Left-Hook Lounge: Froch, Hopkins, Ward, & Matthysse!!!

ward46Marshall T. (Queens, NYC): When you look at Carl Froch’s resume, he has faced everyone who is someone in the super-middleweight division. Andre Ward is being considered for a rematch, but Hopkins makes a strong case too. Who do you think he should face and why?

Vivek W. (ESB): This is a very interesting scenario we have brewing here. In Andre Ward, we have arguably the #2 best fundamentally sound fighter in the sport. In Bernard Hopkins, we have what can be defined literally as a living and active legend. His historical effort in the sport may never be duplicated again. When we look at who Froch should face next, I think it’s actually an easier decision than many think. Ward and Froch have faced off. To be quite frank, it wasn’t even really close. Ward white-washed him on the cards and although Froch will make adequate adjustments to compete, when the smoke clears, does anyone really think the outcome changes? I’m not so sure it does.

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Mayweather WILL fight Canelo on September 14th!

floyd5645The WARM but not hot PPV buys for the Mayweather/Guerrero fight were all but expected by Showtime brass, but in lieu of the $250M Mayweather contract, Mayweather’s next 5 outings WILL bear the expectation of superior PPV buys; in fact Showtime has ‘delusions of grandeur’ that one or 2 of Mayweather fights under their banner will come close to or SURPASS the record set by the Mayweather/De La Hoya fight of 2007.

In order for a record setting event to happen, Mayweather who has more naysayers and critics then supporters, must appear to those detractors to be afraid to fight the expected opponent (Canelo Alvarez), the perception that Mayweather can be ‘beaten badly’ by that opponent must also be believable.

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Froch Wins and Will Again, but Not Against Ward

froch644Froch dominated Kessler, and will again if they have a third fight. Kessler’s style is too predictable and not busy enough. He lost because he failed to manage distance very well. He failed to take advantage of his hand speed and straighter punches. Ward did not and will not make those mistakes.

Froch got away with his unorthodoxy, because (to use a baseball phrase), Kessler failed to keep his eye on the ball. Froch hardly ever makes that mistake, and Ward never does. He is always focused, and ready to take advantage of miistakes at an instant. Froch gets away with throwing looping shots, because someone like Kessler’s defense is too simple. He either tries to block the punch, and many times unsuccessfully, or duck under it.

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Forget a Ward-Froch Rematch! Bring on Hopkins-Froch!

Bernard Hopkins vs Carl FrochCarl Froch represents everything that fans typically admire in a boxer. He can fight, he can punch, he can take a hell of shot, he can brawl, he is not afraid to let his hands go, and his fights are usually of a very entertaining variety. Additionally, he is a proven warrior who consistently challenges himself against the very best in the world. He is, quite literally, ready to fight anyone anywhere. The Cobra is also an extremely dedicated and incredibly well conditioned athlete. Most importantly perhaps, however, he always gives it absolutely everything he has. All of this was on full display when Froch defeated Mikkel Kessler by unanimous decision, reversing the outcome from their first bout three years ago when Kessler beat Froch in Group Stage 2 of the Super Six Boxing Classic. Just like last time, Kessler and Froch once again both put on an amazing show, with each combatant exhibiting good punching power, a solid chin, and tremendous courage amid heated back and forth action. Froch steadily outworked Kessler over the long haul and was able to control a lot of the activity with his effective rangy jab. Carl and Mikkel have now won one apiece, each man holding a victory on his home turf, and each man having once traveled to the other’s backyard.

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Mikkel Kessler vs. Carl Froch II: Expect a great fight!

_SJ198919ac744The long awaited rematch between Mikkel “The Viking Warrior” Kessler (46-2, 35KOs) and Carl “The Cobra” Froch (30-2, 22KOs) will take place this Saturday, May 25th at the O2 Arena (Millennium Dome) in Greenwich, London, United Kingdom. The bout will be televised on HBO at 6:00p.m. ET and Kessler’s World Boxing Association World Title and Froch’s International Boxing Federation World Title will be on the line.

The last time these two men meet in the ring was in Herning, Demark, on April 24, 2010, as Kessler earned a hard fought 12 round unanimous decision during the Super Six Showtime Boxing Tournament by three scorecards of 117-111, 115-113 and 116-112. This was a great, competitive, back and forth bout in which both fighters had their moments. Kessler slightly outland and outpunch Froch, however, the fight was a bit closer than the scorecards indicated.

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Froch vs. Kessler 2: Legacy and a date with the Legend of Longevity are on the line

_SJ20017Although few fighters if any can match the quality of opponent that Carl Froch has faced since his introduction to the big time in his 2008 fight with Jean Pascal, make no mistake about it, his legacy is on the line. Not only legacy but a fight with the legend of longevity Bernard Hopkins, is waiting in the wings in what would be a hall of fame sealer for Carl “The Cobra” Froch. There is only one problem. The Viking Warrior is standing in his way and Mikkel Kessler has plenty of skill along with grit to make his “Warrior Call” be heard to the roof tops of the O2 Arena in London. Another week, another 50-50 fight and win-win for boxing fans across the world.

According to the some betting lines Carl Froch ranges from an almost 2-1 favorite, all the way up to an astronomical 4-1 or 5-1 on a betting website in the U.K. Carl Froch has been the more active fighter since their fight in 2010, as well as facing the better opposition. Meanwhile, Mikkel Kessler was forced to take two separate breaks, one over a year and one almost a year, to heal his eye injuries that nearly forced him to retire from the sport. What if anything is different besides location from the first fight and will this fight play out in similar fashion?

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Chilemba expects to KO Bellew on Saturday night

bellew5#3 WBC light heavyweight contender Isaac Chilemba (20-1-2, 9 KO’s) wants to take the judges out of the equation this Saturday night in his rematch against #1 WBC Tony Bellew (19-1-1, 12 KO’s) at the O2 Arena in London, UK.

Chilemba fought well enough to deserve a victory last March when he fought Bellew in Liverpool, England, but the judges saw it differently and scored it a 12 round draw. This time Chilemba will be looking to knock Bellew out.

Chilemba said to Sky Sports “I’m not a guy who looks for a knockout. The way I feel this time, I would be very surprised if he goes 12 rounds…this time I’m going to take every round.”

What’s not known by many boxing fans is that Chilemba went into his fight with Bellew last March with a chest cold, and he barely breath. He didn’t want to cancel the fight and toughed it out, giving away many of the rounds in the first half of the fight.

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Froch goes overboard with comments about Kessler

froch966There’s a right way and a wrong way to try and hype a fight, and IBF super middleweight champion Carl Froch (30-2, 22 KO’s) showed a prime example of the wrong by talking about possibly killing his opponent WBA super middleweight champion Mikkel Kessler (46-2, 35 KO’s) in their unification fight this Saturday night in London, UK.

Froch said this to Telegraph.co.uk “If I have to I will kill this f***** [Kessler]. I will kill him. It sounds brutal, it sounds horrible, but that is what it means to me…when I smash his face in, I am going for the kill.”

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They Fight for the Money!

From 140lbs to 154lbs all the top guys are jockeying for position; promoters, advisers and managers are trying to secure the best fights for their charges. The best fights being the ones with the biggest payout with the least chance of losing. They ALL do it, it’s just a fact of professional fighting.

In June 2013, Paulie Malignaggi will face off against Adrien Broner for Malignaggi’s 147lb strap. Both men are reportedly getting near $1M for their efforts.

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Carl Froch vs. Mikkel Kessler II: Preview & Prediction

Carl Froch vs. Mikkel KesslerWhen Carl ‘The Cobra’ Froch (30-2, 22 KOs) squares off against ‘Viking Warrior’ Mikkel Kessler (46-2, 35 KOs) for the second time this Saturday, it will have been more than three years since their first grueling encounter in Group Stage 2 of the Super Six Boxing Classic. That contest unquestionably represented the most compelling and entertaining match-up in the entire super middleweight tournament, and there is good reason to believe the rematch will be an equally competitive battle that rivals, or perhaps even surpasses, the original. Froch and Kessler are still both universally recognized as two of the very best 168 pound boxers in the world, just as they were on April 24, 2010 when Kessler was awarded a hard fought unanimous decision on his home turf in Denmark. What can we expect this time from these two proven warriors? Will ‘The Cobra’ strike the Dane with a lethal bite, or will ‘The Viking’ savagely slay the serpent?

Carl Froch has fought five times since he faced Kessler, going 4-1 during that stretch, while Mikkel has won all three of his bouts. Of course the lone loss suffered by Froch was at the hands of Andre Ward, who is widely viewed as an elite pound-for-pound talent on par with Floyd Mayweather Junior. No shame there. Kessler himself was soundly beaten by Ward previously. The fact that Froch bounced back from the loss with an impressive brutal knockout against Lucian Bute holds far greater importance when searching for clues to explore that might give us some indication of what to expect on Saturday.

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