The greatest joy of Showtime’s Super Six tournament has been one of discovery – a joy that makes anything worth playing audience to. It is a different joy from what the unexpected brings. The unexpected, husband of anticipation and father of suspense, is born of wrong assumptions disproved, while discovery comes from the unknowing state that wisdom promotes.

If not-knowing how its fights would turn out has been the great joy of the Super Six, Englishman Carl Froch’s fights have been the least-knowable of all, and therefore the most joyful to watch.

That joy happened again on Saturday when Froch decisioned the ageless Jamaican-born super middleweight Glen Johnson, to retain his WBC title and win a match with Andre Ward in the finals of the Super Six. Fighting before a nonpartisan crowd in Atlantic City, Froch beat Johnson by majority-decision scores of 114-114, 116-112 and 117-111. The match was a fine one, if not quite the fight-of-the-year candidate hoped for by some.

My scorecard concurred with the judges’ ultimate decision, favoring Froch 118-112. I had rounds 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11 and 12 for the champion. Rounds 1 and 7 went to Johnson. And I scored rounds 2 and 8 even. Had those even rounds gone to Johnson, my card still would have gone to Froch, 116-112.

It is sometimes important to separate a prizefighter’s score from his performance. Often the two are similar, but there are occasions when a fighter transcends himself without winning rounds. Saturday’s match was not one of these, but it is an interesting possibility just the same.

Though he fought gamely, and at age 42 perhaps surprisingly, Johnson made a performance that left more to be desired of its performer than Froch’s did. Johnson’s supporters, and they are legion, expect their man to expose an opponent’s fragility – both physical and mental. Johnson is a lie detector, in other words.

You may squeak out a controversial decision against Johnson, of course, but your character, whatever it is, will be denuded by Johnson’s assault. You can ask Allan Green about that.

Froch’s character, a charming combination of arrogance and chin and what his countrymen call “bottom,” passed Johnson’s test with high marks. Froch’s performance outranked Johnson’s because, of the surprises that each man brought, Froch’s were the pleasanter.

When he is on, Johnson is relentless. He cannot be dissuaded. He wishes you to engage him. He signs the volume-puncher’s oath: You will hit me, I will hit you, and we’ll see what happens. He does not relent under a rain of clean punches. He cares not a whit for his own appearance. He will wither, he figures, and so will you. It is not a style that is pretty. Johnson does not rely on reflex, or at least he does not fight with a style that does. He steps as he throws the jab. He goes at you low, weight forward, as the best volume punchers must. He wings a left hand at your body to distract you. He hurls a right hand over the top of your lowered guard. The punch hurts you because it surprises you. It surprises you because you cannot imagine such a pedestrian entrance bringing something unanticipated.

“Very strong and durable” is how Froch described Johnson after their Saturday fight. “Sort of like sparring an oak tree.”

Solid as he was against Froch, solid as he always is, Johnson is not without vulnerabilities. One, obviously, is age. The crass vigor of Froch’s youth, akin to a willingness to wager against Johnson’s conditioning – previously a lunatic’s bet – made much of the difference. Johnson would crack Froch, stunning his balance. And Froch would fix an insulted tension to his face and whack Johnson back directly, he would.

The other vulnerability of Johnson’s belongs to every volume punch: the uppercut. To apply constant pressure a fighter must wade forward and often rely on his opponent’s force to stabilize him. The best volume punchers, those of the most inevitable assaults, invariably find their weight too far forward. So long as an opponent throws jabs and crosses and hooks, though, they are safe; only the tops of their heads are exposed. But the first uppercut that grazes their chests or whistles past their ear gives even the most fearless of them pause.

Froch’s right-uppercut lead made a large difference, it did.

And if Froch was surprised by Johnson’s resilience, surely Johnson was startled when his right hands did not affect Froch hardly at all. Some of that was Froch’s conditioning. Some of it was Froch’s chin. And much of it was that Froch’s chin is the one part of his body not even Glen Johnson could find with gloved fists.

Froch does not merely lower his chin in a classic boxer’s pose. Froch sets his chin a full face behind his forehead. Even if Froch did not deflect 50 percent of every right hand with his left shoulder, it would be hard to hurt him.

Froch might not look like Americans expect a fighter to look. He might not have Joe Calzaghe’s genius of motion, either. But he has a fire-tested economy of attack that makes him special.

Still, he has no chance against Andre Ward! So we say about the upcoming finals match. So we believe. Let he who rightly picked a Super Six final of Froch versus Ward, 19 months ago, make the first certain bet against Froch, though.

Hmm, what’s that? No takers?

Well, Froch-Ward is what we’re going to have, a fitting reward for boxing fans who stuck with this tournament through its obstacle course. And the greatest thing that can be said of it is this: The final match will be joyful because its outcome is unknowable.

Bart Barry can be reached via Twitter @bartbarry

WBC Super Middleweight champion Carl Froch talks to the media about his win over Glen Johnson and previews his clash With Andre Ward

WBA Super Middleweight champion Andre Ward breaks down Carl Froch’s win over Glen Johnson plus previews his final round bout against Froch

Former Light Heavyweight champion turned Heavyweight turned Cruiserweight Antonio Tarver talks Froch- Johnson and his upcoming fight with Danny Green

Glen Johnson makes some brief post fight comments following his loss to Carl Froch

ATLANTIC CITY– Carl Froch vaulted into the final of the Super Six world Super Middleweight tournament majority decision over Glen Johnson at the Adrian Phillips Ballroom inside of Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.

Not only does Froch advance to face WBA King Andre Ward but he retained his WBC crown in the process.

After a non discript first round, Johnson started to up the pressure in round two as he came forward and landed a big over hand right. Froch had a good beginning of round three as he dipped in and out landing some swift combination’s. In the latter part of the round Johnson landed some nice right back that sent Froch back on his heels. Round four saw Froch box and move in a similar style to his wipe out points victory over Arthur Abraham where he seemed to have his timing down by landing solid combination’s while on the back pedal. Froch had a solid round six by continuing to land three punch combination’s that was sandwiched in between a big right hand that Johnson landed on the ropes.

Round seven was a terrific back and forth battle as Johnson book-ended the round with two big right hands but Froch got some of his own work done as they went back and forth on the ropes. Round eight was a crowd pleasing round to say the least as the two traded bombs to show off their granite chin’s. Johnson landed a couple of thuddding rights while Froch got through some solid lefts hooks. Froch upped his rate and timed Johnson throughout round nine by landing combination’s and in the process did-int give Johnson a great opportunity to get off. Round’s ten and eleven continued to feature great action as the round’s were difficult to score as Johnson would land the one big punch of the round wheras Froach would put together the consistent combination’s. The two traded combination’s down the stretch with Froch’s work rate being the difference

Froch of Nottingham, England is now 28-1. Johnson of Miami, FL is now 51-15-2

Edison Miranda was on his way to a comeback trail and faced off against Rayco Saunders in a light heavyweight catch-weight bout scheduled for eight rounds. Miranda, whose body looked relatively well for the higher weight. The bout started at a methodical pace. Miranda utilized a lot of movement, but was still able to maintain the aggressive nature that made him so popular. The third round changed things, as Miranda was able to land a hard right hand that staggered Saunders. Miranda followed up with multiple right hands that was able to make it through the guard of Saunders. After multiple right hands, Sunders was able to make it out of the round and regain his composure. The bout turned into a tactical affair for the rest of the fight. Miranda methodically worked his way to a 79-73, 79-73, and 80-73 scorecard giving him the unanimous decision victory.

Miranda’s record improves to 34-5 with 29 knockouts and Saunder’s record takes a hit at 28-13 with 8 knockouts.

Former light heavyweight title holder, Zsolt Erdei looked to improve his undefeated record against Byron Mitchell in a fight scheduled for ten rounds. Erdei had moved up to Cruiserweight from some time, but then realized that he had unfinished business in the division where he holds the lineal claim to the Light Heavyweight Championship of the world. This would be his second fight back, and Mitchell would serve as that stepping stone back to prominence.

The fight started extremely well for Erdei. He had no problem fighting tough against his larger opponent, as he had gotten used to being the smaller man in the ring during his cruiserweight days. Erdei landed multiple wide combinations to get around Mitchell’s high guard. As the fight progressed, Mitchell became more comfortable with his opponent and managed to throw some combinations in retaliation. Erdei then slowed the pace and instead of coming straight forward, he would simply side step and throw a straighter punch. This work very effectively for him. In the sixth round, a hard jab set up a powerful right hook that sent Mitchell down flat on his back. Mitchell beat the count, but was met from an absolute onslaught from Erdei. Finally, a right hand bomb sent Mitchell down, and the referee called a stop to the fight as he saw that Mitchell was completely out of it. The time of the stoppage was 1:58 of the sixth round.

Erdei’s record improves to 33-0 with 18 KO’s while Mitchell’s falls to 28-8-1 with 21 knockouts.

“The first fight, I was a little homesick,” said the Hungarian native, who spent most of his pro career fighting in Europe. “This time I had more preparation and more time to get used to being here. It showed in the ring.”

Looking ahead, Erdei, who held the WBO cruiserweight title from 2004-2009 before giving it up for a brief stint at cruiserweight, many possibilities in the talent-rich 175 lbs. division. A chance run-in just hour before his fight had his mind on one man in particular.

“I met Bernard Hopkins at the bakery in Caesars just before the fight,” said Erdei. “He was a real gentleman and we have a great mutual respect for each other. It would be an honor to fight him.”

In the third fight of the evening, rising prospect, J’Leon Love took on the very tough Lamar Harris in a middleweight bout scheduled for six rounds. e bout opened with Love landing combination after combination, staggering Harris on several occasions. As the fight progressed, Harris looked more confident, landing hard left hooks flush against Love’s face. Even still, Love did significant damage with his fast combinations. Towards the end of the fight, Love was in complete control and managed to land a powerful hook that sent Harris down, but not for the count. Harris was able to get his legs back under him, but it was too little too late. Love kept on the pressure and came away with scores of 40-35 from all three judges.

Love improves to 7-0 with 5 KO’s while Lamar Harris has his record pegged down to 6-8-3 with 4 KO’s.

Ivan Redkach scored a sixth round stoppage over Alberto Amaro in the final scheduled round of their Lightweight bout.

Redkach landed some hard combinations and was dominant. At the end of round five, Redkach landed a hard right hook that sent Amaro to the deck. Redkach landed three hard shots to end the round and referee Steve Smoger was close to ending it as the bell sounded. Smoger did call a halt to the action in the final round after Redkach continued his assault on Amaro at 1:46.

Redkach, 136 lbs of Los Angeles, CA is now 7-0 with six knockouts. Amaro, 134 1/2 lbs of Cantano, PR is now 6-6.

Swedish born Light Heavyweight Badou Jack scored a fifth round stoppage over Hajro Sujak in a bout scheduled for six rounds.

Jack landed some nice combination from the outset. he continued to batter the game Sujak throughout the contest. At times Sujak showed signs of life by landing some shots in between Jack rallies. In round four, Jack landed some thudding body punches that eventually came upstairs on Sujak. Sujak began to bleed badly from the mouth. In round five, Jack continued to beat up Sujak until Sujak’s corner threw in the towel that was recognized by referee Eddie Cotton at 1:30 of round five.

Jack, 174 1/2 lbs of Las Vegas via Sweden is now 6-0 with five knockouts. Sujak, 173 lbs of Brooklyn, NY is now 6-2.

Official Attendance: 2,286

Carl Froch, WBC Super Middleweight Champion/Super Six Finalist:

“Everyone is finally starting to acknowledge what I’ve done in successive fights.”

“I wasn’t 100% happy with my performance, because I’m the kind of guy who likes to unload my shots. I didn’t do that enough tonight, but I did enough to win.”

“Johnson is a big, strong light heavyweight and he can hang in with everyone. He is a proud, strong man. He was fading towards the end because I was hitting him.”

“It was a professional performance tonight, which I’m proud of. I did enough to win without taking too many risks.”

“I’m going to stay on the ball. I will have a little bit of a rest, and I’ll go back and see my baby boy Rocco. But, I will stay straight and stay fit.”

“You always learn in every fight. Tonight I solidified that I can box on my last foot and give Ward problems doing that.”

Eddie Hearn, Froch’s Promoter:

“Carl deserves the utmost respect from everyone in the world. He is a real fighter. We don’t have enough people like Carl Froch in boxing.”

“We’re going to build his fight with Andre Ward for what it is: a unification fight between the two best super middleweights in the world.”

“I don’t think there has been anyone who has fought, successively, so many top opponents. Carl is just a fighter.”

Glen Johnson:

“My team has done a wonderful job with my career every since I teamed up with them. We have come up on the short end of the stick sometimes, and they have never given up on me.”

“For me, I will just go home and put more effort into it and see what I can bring next time.”

“It was a close fight. There was a lot of give and take. He hit me with some solid, clean shots.”

“Carl can fight. He is tough. We look forward to seeing a great fight between the two men who have made it to the finals.”

Lou DiBella, Johnson’s Co-Promoter:

“If you don’t love Glen Johnson then you don’t love boxing. It is an honor and privilege to be his promoter and to be his friend. You never get less than 100% from Glen Johnson.”

“Everyone on this team respects the heck out of Carl Froch. If Andre Ward thinks he will have an easy night, he is very wrong.”

“It was a very close fight going into the seventh or eighth round. Glen tried to take him out with one punch and Carl adjusted.”

Leon Margules, Johnson’s Co-Promoter:

“People who came here tonight saw a spectacular fight between two great warriors and champions. Anyone who saw the fight and knows boxing can appreciate the kind of battle Glen and Carl had.”

“For a 42 year old athlete to fight twelve hard rounds like that is a spectacular feat.”

“I’m not disappointed in Glen’s performance; I’m only disappointed in the result.”

Prizefighting now draws near to completing its most innovative concept in ages. Showtime’s Super Six World Boxing Classic is days from matching its finalists. It is a tournament that has fully altered the professional paths of its every participant, including the network that hatched it. Whatever pundits opine of its anfractuous path, the Super Six has satisfied the praise it initially garnered.

Last week Englishman Carl Froch, whose career might well be the one most dramatically altered, by tournament’s end, captured what has made the Super Six different and essential:

“People are seeing fights that would not have been made.”

Has any sport been undone more completely by the events it didn’t make than boxing?

Saturday at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, Froch will make a fight with Jamaican Glen Johnson to determine who faces Andre Ward in the Super Six final. Johnson, a late sub who earned his place by stretching Allan Green, an unfortunate sub, in November, will face one of the tournament’s original super middleweights. Froch is in the semi-final by virtue of his shutout of Arthur Abraham in November and his aesthetically displeasing points victory over Andre Dirrell in 2009.

The latter was a victory over an opponent Froch dismissed on a Thursday conference call thusly: “I’ve done more damage training myself than Andre Dirrell did.”

Dirrell is the fighter whose career will have suffered the most from this tournament. A fighter who was put in the tournament because of talent, not accomplishments, Dirrell is now in a small cadre of fighters for whom knowledgeable fans feel actual contempt.

Of the tournament’s initial participants, Jermain Taylor was retired by the tournament, Kessler was knocked out of the tournament by Ward and Froch, and Abraham was exposed as a one-dimensional strongman. But Dirrell is the only person to whom a tincture of fraud adheres.

Nothing fraudulent adheres to either of Saturday’s men. They both make honest fights. Despite the integrity of his attack, though, Johnson is somehow less knowable than Froch. Johnson is mysterious more than complicated. Froch is no mystery at all and only complicated as a question to him is dumb.

“Glen Johnson is not the sort of guy you knock out,” Froch explained Thursday, when asked if he’d be looking for a knockout. “At the top level, to go in there looking for the knockout is a little naïve or stupid.”

To ask a top-level fighter such a question, Froch implied, is a little naïve or stupid.

There is an authority in Froch’s words that comes with his British accent. Americans, whether we realize it or not, and perhaps especially when we don’t, infer great authority from British diction and word choice. Froch makes proclamations to us more than he answers our inquiries.

He is not prepared for a match; he is “ready to do the business Saturday week.” He does not underestimate his opponent, but rather says “without being cheeky at all towards Glen Johnson, he can’t beat me.”

Johnson’s English, a searching choice of words seasoned by Patois, is hesitant. Courtesy wins its highest premium. Johnson calls himself “Gentleman”; Froch calls himself “Cobra”; both men’s alter egos come through in their speech.

What also comes through, what is most important to Saturday’s fight, is a collection of qualities Froch and Johnson share: Ruggedness and politeness.

Both men understand that boxing is the one combat sport that requires an opponent’s assault. There is no championship fighter with defense so complete he will not be beaten upon by his every challenger. Thirty-six minutes across from a professional puncher is a brutal test. Froch and Johnson appreciate this and take greater umbrage with an opponent who will not punch than one who tries to separate them from consciousness.

Johnson has fought all round the world, often as a b-side, and been jobbed in numerous decisions on foreign soil. Still, he insults no opponent. Froch derides only Dirrell – the one man who didn’t hit him.

Neither man considers deriding the other. That is how you know their fight will be a fine one.

The ability to see what inverse proportionality ever exists between prefight venom and sanctioned violence is what separates aficionado from casual fan. The champions who are politest to their opponents are those that impart the greatest cruelty. They are the men who understand this question: Why get angry when you’re going to fight anyway?

The aficionado is attracted by the orderly attack to which championship prizefighters subject one another. The casual fan, meanwhile, gets giddy over buffoonery and trash-talk. The aficionado comes to boxing from his own time in gyms or other contact sports. The casual fan came on boxing the day he couldn’t find professional wrestling to watch. One demands character; the other demands characters.

Froch and Johnson promise character. There is no chance either will feign injury or shrink from conflict. Johnson will come forward and hope to find a spot on Froch’s chest to rest his forehead while he does the man bodily harm. And Froch will target Johnson’s low, charging head and try to dissuade the Jamaican forcefully as possible. Neither man expects the other to break. Each man, though, would be euphoric at leaving the other broken.

“I am fresh, fit, strong, powerful,” said Froch, Thursday. “I’ll be honest, I wish this one was 15 rounds.”

No man asks for 15 rounds with Glen Johnson. Froch might well get what he desires and not know what to do with it. Something tells you, though, that Froch wants exactly what he requests.

Those who appreciate symmetry can’t help but cheer for Froch to advance to the finals against Ward; the last two men standing of the original six, as it were. But no aficionado ever cheered against Johnson.

I’ll take Froch, UD-12, then, while cheering for both men.

Bart Barry can be reached at bbarry@15rounds.com

Confidence, too often a bully’s mask or manufactured by insecurity, can sometimes be genuine. Thanks, Carl Froch. From Froch, it sounds like the real thing.

The British super-middleweight spoke during an international conference call Wednesday about his Super Six semifinal on June 4 against Glen Johnson with the self-assured tone of somebody certain of his destination. The scheduled 12 rounds on Showtime might prove to be bumpy, but Froch made it sound as if his victory was one segment in a longer trip. So buckle-up and enjoy the flight.

I’m not sure that Johnson won’t have plenty to say about where all of this is headed. For about 30 minutes, however, Froch had me convinced that it would end with him against Andre Ward in the finale of the longest tournament since the Thirty Years War.

The inevitable question was Ward, who already has secured his spot in the championship of the 168-pound tourney with his victory over Arthur Abraham. Froch could have passed on the question, of course. But he didn’t. I suspect the taciturn Ward would have, saying he would not think beyond the task at hand. But if the long view includes a destination that Froch sees as inevitable, hesitation could be interpreted as doubt. Froch has none.

“He’s got some skills,’’ Froch said, almost as if he knew he would be asked about Ward. “He’s an Olympic gold medalist, but having that doesn’t win world titles all the time and we’ve seen that recently. These top amateurs don’t always make top pros.

“He’s obviously won some great fights and he beat Mikkel Kessler. …But other than that, if you look at his record, I haven’t been too impressed with him as far as who he’s fought or how he’s won. Ward’s definitely a threat and someone I have to take seriously.

“But I know I can beat Ward. One thing he’s lacking is punching power. And that’s a big factor.”

Between him and Ward, there is Johnson, although Froch would have preferred Kessler, who accounts for his only loss.

“I would have rather fought Mikkel Kessler just purely for the revenge,” Froch said. “I’m a warrior myself. It’s a big thing for me to have lost that fight against Mikkel Kessler, because I’m serious about this business and that blemish on my record. I’d love to get that corrected before I retire. Someday after I hang them up, I want to be able to say I lost that decision to Kessler, but I won it back, that I avenged that defeat.’’

Froch voiced some deserved respect for Johnson, whom he called a war horse. At 42, however, Froch believes Johnson, a veteran light-heavyweight, will weaken himself in the battle to make weight.

“Going down to super-middle at his age is brutal,’’ Froch said.

Froch’s confidence also is rooted in a Johnson style that he believes will suit him. Johnson, he says, will be there, in front of him.

“The one thing about Glen Johnson is I don’t think I’ll have to go looking for him,’’ Froch said. “ I don’t think he’s going to be on his back foot looking to jab and pick me off. He doesn’t have the speed or the skill to match me. So, he’s going to come straight ahead.

“…I don’t think it would be wise for him to sit in front of me for too long. If he walks into me, he’s going to be taking on some shots. We’ll see how much the referee thinks he can take. It’s going to be brutal, if he keeps walking forward and taking shots.’’

Johnson scoffs at what Froch says of his style. Johnson says he is no Arthur Abraham, whom Froch defeated in the Super Six quarterfinals.

“People seem to think Abraham and I have a similar style,’’ he said. “We don’t. It’s not a valid comparison. That tells me that Carl Froch is not doing his homework. He’s in for a world of hurt.’’

Johnson also finds motivation in any talk about his age.

“I actually get excited when people mention my age, focus on my age,’’ Johnson said. “That means they are not focused on my skills and what I bring to the table.”

Johnson watched 46-year-old Bernard Hopkins win one against age with his historical victory for a light-heavyweight title in a unanimous decision over Jean Pascal. If Hopkins is Daddy Time Sr., Johnson has to be Father Time Jr.

For now.

If the Froch clock strikes with the inevitability he promises, that Jr. will soon turn into a Former.

Moving plans
Talks about moving Phoenix super-middleweight Jesus Gonzales’ next fight, rescheduled for July 8, against Henry Buchanan (20-2, 13 KOs), to the Coyotes’ NHL home, Jobbing.com Arena, in Glendale, Ariz., are underway. Gonzales’ second bout in a hometown comeback had been set for early June at Celebrity Theatre in central Phoenix. But the date was rescheduled, in part because Gonzales (26-1, 14 KOs) needed more healing time for a cut suffered in a victory over Dhafir Smith on May 18.

The likely move to Jobbing.com might be the first of many for boxing as arena operators and the cities that own them scramble to fill dates that could be left vacant by NFL and NBA work stoppages.

Glendale has been embroiled in a protracted and expensive battle to keep the Coyotes from leaving for Canada. The Phoenix suburb faces an even deeper financial hit if the Cardinals don’t play at nearby University of Phoenix Stadium because of the ongoing standoff between NFL owners and players, who are arguing about lot more money than Manny Pacquiao has ever made.

If NFL millionaires can’t agree on how to divvy up billions, there’s been talk that the Miguel Cotto-Antonio Margarito rematch could wind up at one of the league’s empty arenas, possibly Giants Stadium.
Notes, Quotes

· Any thoughts about a Margarito-Cotto rematch were on hold because Margarito had yet to heal from the nasty eye injury suffered in the one-sided loss to Pacquiao in Dallas last November. But hopes for a sequel to Margarito’s stunning upset of Cotto in 2008 were revived on May 19 when Margarito underwent cataract surgery.

· Just a guess, but former Eagles and current Redskins quarterback Donovan McNabb probably wasn’t one of the 1.8 million who watched the HBO telecast of Hopkins-Pascal.

· Watching the sad spectacle of Roy Jones Jr. suffering a devastating, dangerous knockout at the unknown hands of Denis Lebedev in Moscow left me wondering when we’ll hear about plans for Jones-versus-Evander Holyfield.

· Surprising news about Oscar De La Hoya in rehab is an indication that maybe there was something to rumors he was considering a comeback. There had to be frustration in discovering he just couldn’t fight anymore. De La Hoya might have tried to drown his disappointment in substance abuse. He isn’t the first and won’t be the last, but he has already scored a victory in acknowledging the problem. Here’s wishing him the best.

Former Middleweight and Super Middleweight title challengers, Edison Miranda and Allan Green will appear on the June 4th undercard that will feature the Super Six WBC Super Middleweight title match between Carl Froch and Glen Johnson in Atlantic City according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

15rounds.com was informed on Wednesday that Green (29-3) will take on Philadelphian Dhafir Smith (24-20-7).

Miranda will fight an opponent to be named.

“I’d like to get him in the mix and make some money,” Warriors Boxing promoter Leon Margules said. “Edison is a very exciting fighter. He adds a lot to the game of boxing. If he comes back and looks good, he can still stir it up and be a factor.”

It was a major surprise late last year when it was announced that Glen Johnson 51-14-2(35) would be a late addition to the Super Six, his inclusion only came because other fighters fell out of the tournament through various injury’s. He scored a dominant win over Allen Green to progress to the Semi Finals where he will now meet Carl Froch for the Englishman’s WBC Super Middleweight title. He’ll be the underdog, but that’s nothing new to the affable Jamaican, it’s a role he’s used to and relishes the chance to shock the world again. He started his career brightly back in 1993 going an impressive 32-0(22) before he ran into a certain Bernard Hopkins and unsuccessfully challenged for Hopkins Middleweight title. After that setback he slipped into journeyman status going 7-8-1 before getting a shot at the Vacant IBF Light Heavyweight title in England against Clinton Woods. Though many believed he should of won it was declared a draw. He returned 3 months later to right the previous wrong and set up for a clash with Roy Jones Jnr. Many believed he was just cannon fodder against the unworldly talented Jones. However he shocked everyone by dominating Jones before knocking the great man out. He parlayed that win with a victory over Antonio Tarver to become The Ring magazine’s 2004 Fighter of the year. Since then he’s lost a few but only to the best whilst beating everyone else, he’s given young guns like Chad Dawson & Tavoris Cloud hell before losing decisions. When the 42 year old “Road Warrior” was offered the spot in the Super Six he jumped at it and see’s it as a new way to prove himself. Here’s what the humble Jamaican had to say.

Hello Glen, welcome to 15rounds.com

Anson Wainwright – You have the semi finals of the Super Six coming up with Carl Froch on 4 June in Atlantic City. What are your thoughts on that fight?

Glen Johnson – You know obviously the fights going to be a tremendous fight; it’s going to be a great fight. Carl Froch is a real fighter and the world already knows I am a good fighter. So we’re going to give the fans their money’s worth.

Anson Wainwright – What do you think of Froch?

Glen Johnson – Well he’s a good fighter. He fought a couple of fights I saw him in. He fights on the inside and brawls. The last fight (against Arthur Abraham) he kept his distance used his jabs. He’s an excellent brawler and he’s also an excellent boxer, so we prepare for both things. He’s coming to fight a good fight and I’m going to be ready to fight back.

Anson Wainwright – How easily do you make 168? Before the Allen Green fight it had been 10 years since you were that low in weight.

Glen Johnson – The big challenge was making it for Allen Green but I already made that weight and I did it at short notice and it wasn’t difficult it was easier than I thought. With this fight I had plenty of notice. I’m already on my weight now a month from the fight.

Anson Wainwright – Can you tell us how the deal came about to enter the Super 6?

Glen Johnson – A couple of people got hurt. I believe (Mikkel) Kessler got hurt and they needed a replacement for Kessler & then Andre Dirrell got hurt and they needed a replacement for Dirrell so I believe I replaced Kessler because of the eye and then I needed to knock out Allen Green to make it into the Super Six semi finals just winning wasn’t going to be good enough and when Dirrell got hurt all I needed was just a win but I needed up knocking out Allen Green anyway. So even If I needed a knock out I’d of stayed in.

Anson Wainwright – Can you tell us about your team; who is your manager, trainer & promoter? Also where do you regularly train for fights?

Glen Johnson – My manager is Henry Foster, my trainer is Orlando Cuellar and my promoter is Warriors Promotions run by Leon Margules and also Di Bella Entertainment there partners on the promotional deal. I live in Miami and train in Miami, I don’t really go anywhere. I keep my training camp here in Miami.

Anson Wainwright – You’re now 42, what do you think are the main reason’s why you have been so successful at an advanced age for a Boxer?

Glen Johnson – I really don’t know, I could be the fact that clean living, genetics or it could be the fact that I work hard and that I take care of myself or it could be a combination of both but whatever it is I’m not questioning it. I’m not changing anything.

Anson Wainwright – How much longer do you think you can keep performing at the highest level?

Glen Johnson – You know hopefully we can find out I don’t make plans.

Anson Wainwright – Who do you think is the best fighter you have fought in your career?

Glen Johnson – The best fighter I fought was Bernard Hopkins. You know when I fought against Bernard Hopkins we were at two different levels. He was great and I didn’t feel like I knew what was going on, the guy was superior to my level at that time. Nobody has ever got in the ring with me that made me feel the way Bernard Hopkins made me feel, he just made me feel I couldn’t win. Nobody else ever made me feel like that when I’m in the fight. Bernard Hopkins let me know right off the bat from the first round that I had no chance of winning the fight.

Anson Wainwright – What is your best win in you opinion?

Glen Johnson – The Roy Jones fight that was the most popular. I would go with that fight but I would say the fight that meant most to me was the fight is Clinton Woods because that’s when I won my championship and that’s the fight that set up the Roy Jones fight was winning the fight, without winning the championship I’d not of boxed Roy Jones. Winning the IBF title meant the most to me but guess the most popular was the Roy Jones fight.

Anson Wainwright – Many years ago you were scheduled to fight Joe Calzaghe but for various reasons the fight never happened. Why was this from your point of view? What did you think of Calzaghe?

Glen Johnson – I just believe Joe Calzaghe was scared of me. I don’t see no other reason for the fight not to happen. We scheduled the fight 3 times and 3 times it didn’t happen and he had an excuse why the fight didn’t happen. What else is there to say. Maybe he could answer it different but that’s from my side.

Anson Wainwright – Tell us about growing up in Jamaica? How were things for your growing up there? Also how did you first become interested and take up Boxing?

Glen Johnson – Growing up in Jamaica was great for me. I enjoyed my childhood. I had a lot of fun as a kid. I had loving & caring people taking care of me, I had great friends and stuff around and I enjoyed their company. It was a great time for me. I love swimming and did a lot of that when I was on the Island. It was a typical childhood, I just grew up enjoying my surroundings. It was a wonderful time.

Anson Wainwright – What do you like to do when you’re not Boxing? What are your hobbies and Interests?

Glen Johnson – My hobbies…You know I don’t know if you can write what I like to do outside of Boxing as my hobbies! Haha But yeah spend time with my wife, lets put it like that! Haha

Anson Wainwright – Not to close to fight!

Glen Johnson – No, not at fight time. Outside of fight time it’s my favourite hobby!

Anson Wainwright – How did you start Boxing?

Glen Johnson – I started Boxing because I was overweight at age 20. I started to get overweight I had a lot of overweight people in my family and didn’t want to end up overweight so I started looking around for a gym to work out. They opened a gym in my community. If you lived in the area it was free and free fitted my budget so I went in and started working out, just exercising and the coach took a liking to me and started to teach me the technique of Boxing. He asked me if I wanted to star amateur Boxing and I said “Yeah” so we took if from there. 3 years later we turned pro.

Anson Wainwright – What are your thoughts on the other semi final of the Super Six? Presumably you’ll be following that Ward-Abraham?

Glen Johnson – Oh yeah definitely. I’ll certainly have Interest in that fight, I’m looking to fight the winner. I’m looking to win my fight so I’ll be looking to see who I’ll end fighting. I think it’s a good fight, people aren’t giving Abraham much of chance but I think it’s a tough fight for Ward because of Abraham’s style. I believe Abraham will get off a lot easier than he was with Froch. Froch stayed on the outside away from him, Ward’s not that type of guy. He’s faster, he moves his hands faster (Ward) but I give (Abraham) a chance, a lot of people don’t. I think it’ll be a good fight.

Anson Wainwright – Do you still consider yourself part of the Light Heavyweight division?

Glen Johnson – Not right now, I see myself as a Super Middleweight right now. I don’t think I’ll go back to the Light Heavyweight division there’s nothing in the Light Heavyweight division for me. One of the reason’s I was hanging around the Light Heavyweight division was hoping the guys from the Super Middleweight division would come up. But I came down so there’s no reason for me to. I already fought everyone at Light Heavyweight, there’s nobody else to fight. The Super Middleweight division has a lot of opportunities, a lot of great fighters are here. A lot of fighters I’ve never fought, It’s opened up a fresh chapter and great fights for the fans. I’m looking forward to the future in the weight class.

Anson Wainwright – After the Hopkins fight you lost several fights that many people believe you should of won. What are your thoughts on that?

Glen Johnson – You know for me even though the consensus is I was robbed and I didn’t get the decisions you know I didn’t let it take control of me. For me it was a motivating factor. Even though these fighters couldn’t beat me inside the ring, they had people outside the ring (the judges) beat me. They didn’t because they didn’t have the talent in the the ring to beat me. That was the thing for me it was a whole different factor. I kept my spirits up. Probably if I won that fight I probably wouldn’t of had that drive. It made me tough and more mentally prepared for the future.

Anson Wainwright – Finally do you have a message for your fans ahead of the Froch fight?

Glen Johnson – Of course, the message to my fans is their the greatest fans in the world. Most people want to jump on bandwagons of guys who are undefeated and obviously if you look around I’m far from that. So the fans that I have I cherish them. There real Boxing fans, they know what their looking at and seeing and I appreciate that. I get support around the world. So thanks for that.

Thanks for taking time out to speak to us Glen.

Thanks, I appreciate you taking time to Interview me.

Anson Wainwright

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, Former Light Heavyweight champion Zsolt Erdei and Super Middleweight contender Allen Green will headline the off-tv undercard of the Carl Froch – Glen Johnson Super 6 Super Middleweight tournament in Atlantic Coty on June 4.

Erdei will take on former Super Middleweight champion Byron Mitchell in a ten round bout.

Zsolt needs to fight and stay active and stay in the consciousness of fans, plus he will be on the international broadcast,” said Lou DiBella, who promotes Johnson, Erdei and Green. “And last time he fought in Atlantic City, he brought a big crowd. So the idea is to get him a fight against a recognizable opponent, which Mitchell is, and wait our turn for something bigger.”

“We’re also in position to fight an eliminator in another organization after June 4, so we just have to keep him active and in front of people and he will get a big fight,” DiBella said.

As Nottinghamshire’s Carl “The Cobra” Froch made his ringwalk, Saturday, Showtime commentator Steve Farhood recounted Froch’s run of super middleweight opponents since 2008 – Jean Pascal, Jermain Taylor, Andre Dirrell, Mikkel Kessler, Arthur Abraham – and approvingly added, “There’s not another active fighter you can name who’s faced that caliber of competition in such a period of time.”

Farhood’s assertion went untested for about 90 minutes. Then Mexico City’s “Dinamita” Juan Manuel Marquez made his way to a prizefighting ring on the other side of the world and took up Farhood’s challenge – naming Manny Pacquiao, Joel Casamayor, Juan Diaz, Floyd Mayweather, Juan Diaz again, and Michael Katsidis.

At worst, Dynamite finishes tied with The Cobra.

But Saturday was such a celebration of what boxing should be that, for once, the only disagreements worth tracking are those conducted between the ropes. No, Saturday, Nov. 27, was not enough to keep 2010 from being a steadfastly bad year, but it was still quite something. From the Hartwall Arena of Helsinki, Finland, to Oracle Arena in Oakland, USA, then back to MGM Grand in Las Vegas, boxing did itself proud.

In the final fight of Group Stage 3, part of Showtime’s durable “Super Six World Boxing Classic” – a tournament that, one way or many others, has managed to isolate four of the world’s five best 168 pounders in its upcoming semifinals – Carl Froch dominated Germany’s Arthur Abraham in Helsinki, winning by unanimous scores of 119-109, 120-108 and 120-108.

A while later, Super Six favorite Andre “Son of God (S.O.G.)” Ward, who defeated Andre Dirrell by walkover a month ago, participated in the hardest fight of his career, against Cameroonian Sakio Bika, and prevailed by misleadingly lopsided scores of 120-108, 118-110 and 118-110.

And while Ward brawled heavy with Bika in Oakland, master craftsman Juan Manuel Marquez rose from a knockdown to stop Australian Michael Katsidis at 2:14 of round 9 and remain the undisputed lightweight champion of the world, in Nevada.

Three completely different fights with six markedly different fighters leading to three matches that compared favorably with any Thanksgiving fare any other sport served up. Made you proud to love boxing, finally.

We start with Froch because his win was unexpected. The fight was a toss-up, really, as every fight in Showtime’s groundbreaking tournament has been. Froch was not favored. Arthur Abraham, looking to redeem himself after the year’s most notorious cheap shot, was expected to find Froch’s chin often enough to prevail. Instead, Froch borrowed Andre Dirrell’s approach and executed it better than Dirrell ever could.

Why did a man without Dirrell’s speed or class prevail over a man whom Dirrell was fading against in their March fight? Because Froch is a fighter, not merely an athlete who chose boxing because he heard you could make a lot of money doing it.

Remember for a moment the end of Dirrell-Abraham – with Dirrell on his trunks after a slip, legs splayed, chin in the air, hands on the mat, perfectly defenseless – when Abraham blasted him with a punch that merited immediate disqualification, rendering Dirrell unable to continue. Now see if you can imagine Froch in that same position.

You can’t. The idea of Froch helpless after an inanely showy move that dropped him on the canvas can’t be conjured. Froch has quirks, but expecting sportsmanship to stand between him and violence in a prizefighting ring is not one of them.

Froch did to Abraham what Manny Pacquiao did to Joshua Clottey. He determined his opponent would not punch so long as he was being punched, and he kept punching. The few times Froch was tagged by Abraham, like in the fifth round, Froch dropped his chin to his chest with a thud, then glared at Abraham from the tops of his eyes.

And in the 11th, when a borderline blow to Abraham’s beltline made the former middleweight champion a thespian, Froch had none of it. He went directly at Abraham, smacking him with three more body shots in a way that said: “This is a fight actually, you wanker, so have some more.”

Writing of fighting, how about that Andre Ward? A mollycoddled Olympian no more. The last American to win a gold medal looked like nothing so much as a prizefighter, Saturday. He went foul-for-foul with a crafty, rugged professional and beat him right. That’s no indictment of Bika, though. Bika made every Super Six fan wonder how Allan Green ever got an invitation to substitute for Jermain Taylor.

Froch and Ward both impressed, yes, but neither was in a fight impressive as Juan Manuel Marquez’s, Saturday. Froch and Ward are excellent champions working towards greatness. But Marquez is a legend.

In round 3 of his championship match with Katsidis, Marquez slipped under a spell of his own offensive arsenal, as he’s wont to do, and got blasted with a left hook while cocking one. Marquez went down almost too hard. The back of his head kissed the canvas. Had the canvas been but two inches higher, not even Marquez would have risen to do what he did.

And that was plant his feet and engage a younger man in a desperate exchange of fire. Just as he had done against a younger man named Juan Diaz in Houston, Marquez made the purist’s calculation: My short straight punches tell more than your looped leveraged ones do. Six rounds later, Katsidis was in need of rescue, and referee Kenny Bayless provided it.

Now we look forward. Sometime in the next six months, Froch will make an entertaining scrap with Glen Johnson. Round that time, Ward will battle the remnants of Arthur Abraham’s pride. Anything could happen. But Froch and Ward have to be the favorites to meet in the finale of the Super Six. And what a spectacle that’ll be.

Now if only we could find an opponent for Juan Manual Marquez . . .

Bart Barry can be reached at bbarry@15rounds.com. Additionally, his book, “The Legend of Muhammad Ali,” co-written with Thomas Hauser, can be purchased here.

Carl Froch reclaimed the WBC Super Middleweight title with an easier then expected unanimous decision over former Middleweight champion Arthur Abraham as part of the Super Six world Boxing Classic in Helsinki, Finland.

Froch was much more active early as he threw combination’s behind his jab and worked the body of the normally slow starting Abraham. Abraham lived up to that billing as he offensive attempts were few and far between as it was Frpch who dictated the action throughout the bout. Froch closed out the first half of the fight strongly as he worked the sides of Abraham underneath the German’s high guard. In round six, Froch’s jab began to knock Abraham back and even caused swelling wound Abraham’s’ eyes.

Froch was very consistent with his brief flurries as he never let Abraham get into any rhythm as Froch not only led but was effective with the counter punching. By round eleven, Abraham had a resounding look of resignation on his face as Froch continued to pound Abraham with combination’s to the head and body. Abraham showed slightly more desperation in the final stanza but his punches were wide and Froch’s movement and enough jabbing had him winning the frame much like the previous eleven.

Froch, 116 3/4 lbs of Nottingham, England won by scores of 120-108; 119-109; 119-109 to raise his record to 27-1. Abraham, 167 3/4 lbs of Berlin, Germany is now 31-2.

With a tournament record of 2-1, Froch earned two points for the win for a total of four and will face Glen Johnson in the Semifinals. Johnson and Abraham are tied with three points but Johnson wins the judges’ scorecard tiebreak to grab the third seed. That leaves Abraham in fourth and a Semifinal date with tournament point leader Andre Ward.

“He’s an old wise fox,” Froch said of the 41-year-old Johnson. “He knows what he’s doing. He’s a great, great fighter. If Glen Johnson is watching I just want to say I look forward to that fight.”

The standings after the Group Stages are as follows:

FINAL GROUP STAGE SUPER SIX WORLD BOXING CLASSIC SCOREBOARD

Record Fighter Points

3-0 Andre Ward 6

2-1 Carl Froch 4

1-0, 1 KO Glen Johnson* 3

1-2, 1 KO Arthur Abraham 3

* Johnson wins tiebreaker based on total judges’ scorecard points.

SHOWTIME play-by-play announcer Steve Albert was duly impressed by Froch’s performance. “This has been a stunning display by Froch,” he said, after which analyst Steve Farhood replied. “And this has been a stunningly flat display by Abraham.”

“I knew I was going to be this dominating,” Froch told Farhood and the SHOWTIME viewers after the fight. “There were so many times I wanted to put my punches together and put my shots together but I just listened to my corner and they kept saying stand back and let him come. So that’s what I did.

“There were a few times when it got into a bit of a brawl but I didn’t want that. That would have been too dangerous and silly because Arthur Abraham is a big puncher and a very strong man. He knows what he’s doing. I knew if I executed my game plan it would be an easy night’s work and I proved that tonight. “He landed a few stiff jabs in there. He tried to get a little dirty but the ref did a great job stopping that. I had some great sparring with (ShoBox alum) Edwin Rodriguez. That really helped me.”

Abraham was contrite and short following the bout. “I’m not sure what happened,” he said. “Nothing worked tonight. He was the better man tonight and he won. Everything I meant to do did not work.”

Former world champions “King” Arthur Abraham (31-1, 25 KO’s) of Germany and Carl “The Cobra” Froch (26-1, 20 KOs) of England both made weight Friday for their eagerly awaited fight tomorrow/Saturday, Nov. 27, on SHOWTIME® (9 p.m. ET/PT, same-day-delay) from Helsinki, Finland.

The 12-round fight will be the final Group Stage 3 bout in the Super Six World Boxing Classic and for the vacant WBC 168-pound championship.

Abraham weighed 167.2 pounds; Froch 166.76 …

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, The October 2nd Super six Super Middleweight showdown between Arthur Abraham and Carl Froch will be postponed due to an Injury to Froch.

“We were informed [Monday] morning of a back injury that prohibits him to fight on Oct. 2, but that would allow him a fight about seven or eight weeks later,” Chris Meyer of Sauerland Event, Abraham’s promoter, told ESPN.com.

There is no new date set for the fight, however. Sauerland Event and Froch promoter Mick Hennessy need to huddle with Showtime as well as with their European broadcast partners to figure out a new date.

“Froch claims he has a back injury and the promoters are talking to [Showtime’s] Ken [Hershman] about a new date,” Showtime spokesman Chris DeBlasio told ESPN.com

“Don’t be afraid of the player with a good grip and a bad swing. Don’t be afraid of a player with a bad grip and a good swing. The player to beware of is the one with the bad grip and the bad swing. If he’s reached your level, he has grooved his faults and knows how to score.” – Harvey Penick’s Little Red Book

That comes from a short but sage hardback of golf instruction. Harvey Penick was a Texas club pro who taught hall of famers Ben Crenshaw, Tom Kite and Betsy Rawls how to play. There are more than a few parallels between golf and boxing, and Penick’s warning is one that pertains well to Carl Froch. Beware the world champion who delivers punches awkwardly as he stands; if he’s got to this level, he’s somehow better than he looks.

Saturday, though, Froch wasn’t quite good enough.

In an outstanding fight broadcast from Denmark as part of Showtime’s “Super Six” tournament, and in defiance of an Icelandic volcano, Mikkel Kessler took Carl Froch’s WBC super middleweight title by unanimous decision. The official result was fair if imbalanced. Judge Guido Cavalleri’s 115-113 card was right. The others – 116-112 and 117-111 – were progressively less so.

My card did not concur with the official result. I had it 116-114 for Froch, to whom I awarded rounds 1, 4, 5, 9, 10 and 11. I gave Kessler rounds 2, 6, 7 and 8. I had rounds 3 and 12 even. But if you gave the rounds that were close enough to be even to Kessler, my card was a draw. If you gave Kessler the first round, too, my card was the same as Cavalleri’s. I’ll not file any protests.

Nor will Carl Froch. That’s both troubling and reassuring. The former WBC champ was yielding in his post-fight interview, conceding that he’d not “put it on (Kessler) more,” that he’d “sat back a little bit,” and that he might have been tardy in “biting down on (his) gumshield.” It did not escape Froch that, after the fifth round, it was his fight if he wanted it badly enough.

Froch’s post-fight demeanor also reassured, though, because of the dignity he showed in defeat. It was not a challenge to Froch’s class to fear what might be uttered by an expressively proud man who’d just lost his title in a close fight on foreign soil. Or, for the Yanks in attendance: Does anyone think Floyd Mayweather will react so temperately if his first loss happens that way Saturday night?

Froch was not stunned by losing to Mikkel Kessler. It seems Kessler was the man Froch had circled in his mind as one who might be worthy of vanquishing him. Froch may have seen that Kessler was “quite conclusively outboxed” by Andre Ward, but he didn’t absorb it. He didn’t infer the possibility Kessler was not the same man he’d been a couple years ago.

Because Kessler is not that guy any more. He is no longer the agent of a classic 1-2 that battered Librado Andrade in 2007. As noticed immediately by Antonio Tarver – a fantastic new commentator, by the way – Kessler no longer blasts you with his 2, a straight right cross. Now it’s alternately looped and pushed. Among Kessler’s best punches Saturday was a right hand in round 7 that landed to the back of Froch’s head. Froch is awkward, yes, but a prime Kessler never floated his right elbow enough to hit someone there.

Unsurprisingly, Kessler’s power has gone with his form. His most effective punches Saturday were the ones Froch ran into. Kessler won on determination and hustle. He outworked Froch. He did not outhit him. Kessler used Froch’s momentum to supply his power, the sort of power Kessler once had from a standing start.

There are no standing starts for Froch. So here comes another golf analogy. Carl Froch throws right crosses the way Gary Player used to hit fairway woods. He crosses over. Froch commits all of his weight, all of his person, to the right hand. He starts in an orthodox stance and finishes as a southpaw. If he doesn’t hit you with the right cross, he fires a left hand while correcting his stance, then tries the cross-over right again. It’s combination punching in its most awkward sense and hardly what you’d teach a beginner.

How the hell does it work, then? Partially because it’s planned, partially because Froch believes in it, and partially because combination punching – however it’s accomplished – is never a bad thing. Froch’s stellar run as an amateur makes him the embodiment of Penick’s warning: He has a bad grip and a bad swing, but he’s grooved it. He knows how to score.

He also knows a way to keep you from scoring. How does he barge into a puncher like Kessler’s wheelhouse, arms dangling at his sides, and keep from getting beheaded? The secret is in the dangling. After he tags you with his cross-over right, Froch’s entire body goes limp. Anything but a direct hit, like Kessler’s in round 8, gets harmlessly absorbed by Froch’s body. It’s like punching a sponge.

Still, a little more overall tension from Froch after round 5 likely would have won him the fight. He knocked Kessler backwards with a right hand in the final minute of the fifth. Then he held his glove up and showed it to the Danes, without deigning to press his advantage. He should know better next time.

What happened Saturday made a great tournament better. Kessler-Froch was the best fight of the “Super Six” thus far. And round 12 was the best three minutes in prizefighting’s first third of 2010. What’s next? Kessler may get stretched by Allan Green, the quirky Oklahoma slugger, or he might not. And Froch against Arthur Abraham? No earthly idea.

But know this: “Super Six” will continue to surprise and satisfy.

Bart Barry can be reached via Twitter.com/bartbarry

Mikkel Kessler won the WBC Super Middleweight championship and muddled up the Super Six World Boxing Classic standings as he took a twelve round unanimous decision over previously undefeated Carl Froch at the MCH Arena in Herning, Denmark.

The fight was a boxing match early as Kessler tired to establish his jab by coming forward in an effort to make an imprint on the awkward style of Froch. Froch’s punch of choice was the right hand and he landed several of them early including a thudding right in round four. Froch had a solid round five as he was dominant with the right hand as he landed at least three good ones in that frame. The punches were starting to show their effect as blood appeared on the face of Kessler in the sixth round.

The fight turned in round eight as Kessler landed his own right hands and staggered Froch with a big shot. That punch caused bleeding on the bridge of Froch’s nose. Kessler landed some nice counter shots over the next few rounds with Froch landing hard looping rights but one at a time. Kessler opened up round eleven with a nice three punch combination. Froch answered that with a nig right of his own. The fight picked up in that round as Kessler would gain some advantage by landing a big right/left hand combination. Round twelve was frenetic as both fighters went for it as they put everything on the line as they stood at war toe to toe. They both landed huge shots and rocked each other in desperation, Froch to keep his title and Kessler fighting to still be a factor in the Super Six Classic. These two great champions fought hard and with the class right until the final bell with back and forth action.

“There was a lot of desperation coming off the Ward fight,” said Kessler, who resides in Copenhagen, Denmark. “But this was my night. I had a lot of people from my country say that I was finished. It is nice to get my belt back and show them.”

“I (studied) his fights and he isn’t good fighting backwards,” Kessler continued. “I hurt him with the straight right hand (eighth) and I saw it turn. Then he fought my fight instead of his.”

“In my last two fights I’m starting to look like a fighter,” joked Kessler after the fight. “No more modeling! I have to be careful of the cuts. I have to move my head more.”

“I thought I did enough to win,” said Froch, a proud Englishman who showed little sign of disappointment. “I had him hurt two or three times. Actually, I know I had him badly hurt three times. It’s my fault though. If I had put it to him more and if I had sustained the pressure I could have gotten him out of there. No one has been able to do that. I wasn’t able to do that.

“It was very close but if we were in my hometown in Nottingham, it would have gone my way with the same scores. There will be people who say it was robbery but I won’t take anything from Mikkel Kessler. I thought I did enough but that’s boxing.”

Kessler, 167 lbs of Copenhagen, Denmark became a three-time champion as he won by scores of 117-111, 116-112 and 115-113 to raise his impressive mark to 43-2.

Froch, 167 1/4 lbs of Nottingham, England loses for the first time and is 26-1

SUPER SIX WORLD BOXING CLASSIC SCOREBOARD

Record Fighter Points

1-1 Arthur Abraham 3

1-1 Mikkel Kessler 2

1-1 Carl Froch 2

1-1 Andre Dirrell 2

1-0 Andre Ward 2

0-0 Allan Green 0

WBC CHAMP CARL FROCH & FORMER WBA CHAMP MIKKEL KESSLER INT’L MEDIA TELECONFERENCE
WBC Super Middleweight Champ Carl Froch Former WBA 168-pound Champ Mikkel Kessler Kalle Sauerland of Sauerland Event Mick Hennessy of Hennessy Sports WHAT: Super Six World Boxing Classic competitors Carl Froch and Mikkel Kessler will participate in an international media conference call to discuss their crucial Group Stage 2 bout in the tournament on Saturday, April 24 on SHOWTIME® (9 p.m., ET/PT, same-day delay) from MCH Arena, in Herning, Denmark. Denmark’s Kessler will be counting on the support of his home fans when he challenges Froch, of Nottingham, England, for the WBC 168-pound crown, a title he previously held before losing it to the retired Joe Calzaghe. Kessler is hoping that home-field advantage prevails for the fifth straight fight in the super middleweight tournament. After one round in the tournament, Froch (26-0, 20 KOs) has two points, while Kessler (42-2, 32 KOs), who has never lost a fight in his hometown of Denmark, needs a victory to get on the board. The Super Six World Boxing Classic bout will be co-promoted by Hennessy Sports and Sauerland Event.
ALSO ON THE PLAYER:
KELLY PAVLIK MEDIA CONFERENCE CALL
YOUNGSTOWN, OH (April 7, 2010) – World Middleweight Champion KELLY “The Ghost” PAVLIK, trainer JACK LOEW, manager CAMERON DUNKIN, and Hall of Fame promoter BOB ARUM, will host an international media conference call Tomorrow! Thursday, April 8, to discuss Pavlik’s upcoming title defense against World Boxing Council super welterweight champion Sergio Martinez. The call will begin at 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT. Pavlik (36-1, 32 KOs), of Youngstown, OH, who has worn the middleweight crown since 2007, defends it against Martinez (44-2-2, 24 KOs), of Argentina, now fighting out of Spain, on Saturday, April 17, at Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall. It will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing, beginning at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT. Combined, they boast an incredible record of 80-3-2 (56 KOs), a winning percentage of 94% and a victory by knockout ratio of 70%! Promoted by Top Rank, in association with DiBella Entertainment and Caesars Atlantic City, remaining Tickets, priced at $350, $200, $100 and $50, can be purchased at the Boardwalk Hall box office, by calling Ticketmaster (800) 736-1420 or online at www.Ticketmaster.com.

TONY JEFFRIES got one up on potential rivals James Degale and Carl Froch when he won the Lonsdale Challenge in Nottingham.

The challenge involved the three boxers taking part in a variety of exercises against the clock to see who could register the most repetitions.

It was held to mark Lonsdale’s 50 year anniversary which has seen the sporting brand associated with some of boxing’s greatest ever fighters including Muhammad Ali, Joe Calzaghe and Henry Cooper.

Jeffries was pitted against the clock to see how many of each exercise he could register in a 30 second time period.

He left his rivals toiling with 104 punches thrown, 53 tuck jumps and 44 sit ups as Olympic Gold medallist Degale and WBC super middleweight champion Froch found ‘The Mighty Mackem’ too hot to handle.

“It was great fun and I’m happy with my totals,” explained Olympic Bronze medallist Jeffries.

“It was good to see both James and Carl as I get on well with both of them. We had a laugh when we did it as well.

“It was only for 30 seconds but it was tough because it was flat out the whole time!

“I don’t think anyone expected me to win because I was the underdog.James is an Olympic champion and Carl is a world champion so I’m happy to come out on top.”

Jeffries returns on the undercard of Rendall Munroe’s WBC super-bantamweight title eliminator against Victor Terrazas at Coventry Skydome on April 23 and is itching to get back in action following an injury lay-off.

He said: “I can’t wait to get back in there. Training has gone really really well and I’m just focused on putting in a good performance in April.”

Tickets for the Coventry show are on sale, prices £30, £50 and £70 by logging onto www.frankmaloney.com or by calling 0871 226 1508. Boxers on the bill will also be selling tickets.