by James Slater – Tonight in Denmark, 31-year-old Mikkel Kessler managed to take the WBC super-middleweight title from defending champ Carl Froch in the latest instalment of the “Super-Six” tournament. In a great action fight that had some truly memorable trading, especially in the later rounds, Kessler prevailed via a unanimous decision. Kessler won by scores of 117-111, 115-113 and 116-112. The Dane is now 43-2(32) and well and truly back amongst the favourites to win “Super-Six.” 32-year-old Froch, who gave it everything he had tonight, is now 26-1(20).
A cagey start in the opening round, any fears any-one may have had of the fight being a letdown were soon to be removed! It was very much a battle of the jabs in the early going, and both men had their success. Froch was guilty of being a touch wild, even missing so badly he spun completely around in the 3rd-round. The early rounds were quite tough to score, but Kessler was probably doing a little more..
Kessler slipped in the 5th, and though he hadn’t been caught with a punch, Froch went for it as soon as the local man got up. Froch did get through with a sharp right hand to the head, but Kessler was the man coming forward. The 5th-round was Froch’s best session yet, however.
Kessler was again dictating the pace in the 7th, as Froch, with his low-held hands, was a little static. Kessler landed a right hand to the back of Froch’s head at the end of the round. The 8th-round was the first truly exciting round, as “The Viking Warrior” landed a smashing right hand on “The Cobra’s” chin as he was charging in. The WBC champ’s knees buckled, yet his granite chin saved him. Froch was also cut on the bridge of the nose now.
Kessler was back on the attack in the 9th, and Froch appeared to be still a little hurt. Both men swung wildly at the end of the three minutes, and Froch seemed to have re-found his strength. Kessler also picked up a nasty cut at the side of his left eye.
The last three rounds elevated a good fight into a great fight! Both men traded pretty much all the way to the final bell, and Kessler, with the blood pouring from his ugly wound, really dug deep and gave it his all. Froch did too, and it was debatable who was getting the better of it. Froch forced himself to work in the 11th, landing a left uppercut to Kessler’s chin.
Then, in the last round, the action was jaw-dropping. Both guys were on the verge of being exhausted, yet they reached deep inside and pumped out the punches. It was sensational two-way action, with both warriors swinging away with both hands. A definite round of the year candidate, the 12th-round was pretty much dead level. Froch finished the fight with a cut at the side of his own left eye.
After an agonisingly long wait for the reading of the scorecards, Kessler’s hand was deservingly raised. Froch later disputed the verdict, but he hasn’t really got too much of a case. This aside, both guys were respectful of one another at the end of their war and the fans cheered the efforts of both men – Kessler especially getting the cheers, naturally.
A great fight, arguably the best yet in “The Super-Six,” tonight’s war left Froch with who knows how much left for his next fight; with the formidable Arthur Abraham. Kessler, however, will have all his old confidence back.