by James Slater – It may be because it’s one of the first bouts in the new and exciting idea that is the “Super Six” tournament, but Carl Froch Vs. Andre Dirrell seems to have been one of the most hyped-up fights of the year. Thanks largely to both fighters, there has been an article some place or another or the net practically ever since the fight was announced.
Both guys have more than got involved in the trash-talking department, with an “I’m gonna do this,” or an “I’m gonna do that” statement from one fighter and then the other appearing almost daily for the past few weeks/months now.. All well and good, and we fans sure are looking forward to seeing how the unbeaten “Cobra” will cope with the likewise undefeated “Matrix” this coming Saturday in the WBC 168-pound champion’s hometown of Nottingham, U.K. But will the fight live up to the hype it’s received?
It better had.
That same night, in Germany, unbeaten former middleweight champion Arthur Abraham will meet former champ Jermain Taylor. And that fight, for some reason – probably the less bombastic nature of the two fighters – has not quite been hyped up as much as it’s U’K counterpart. But which fight will deliver most where it counts; in the ring?
Both Froch and Dirrell have promised to stop the other, claiming the bombs will fly once the bell rings (both men having used varying degrees of creative speech in announcing what they will do to their rival when they square off). And an action packed fight may well occur. In fact, it better had. Imagine if Dirrell, for example, were to come in and fight negatively, looking to box on the retreat and refuse to engage the champion. Or imagine how much of a letdown it would be if the local man tasted Dirrell’s power early and went into a shell. Both scenarios are quite hard ones to envisage happening, but with all they’ve been saying both fighters have put added pressure on themselves to make it an exciting fight.
Froch, by nature, will almost surely come out aggressively as promised, but we don’t yet know how good Dirrell is at world championship level. Could “The Matrix” let the side down with regards to giving us great action? “The Cobra” has said that as soon as Dirrell feels his power, he will fight to survive as opposed to fight to win. If that does happen will the fight have been a disappointment? To the challenger’s fans it will have, but to Froch’s fans, thousands of which will be in attendance, the sight of their guy winning will be enough to make them happy; even more so if he wins in dominant fashion.
And that’s what I think will happen on Saturday. I feel Dirrell will fail to live up to his pre-fight boasting. It won’t be a boring fight, but it will be one-sided. Froch will prove to be too powerful, too hardened and too strong for his challenger and “Super Six” rival.
Take it for what it’s worth, but I predict Froch will come out firing, back Dirrell up and get him out of there, in seemingly easy fashion, inside the first eight rounds.
One thing’s for sure, though; whoever loses on Saturday sure will be left feeling embarrassed.