By Ted Sares – He’s unbeaten, ambitious and they blow smoke up their a*** in America, telling them they’re the next Sugar Ray Leonard. He’ll believe he can win the title. But all that goes out of the window after round one. I punch hard for 12 rounds, so we’ll find out what he’s got. I would not like his job, coming to my home town to try and take my title.
–Carl Froch
The only way you’re knocking me down is if you hit the air hard enough to create a hurricane wind, because you’re not going to touch me… –Andre Dirrel
Carl “The Cobra” Froch made a name for himself with a stunning victory over Jermain Taylor that came down to his “courage and determination.“ He waxed Taylor with a stunning TKO at 2:46 of the twelfth round when he jumped on him while he was still on Queer Street from an earlier knockdown. He pummeled him again and again until the slaughter was halted. Now, two unbeaten fighters, Froch (25-0) and Andre “The Matrix” Dirrell (18-0) will clash on October 17 in Nottingham, England in the opening bout of the ‘Super Six’ tournament..
Froch
“The Cobra” has gone up against far superior opposition including impressive wins against the aforementioned Taylor, Jean Pascal (24-1 and now WBC light heavyweight champion), undefeated Albert Rybacki, and veterans Robin Reid and Brian Magee. Most of his opponents came in with winning records. Dirrell’s last fight was a terrible mismatch against an opponent who stood just 5’6’’ against Dirrell’s 6’2’’and it still took him 6 rounds to close the show. Froch’s last opponent was Jermain Taylor. Just prior to that, it took Dirrell 6 rounds to dispatch the horrific Victor Oganov, while Froch beat Pascal over 12.
Froch, who fights in the orthodox stance, is heavy handed with an impressive KO percentage of 80 and with a knack of going all-out throughout. And though he was down for the first time against Taylor, his chin is extremely reliable.
Some say he is too clumsy and slow to catch his faster opponent, but the stalk lasts 12 rounds and that’s more than enough time for a predator to catch his prey.
Dirrell
This chiseled, talented and fast southpaw is more a stylist than a brawler and could well be described as everything Froch is not. With switch-hitting elusiveness, his athleticism is contrasted by Carl’s lack of coordination. However, his last four foes (Anthony Hanshaw (his best win), Mike Paschall, Victor Oganov and Derrick Findley) hardly match up with those of Froch’s. Sure, winning 13 of 18 by stoppage reads well, but against whom? And against such competition, Andre has been able to do his best Roy Jones imitation with dazzling combos, impressive hand speed, and a good work rate, but against Froch he will be up against an experienced guy with the heart of a lion–and who has fought almost twice the number of rounds.
Intangibles
The fight will be in Froch’s hometown of Nottingham England andhe is incredibly popular in his homeland. While “The Matrix” has fought throughout the U.S., he has never duked abroad. Froch, on the other hand, has two big wins in the States.
Dirrell has a better amateur pedigree.
Dirrell has incorporated new training methods and a strength and conditioning coach into his training camp
The Outcome
I expect Dirrell to start fast and give Froch angles while peppering him with jabs and combos, but not anything that will really hurt or slow the gritty Nottinghamshire native down. The highly skilled Pascal slowed down after 6 rounds and I expect Dirrell to do the same, because he has never been hit with anything even remotely resembling The Cobra’s power. However, if Froch make the mistake of trying to box Dirrell, he will be in dire straits. Andre is faster and Froch is not difficult to hit.
My expectation is that Froch will close the gap by the mid to late rounds and then put some real hurt on the former Olympic bronze medalist. If he can lure him into a brawl, he will keep coming and coming until he finally catches and takes him out.
After all, if a hardened professional was able to spew his fatal venom on the likes of Taylor and Pascal, surely, he can do the same with an unproven Dirrell.