Pascal in a thrilling contest in Nottingham in 2008. He climbed off the floor to stop Jermain Taylor in his first defence in Mashantucket, Connecticut, this weekend last year, before beating Dirrell. But Froch can probably walk down any street in Britain, apart from in his home city of Nottingham, and not turn a head. He keeps winning, but he is still awaiting the national acclaim and still hoping for the mega money. His win over Pascal was the last bout shown live on ITV1, but a reduction in television coverage of the sport has hit him hard. This bout, like his win over Dirrell, will be screened in the UK on a little known pay-per-view channel, Primetime. Some will doubt whether Kessler, 31, who began the Super Six as favourite with the bookmakers, is the force he was when he lost his unbeaten record to Joe Calzaghe in front of 51,000 fans in Cardiff in 2007, though. After being outboxed by Ward — he lost a technical decision having been stopped on cuts in the eleventh round — Kessler even seemed to question himself, wondering aloud in a television interview whether “he still had it”. “I was surprised by Kessler’s lack of ability to turn the fight his way,” Froch said. “After five rounds, I was expecting him to get hold of Ward, force him back to the ropes and rough him up a bit, but he just didn’t do that. “A defeat doesn’t always write you off, look at David Haye when he lost against Carl Thompson early in his career. But I don’t see how a defeat like the one Kessler had can be beneficial. I don’t see how Kessler can beat me.” .[/I]
Interesting Froch says that Kessler has to come and take his title.
Reason some people didn't give the nod to Dirrell in the Froch V Dirrell bout.
Froch doesn't mention Calzaghe and talks about judges instead. Something isn't right. This isn't the Froch we all know.
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