Moments ago at the O2 Arena in London, England, IBF super middleweight champion Carl Froch exacted his revenge against Mikkel Kessler, scoring a 12-round unanimous decision and picking up the WBA title in the process. Though the rematch wasn’t close like the first fight, it was certainly just as entertaining. Both men landed their fair share of big shots, and at times, it seemed like the fight was up for grabs despite what the final scorecards may have read.
As the fight started, Froch immediately came out looking confident, keeping his hands down low while swinging wild punches with bad intentions from the onset. Kessler kept his cool, however, looking to stick to his game plan despite the loud cheers from the raucus hometown crowd. By the second round, Froch was beginning to find a home for his shots, which became evident after he landed a solid right hand that forced Kesller to hold on. It looked like Froch started taking over the fight in the 3rd round, staying much more active and landing heavier blows that began to take their toll on Kessler face.
Although he was seemingly being shutout on the scorecards, Kessler still looked patient and appeared to be sticking to his game plan, landing good combinations to the body and head. By the middle rounds, it was Kessler who was coming on strong, finding a home for his left hook and straight right. In round 7, Froch appeared to be taking a break, but a burst of energy from him in the final minute saw both men trading big shots. Froch turned up the pressure in the 8th round, continuing to land big shots that had Kessler on the retreat. As the championship rounds approached, the pace of the fight took its toll on both fighters, but both men continued to trade shots down the stretch.
The 11th round may have seen the best punch of the fight as Kessler landed a right hand that opened up a cut and appeared to hurt Froch. The will of Froch kept him standing and charging back, however, as he came out for the 12th and final round to continue trading blows with Kessler. Though Kessler was still game, it was Froch who finished the round and the fight stronger and hungrier for the victory. In the end, the judges scored the bout 118-110, 116-112, 115-113 in favor of Carl Froch.
