Abraham will be too much for Froch
In the third group stage of Showtime’s Super Six World Boxing Tournament, Arthur Abraham will take on former WBC super middleweight champion Carl Froch on 2 October in Monaco. The bout looks to be a top-notch one, with Abraham hoping to maintain his number two ranking among the current six contestants, and Froch hoping to move up from number three.
Abraham will be too much for Froch
Abraham currently has three points, one more than Froch. But if Froch is able to defeat Abraham, he will take a lead on Abraham with four points. The win would put him in contention with Andre Dirrell should he defeat Andre Ward in their upcoming bout, and Mikkel Kessler if he defeats Allan Green.
A win in the tournament gives a fighter two points, while a loss none. Knockouts qualify for an additional point. The purpose of the tournament is to determine the current WBA and WBC super middleweight champions.
Last April Froch lost a 12 round decision to Mikkel Kessler. The loss came after a first stage win over Andre Dirrell. Abraham, on the other hand, demolished Jermaine Taylor in a first stage knockout, and was disqualified for hitting Andre Dirrell while he was down after he slipped on the canvas in a second bout. While Abraham lost the fight on a technicality, many still consider him to be in contention for a top spot in the six, due to his dynamite power and rough punching ability.
Analysts are a bit more sceptical about Froch. There’s no denying he’s a tough fighter, but Kessler showed that he was even tougher by taking him out in the second stage of the tournament. Froch has also been criticized often for being too aggressive, while lacking any sort of defensive plan of attack. This is troubling with Abraham, who is himself known for his aggressive assault.
Froch really maybe has two options in this fight, and the first one might not even be available to him. He can try to outbox the slugging Abraham, or he can stand toe-to-toe and try to outslug him. The first would probably be the more effective route if it could be executed well. But Froch has given us little to suggest he is capable of that. Actually, he would have to fight exactly like Dirrell did recently against Abraham, in keeping a fair distance and his opponent at bay with long jabs and better, cornering footwork. But to put things simply, Froch isn’t that kind of fighter. He’s too close to being a brawler himself. Which means it’s going to be a war against Abraham, and not one Abraham is going to back out of easily.
The referee is really going to have his hands full with this one, as both of these guys are known to blur the lines between the legal and the illegal in the ring, and use it to their advantage. Abraham is seasoned and spiteful enough to mix elbows in with punches, and Froch may find himself moved to desperate measures in the face of the assault.
Abraham has fought on before with a broken jaw and so it’s unlikely he’ll be backing down from anything his British counterpart will be throwing. But it seems more likely that Froch will back down from assault. A knockout may not be imminent, but it’s a safe bet Abraham will take this one in a decision.
Tags: