Photo Gallery: Carl Froch vs Andre Dirrell

Last Saturday night in Nottingham, battle tested British super-middleweight Carl Froch took on American speedster Andre Dirrell in the first round of Showtime's Super Six World Boxing Classic.

Photographer Justin McKie was ringside at the Trent FM Arena to capture all the action from the much anticipated super-middleweight clash.

Carl Froch vs Andre Dirrell

Photos © Justin McKie - Click on the images to enlarge. Carl Froch arrives at the Trent FM Arena in Nottingham - the scene of his memorable 12 round victory over Canadian Jean Pascal last December. From wrapping the hands, to getting warmed up, trainer Rob McCracken prepares his fighter for a hard night's work. Fighting on foreign soil for the first time as a professional, Andre Dirrell looks relaxed and confident as he makes his way to the ring. The 26 year old from Flint, Michigan, brought a perfect 18-0 record into the contest. With the clock already past 2 AM local time and the crowd eager for action, Froch makes his entrance. The hometown fighter is coming off his two biggest victories - a unanimous decision over Jean Pascal and a last minute stoppage of Jermain Taylor - and sports a perfect record of 25-0. The early rounds were fought mostly at long range, with Froch edging forward and the switching hitting Dirrell using his jab from both the conventional and southpaw stance to stay at long range. Dirrell also mixed in plenty of movement, avoiding much of Froch's early attacks with his fast feet and quick reflexes. The action intensified in the 3rd and 4th round, with Froch upping the pressure, but still having a hard time catching up with the speedy American. The action started to get a little messy as the bout moved into the mid rounds. The fighters often came together awkwardly, with Dirrell slipping to the canvas more than once. Both men were guilty of numerous infractions in what was becoming an increasingly untidy fight. Froch was cautioned on more than one occasion for hitting behind the head, while referee Hector Afu was forced to warn Dirrell several times for holding. Eventually Afu took a point from the American for excessive holding. Boasting a significant edge in hand speed, Dirrell often beat Froch to the punch when he lets his hands go. Above - Referee Afu looks on as Froch lands a hard left hook. Froch had many of his best moments during the second half of the fight, with Dirrell occasionally looking rattled by the pressure. After struggling through rounds 6-9, Dirrell came to life at the end of round 10 and closed strong over the final two frames. Below he lands a hard left hand between Froch's guard. After 12 hard fought rounds, the decision was as contentious as the action, with the judges disagreeing on the winner. Judge Alejandro Rochin Mapula scored it 114-113 for Dirrell, but was overruled by judge's Massimo Barrovecchio and Daniel Van de Wiele, who both had Froch in front by 115-112 scores. Next up for Froch will be a trip to Denmark to face perhaps the most complete fighter in the tournament, Mikkel Kessler. Dirrell has his work cut out as well, as he'll be going up against Germany's heavy handed Arthur Abraham. The post-fight press conference. Dirrell is seated with promoter Gary Shaw, while Froch is accompanied by Rob McCracken. One Last Shot

Bonus Pre-Fight Video


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Froch Decisions Dirrell, Abraham Trumps Taylor

Jeff Pryor gives his thoughts on last night's Super Six opening round matches.

Photo © Justin McKie

So, the first night of the Super Six has come and gone and, well... it was a bit of a disappointing night to be honest.

Maybe expectations were too high, but I thought Arthur Abraham's last second KO hid some of the deficiencies of his performance, and his lack of punching clearly isn't and never was, from struggling to make weight. He just doesn't punch much. And even with that extremely low output performance he was huffing and puffing at the end.

I've been a big admirer of his for a long time, but he clearly showed some of his limitations. In retrospect I think Pavlik would have cruised against him at 160. Barring a bolt of lightning connection like that which felled Taylor in the waning moments, I believe Pavlik would have buried Arthur in a sea of one-two combinations and kept him largely at bay with his superior length and output.

Perhaps Abraham can learn something from the straight right that ultimately won him the fight. Those wide sweeping hooks that come from his hip are eye catching, but they seldom are effective. In this case, that bomb straight down the middle was something Jermain hadn't seen all night, and the surprise of it made it so effective. Arthur would be wise to mix those change up piston power shots into his usual repertoire.

He also showed that his body to head combination attack is what can really set him apart if he'd only employ it more often. Ripping shots to the ribs and then bringing a flurry right to the head is something he does with fury and success. He needs to do it until it doesn't work.

But you can't change your stripes... It was a heartbreaker for Taylor who should have been throwing his right hand a lot more, he had a real chance in this one, but I hope he seriously thinks about bowing out of the tournament and retiring. His health has to come first.

For what it's worth, I didn't think the fight was as clear cut in Abraham's favor as the announcing team on Showtime seemed to think it was. Taylor did some good work and much of Abraham's bombastic explosions of offense were wild and slipshod.

The tantalizing nugget remains; if you can stand up to Abraham's punch for twelve rounds and punch at an average, effective, pace you should be able to outpoint him. So far no one's done it. A few more of these talented men will have there chance in the coming months.

On to fight two... Dirrell has some fold in him. All kinds of speed and potential, but he was getting rattled.

I don't blame Froch for the rabbit punching; his hands were free because he wasn't the one holding on. Dirrell was putting himself in positions that presented the back of his head as a prime target. The fact is, how many times did Froch hit Dirrell in the back of the head when he wasn't holding on, or ducking and putting his head down in front of Froch. None. The illegal blows were a direct result of Dirrell's actions.

As a broad example of this principle; if a fighter were to turn his back every time his opponent came near, and the opponent clocked him in the back of the head. Who's at fault?

The instruction to protect yourself at all times is there for a reason and if you are putting yourself in a compromised position, should the other fighter be penalized for it? If this were allowed then why not always keep your back to your man until you whirl around and smack him, then quickly turn your back again.

Holding excessively, turning ones back or bending over in front of an opponent should not be a "Get Out of Jail Free" card or in this case a "You Can't Punch Me Right Now" card.

Another example, and this is one where, in my opinion, Dirrell was even more blatantly at fault, is that when a fighter starts easily going to the mat in a clinch or in some cases, willingly sticks his head under an opponent's arm and goes down unaided as Dirrell did... at what point does that become taking a knee?

Clearly the reason for such a maneuver is to avoid any punishment after committing a tactical error that has put you in a bad position. It's a fine line between accidentally getting your head stuck under an arm, and putting your head there for a little "No mas" break.

The good news for Dirrell is that towards the end of the fight, he showed real fighting spirit. Maybe that was brought on by the point deduction for holding and he felt he couldn't risk anymore, but whatever the reason, he showed he can fight like an honest to God fighter, and not look for protection in the ring.

Regardless of his, at times, lack of willingness to fight, I think Dirrell was able to prove he has the abilities to fight at this level of the sport. His surface level mental fragility, seems tempered by a back-against-the-wall steeliness in him. If he truly starts to believe in himself, watch out.

As for the scoring, I thought it was a close fight. Draw or narrow either way seemed reasonable to me. And I thought the point deduction for excessive holding was appropriate, though maybe not at that particular moment. (BTW I thought the low blow call on Taylor in the earlier fight, could have used a little more simmer time. None of those blows were particularly devastating or apparently intentional. I felt a few of Abraham's were going low too, and no warning was ever delivered.)

So with four of the super six having seen action now, these summations are what I come away with:

1. Abraham's power has held at 168 and his puzzling, though flawed, style will be a tight rope walk for everyone until the final bell.

2. Jermain Taylor has taken a lot of punishment at the hands of some of the sports premiere punchers over the last two years. It may be time to walk away, tournament be damned.

3. Dirrell is fast. Powerful. Dynamic. He doesn't believe it.

4. Froch is a fighter. He will make you not want to be a fighter.


For this spectator the night offered few answers and more questions...

The Super Six is still wide open. Read more!

Super Six Round by Round Coverage: Abraham vs Taylor & Froch vs Dirrell

Welcome to The Boxing Bulletin's round by round blog coverage of the Super Six World Boxing Classic opening night fights.

Showtime's broadcast is set to begin at 8 PM EST, and updates will start as soon as the show starts.

Arthur Abraham 30-0 (168) vs Jermain Taylor 28-3-1 (166 1/4) - This bout is being broadcast on tape delay, and so will our round by round coverage. If you're watching live in Europe, we ask that you please don't post results in the comments section. Thanks.

Carl Froch 25-0 (167 1/2) vs Andre Dirrell 18-0 (167 1/2)

If you are here early, check out some of our stories on tonight's fights... The Brave & The Bold: The Super Six Shoot-out by Jeff Pryor Andre Dirrell Ready To Show He Belongs With Heavy Hitters by Michael Nelson Carl Froch Is Too Rough And Tough For Andre Dirrell by Lee Payton Can Jermain Taylor Upset Arthur Abraham by Lee Payton Super Six Opening Night Predictions: Froch vs Dirrell & Abraham vs Taylor by The Boxing Bulletin Writers

Refresh this page often as updates will be frequent 5:00 PM EST... Coverage will start in 3 hours. 7:10... We're less than an hour away. Make sure to check back in with us at 8 sharp for the start of our coverage. 7:45... We are 15 minutes away from the start of tonight's action. Just a reminder that the Abraham/Taylor fight is being broadcast by Showtime on tape delay. Please don't post any spoilers in the comments. 8:02... The show's started. First up, Abraham vs Taylor from Berlin and then Froch vs Taylor from Nottingham. Gus Johnson is hosting the show from Nottingham. 8:03... Al Bernstein and Antonio Tarver are with Johnson in Nottingham. 8:04... Right now, Johnson is just going over the first round match-ups along with the tournament format. 8:07... Steve Albert and Steve Farhood will be handling the Berlin commentary. 8:09... Just chatter going on right now. 8:12... Looks like we're ready to go. Michael Buffer... "Let's get this party started..." 8:13... You can sense a real buzz in the arena, as the crowd is clapping as Taylor makes his way in. Good to see the visiting man getting a nice welcome. 8:14... Farhood just mentioned that Taylor had to lose 20 pounds in 20 days before the Froch fight, but has been on weight since arriving in Berlin. Taylor's now in the ring, bouncing up and down. 8:14... Albert just mentioned that Abraham has a very elaborate entrance planned. 8:17... Here comes Abraham being lowered down from a suspended platform to the sounds of a live band playing on a stage at one end of the arena. We've got some smoke and flashing lights happening as well. 8:19... Michael Buffer with the formal introductions. 8:20... The ref is Guadalupe Garcia. 8:21... Abraham is introduced first and leaps in the air as his name is called out. 8:22... Taylor does that thing where he rubs his feet back and forth on the canvas with his glove in the air as he's introduced. 8:22... We're ready to go! 8:26... Round 1 is underway. Taylor circling to his left to start. He flicks out a jab into the guard. Abraham in ring center, as Taylor slowly circles and pumps the jab into the guard. Abraham has his gloves up high as usual as he peers out between hsi guard. Taylor with a swinging left hook that misses. Taylor now fires a hook into the guard. Abraham slowly edges forward, and Taylor sticks a few jabs out. Maybe 1 got through. Abraham now comes forward and fires a right hand that Taylor appears to have blocked. Abraham now tries to jab to the body. Taylor with a couple more jabs into the guard. 1:10 to go. Taylor has his left low as usual, with his right poised. Now he fires a right hand to the body. Abraham misses over the top with a big hook as Taylor ducks underneath. Taylor now with a left/right combo, but those seem to have been picked off. Abraham edges forward, not really letting his hands go though. Taylor now moves right and then left. Abraham is short with a jab. Taylor with a 1-2, not sure if either got through, but he fires a right hand to the body that landed. Taylor with a left that may have got through. There's the bell. Solid round for Taylor. 8:27...We just saw a highlight of Abraham getting through with a right hand. I had initially thought the shot had been blocked, but it got through. 8:31... Abraham edging forward here. Taylor flicking the jab and and slowly moving from left to right. Abraham with the gloves up high, picking off most of these jabs. Now he fires his own jab which is blocked. Taylor with a couple jabs, and then flurries to the body, and one appeared to stray low there. Abraham reacts by backing away and the ref has called time. Replay confirms it was definitely low and Abraham is getting some time to recover. We're back at it. Maybe 30 seconds break there. 1:35 to go in the round. Taylor sticking the jab out. Abraham responds with his own jab that gets through. Now Abraham comes forward and fires a winging right that seemed to catch Taylor around the guard. Taylor flicking a couple more jabs out. A couple more. Now he digs an uppercut on the inside that seemed to land. Taylor with a 1-2. Taylor now tries to dig to the body, and then wings a hook that misses. Abraham with a 1-2 that's short. Taylor the busier of the two fighters. Abraham comes forward with a 1-2, and then fires a left that I think got through. Now Abraham comes forward, fires a 1-2, and Taylor grabbed a hold of him, and Abraham then appeared to land a shot to the back of Taylor's head in the clinch. Taylor got a little turned around in the clinch there, and Abraham whacked him. 8:35... Valuev is in attendance. We just saw a shot of him. Farhood has Taylor winning the first 2. Taylor is sticking out the jab to start the 3rd round, and moving from left to right. Abraham patiently following. Abraham sticks out a jab that's short. Action mostly in the middle of the ring, although Taylor is doing a fair bit of moving, but never getting pinned on the ropes. He's looking fairly comfortable. Taylor with a hook that might have got around Abraham's guard. Abraham with the gloves up catching a jab. Taylor with ac couple more jabs into the guard, but then gets a jab through. Then fires a couple more into the guard. And a couple more. Albert commenting that Taylor's expending energy here. Taylor with a 1-2. The right hand might have got through around the guard. Now Abraham fires a big right hand that misses. Now he fires one that lands clean. Best punch of the fight by either man there. Taylor fires back with a jab. Now Abraham digs to the body with a 1-2. Abraham fires a hard right hand again. Might have got through with that one. Now Abraham comes forward, and Taylor ties him up and Abraham again fires to the back of Taylor's head. Garcia doesn't seem interested though as Taylor complains. 8:35... Garcia just came to Taylor's corner and said he wants a clean fight. Perhaps he should warn Abraham for whacking Taylor behind the head if that's the case. 8:39... Taylor comes charging out of his corner to start round 4, firing off a combo. Not sure though if anything landed though. Albert comments that Taylor appears really ticked off about some of those rabbit shots. Taylor now fires a combo to the body and he's warned by Garcia. That did appear low, but he's got to be calling this from both sides as I didn't notice him saying a word to Abraham earlier. Now Taylor resumes firing the jab into the guard. He fires a right hand in behind a jab that was also blocked. More jabs from Taylor and another right is blocked. Taylor is having a hard time getting through Abraham's guard. Now Abraham edges forward, and almost slipped. Abraham edging forward, firing the jab, but Taylor slips out of trouble before Abraham could fire off a right. Now Abraham comes forward and flurries to the body. Abraham a little more active now. Now Taylor fires an uppercut into the guard, and then fires a body shot. Abraham comes back with some hard body shots. Abraham flicking the jab out. Abraham tries to flurry with about 10 seconds left. Taylor tries to respond. There's the bell, and the fighters touch gloves to acknowledge the fight heating up. 8:40... Abraham's corner telling to trust himself, and they want some action from their fighter. 8:44... Round 5 is underway. Taylor flicking the jab out. Abraham responds with his own jab that lands. Taylor with a jab that gets through. Abraham digs to the body. Now Abraham with a jab. Abraham getting busier. He's landing that jab when he throws it. Taylor short with his own jab. Abraham's guard has come down, he looks a little looser here in the 5th. Now Taylor with a couple jabs and Abraham has the guard back up and catches them both. Taylor then tries to flurry to the body, but Abraham gets in that shell and catches the shots on the elbows. Abraham coming forward, and lands a jab. Now Abraham flurrying to the body. Abraham with a 1-2. Abraham flicks out a jab, that's just short. Farhood comments that this has been by far Abraham's most effective round and it definitely has been. Action in the center of the ring. There's a decent but messy exchange as both fighters let their hands go. Abraham with a jab. Abraham with a jab and a hard right hand. That pushed Taylor back. Taylor now edging ever so closer towards the ropes, and now gets back into the center of the ring. There's another exchange just before the bell. 8:45... Jim Gray is with Carl Froch in Nottingham. He's asking Froch about his comment regarding Dirrell only arriving in England 6 days before the fight. Froch mentions that he feels you need a longer period to get comfortable. 8:49... Back to Berlin. Round 6. Abraham with a left hand, and a right hand. Abraham looking determined here. Taylor though responds with a flurry, although Abraham's got those ear muffs on and appears to catch most of it. Abraham edging forward. He fires a jab, that's short, and then the fighters get tied up. Taylor jabs into the gloves. More jabs from Taylor, one might have got through. Abraham tries to flurry, but his shots are blocked as well. Abraham now digs hard to the body. Taylor jabs, and then eats a counter jab. Taylor flicking out the jabs, and then fires a combo downstairs. Abraham reacts saying it's low and Garcia agrees. He's taking a point! Come'on! It's been a chippy fight. Abraham's committed his share on infractions, and now to take a point from Taylor!? Taylor gets back to jabbing as the action resumes. Abraham with a 1-2. Now the ref again cautions Taylor to keep them up. Abraham has the shell defense, and the elbows tucked, and there's not much room to find an opening. Now Abraham backs Taylor up with a jab and a right hand. Taylor trying to jab back. Abraham with a hook that's just short. Taylor misses with a counter. That's followed by a sloppy exchange. There's the bell. Things getting a little frantic. 8:49... They showed a replay. It was low, and Taylor has been warned. But I think a point was still very harsh, given the chippy nature of the bout. Neither man has been totally clean. 8:53... Round 7. Taylor with a jab, and fires a right hand. Abraham with the gloves up, comes forward and sticks a jab. Taylor now short with a jab, and fires a couple into the guard. Taylor now short with a jab. Taylor misses with a right uppercut. Now he does get a jab through. Abraham fires a hook that misses. Taylor jabbing and moving to his left. Abraham with a right into the guard. Taylor with a jab. Abraham with a jab and an overhand right that I think got through. Now Abraham digs with a flurry to the body. Abraham now lowering his hands a bit and slips a Taylor jab as he backs away. Now he's got the gloves up again. Taylor jabbing and gets one through. Albert comments that the jab is the only thing getting through for Taylor and it's not doing any damage. Now Abraham fires to the body. He lands a chopping right as well. Now there's a clinch, and the fighters heads almost came together. Taylor looked tempted to whack Abraham in the back of the head during the clinch but resisted. Now Abraham comes forward with a 1-2. Now he digs to the body and has Taylor backing up. Taylor quickly on the retreat. Taylor tries to jab, but misses as the round ends. 8:53... Taylor's corner is telling him to watch Abrham's right hand. He says he's seeing it. 8:56... Albert comments that things are getting urgent in the Taylor corner. The fight has definitely turned during the last 3 rounds. Taylor though keeps working the jab. He now tries to counter Abraham who lunged in with a right hand, but misses. Taylor comes forward and Abraham slips a right hand. Abraham with the gloves up, comes forward and fires a right hand. Another one, but that missed. Action in the center of the ring. Taylor short with a jab. Abraham short with a right as Taylor backs away. 1:30 to go. Farhood comments that Abraham is inconsistent with his offense and Albert agrees that his attacks are sporadic. Taylor with a nice jab. Another nice jab. Abrham with his gloves down now as he backs away. Now Abraham fires back with a right, although it missed. Taylor tries to respond with his right, but doesn't get through. Now Abraham attacks and backs Taylor up with a flurry to the body. Abraham is fighting in spurts, but they are more effective than Taylor's steady jabs that are mostly blocked. Another round to Abraham says Farhood at the bell. He's got the hometown fighter up by 1 after 8. 8:58... Jim Gray is with Dirrell. Andre admits being a little nervous. He says if Froch thinks he's going to get tired, he's in for a big shock. 9:01... Taylor sticking the jab out to start the 9th. Not really getting through with it. Abraham has the gloves up, catching these. Now Abraham with his hands down low and he avoids a couple shots from Taylor as he backs off. Abraham now blocks a couple shots to the body. Abraham with a big right hand! That staggered Taylor. Taylor is looking a bit unsteady as Abraham chases him. Abraham trying to flurry, but Taylor holds on. Abraham fires a big right, but misses. Taylor seems to have his legs back. Some nervous moments though for 15-20 seconds. Abraham following, but not letting his hands go. Now they tie up. Farhood comments on the inconsistency of Abraham's attack as he felt he could have really tried to pour it on but didn't. Taylor now back to firing the jab. He lands one. Abraham not throwing. Now he's backing off with his hands down. Perhaps a bit winded from the sudden rush of energy. Now Taylor with a jab that's short. 10 seconds to go. Abraham with his left hanging low, backing away as the bell rings. 9:02... It was a short straight right that hurt Taylor. He looked in a fair bit of trouble for a few seconds, but managed to move and hold. 9:05... Round 10. Taylor back to the jab. Abraham with the gloves up, edging forward. Taylor jabbing into the guard. Abraham with a jab into the guard. Farhood comments that Taylor has just not been effective since the 5th round. Abraham misses with a right. Taylor jabbing, and circling. Now they clinch. 2:00 to go. Taylor short with a hook. Abraham short with a jab. Taylor with a jab. Strange that Abraham hasn't really pressed and tried to test Taylor. He might be a bit tired as well. Now he comes forward and flurries to the body. Albert comments that Abraham looks a bit winded. Now Abraham with his guard down. He tries to flurry, but misses as Taylor backs away. Now he attacks with both hands. I think a couple got through, although Taylor had his gloves up. Now Taylor backing away, as Abraham edges forward. Abraham with a right. Now Abraham with a 1-2. Abraham pressing a bit over the last 30 seconds. Now he misses with a couple hooks. 10 seconds to go. Abraham fires a right at the bell, which I think was blocked. 9:10... Round 11. Abraham appears to be in control at the moment, but he's got an issue with his trunks slipping down in the back. His corner has tied them up to avoid a potentially embarrassing mishap. Albert comments that it's been a very difficult second half of the fight for Taylor. Taylor flicking out the jab to start the round. Abraham with the gloves up, patiently stalking. Taylor with a shot that strayed low, but Garcia missed it. Abraham with a jab. Taylor with a jab. Abraham comes forward, firing shots to the body as Taylor backs into the ropes. Abraham tries to flurry, but Taylor gets out of there. Action moves back to the middle of the ring. Abraham now is the one circling, as Taylor pressing. Taylor fires a right hand that lands. Now Taylor jabbing into the guard. Now Abraham with a jab into the guard, and he backs up Taylor. A jab, and a 1-2 from Abraham who backs Taylor into the ropes and flurries to the body. Taylor gets out of there though. Abraham with his left hand hanging low now as he's boxing from the outside. Taylor tries to dig to the body. Now Taylor misses with a right. I think both fighters are looking a little tired here. Abraham fires a 1-2 that backs Taylor off. Abraham edges forward with the jab. Now he fires a right hand that backs Taylor off, and fires another right hand. There's the bell. 9:15... Round 12. Taylor needs something dramatic here. Albert says that he has to know he's behind. Taylor edges forward behind the jab. He fires a right hand, but it's blocked. Abraham with the guard up. Taylor with a jab into the guard. Both Albert and Farhood comment that Taylor is showing no urgency. He's just firing jabs and the occasional right from a distance, but not pressing. He sticks a couple jabs in. Abraham fires a right. Abraham now digs to the body. Every once in awhile, Abraham goes on the offensive, usually with more success than Taylor. Now Abrhaam tries to flurry with some big shots, but caught mostly air. 1:00 to go. Abrhaam lands a left hook. Abraham with a right hand. Abraham turning it up here. He landed a right hand. Now he's circling as Taylor comes forward. Taylor is short with a jab though. 30 seconds to go. Taylor has a right hand blocked. Abraham with his hands down, backs away as Taylor misses a right. Wow! A huge shot by Abraham. Taylor is flat on his back! He's out. He crashed straight backwards towards the canvas. Garcia started to count, but there was no point! This is over. 9:16... Taylor is thankfully up and appears to be okay. Abraham is on the turnbuckle saluting the crowd. There's a shot of Mikkel Kessler clapping with a smile. 9:17... That was a one shot deal there, and looked scary for a moment as Taylor was flat on his back. Credit to Abraham for going over to check on Taylor before he started celebrating too wildly. The replay just showed that it was a short right hand on the button that followed a wild left hook. 9:18... Taylor is walking around the ring. He's okay, which is good to see. He went down VERY hard. 9:20... Albert mentions that Taylor is not eliminated - it's a round robin format - not single elimination, and that he'll be fighting Andre Ward next. You have to ask if that's a good idea? After 2 straight KO's? Granted the fights have been set, but Taylor's team and the tournament organizers I think need to consider whether that's in his best interests. 9:20... The official time was 2:54 of round 12. Now we're off to Nottingham. 9:26... Back to Berlin for an interview with Abraham. "Taylor is a good fighter, maybe I'm better." He says with a smile. "I was going for the KO, but I knew I was ahead on points." I should mention this is with the help of an interpreter. Farhood asks if going for a KO was on his mind since KO winners get an extra point. "No, only win is very important." How does he see the Froch/Dirrell fight? "My full focus has been on Taylor, and I haven't seen a single fight of Dirrell." To close, Arthur says he's looking forward to coming to America. 9:27... Now we're back to Nottingham with Johnson, Bernstein and Tarver. 9:30... After some chatter from those guys, we're back to Berlin. Farhood is with Taylor outside his dressing room. "I'm a little hurt, but that comes along with the territory. I trained hard and gave it all I had, but didn't get the victory." Where did you think you were in the fight going into the 12th asks Farhood? "I don't even remember... he just caught me. I thought I was in the best shape of my life... This is boxing, you've got expect the worst sometimes, this is a hard sport." 9:31... Back to Nottingham. Bernstein tells us the scores were 107-101, 106-102 and 105-103 for Abraham going into the 12th. 9:37... Just chatter going on right now. 9:38... Looks like we're getting underway. Jimmy Lennon Jr. with the intros and Andre Dirrell is making his way in. 9:39... Dirrell looks very relaxed as he heads to the ring. He waves to the crowd before he steps through the ropes. He's holding a US flag in each glove. 9:40... Here comes Froch to the sounds of, "We will rock you." He looks calm as well, but a little more intense than Dirrell. 9:41... Froch acknowledges the crowd before stepping through the ropes. He's got a black rope, with the hood still on and looks an intimidating figure. 9:43... Jimmy Lennon Jr. with the introductions. 9:44... The ref is Hector Afu. 9:45... "Live from Nottingham England, it's Showtime!" 9:46... Not the warmest reception for Dirrell. Some scattered boos. 9:47... The crowd is buzzing as Froch is introduced. 9:48... The fighters receiving their final instructions in the center of the ring. 9:48... Dirrell's in green and Froch in black. 9:48... We're underway. 9:52... Bernstein mentions the ring is 20*20 as will all the rings in the Super Six tournament. Both fighters very cautious to start, sizing each other up in the middle of the ring, with neither really taking the initiative. Now they both fire jabs from a distance. According to Johnson, Dirrell plans on fighting out of the orthodox stance for most of the bout. Very cagey stuff to start. Neither committing here. Now Froch comes forward with a wild left hook that misses badly. Dirrell flicking out a couple jabs that are short. Dirrell edging forward here, and he's talking to Froch. 1:00 to go. Taver comments on the difference in hand speed between the two fighters being very apparent early. Now Dirrell switches to southpaw. Froch comes forward and misses with a right as Dirrell dances away. 20 seconds left. Froch jabs to the body. 10 seconds to go. Dirrell with a jab. Froch is short with a jab. There's the bell. 9:55... Froch flicking out the jab here to start round 2. Both men still keeping their distance. Dirrell with a jab. Froch trying to edge forward, but not committing to the attack yet. Dirrell again flicks out a jab. Froch edges forward with the jab. Dirrell is short with a jab. 1:30 to go. Dirrell with a jab to the body. Froch tries to fire back with a right, but Dirrell backs away quickly. Dirrell now with a right hand to the body. Froch short with a right to the body, and is short with a jab. 1:00 to go. Froch edging forward with his left low, and fires a really wild right that misses badly. Now he chases Dirrell to the other side of the ring. Froch short with a couple jabs. 30 seconds left. Froch is having a problem getting close says Johnson. Dirrell with a sharp jab. 15 seconds left. Froch edges forward, but not throwing and Dirrell slips away. 9:58... Froch edging forward, as Dirrell moving to his left, and now to his right. Dirrell now boxing out of the southpaw stance. Froch edging forward, flicks the jab out but not landing it. Now he tries to chase Dirrell who slides away to his left. Froch moving forward, but Dirrell fires a jab, and a left to the body that's short. Froch showing respect for Dirrell's countering ability, as he's not just rushing in hard. 1:30 to go. Froch now edges forward, and misses. Dirrell misses with a counter. Froch is stalking, Dirrell is using the whole ring, and Froch is having a very hard time getting close enough. Dirrell hasn't really landed too much himself, but the occasional jab is finding the mark. Froch gtting closeer, and eats a counter, but then charges forward and Dirrell escapes to the other side of the ring at full speed. Froch fires a right hand, that is short. Dirrell really using a lot of movement here. Froch with a jab, that may have got through. Dirrell with a jab at the bell. 9:59... We just saw a replay of Froch chasing Dirrell accross the ring and getting a right hand in. 10:02...Dirrell fighting out of the southpaw stance here to start the 4th. He fires a straight left to the body that's short. Now he fires a left that may have got through. He's now edging forward a bit. Action now in the middle of the ring. A lot of feinting going on. Nice combo from Dirrell as Froch came forward. Now Dirrell with a sharp jab. Forch comes forward and Dirrell escapes to his left. Bernstein comments that it's important for Froch to go to the body. Johnson comments that there may be some blood coming from Dirrell's upper lift. Froch is short with a jab. Dirrell on the move to his left, now to his right. Froch misses with a right. Froch is chasing Dirrell as Dirrell going from one side of the ring to the other. Dirrell then stops and tries to fire a right that misses as Froch backs off. Froch trying to get closer. He fires a right hand as Dirrell backs into the corner and Dirrell ties him up. Action moves back to the middle of the ring. 10:05... Not thrilling stuff so far. Dirrell has landed the more effective shots, but he's doing a hell of a lot of running. Now Dirrell is back to righty to start this round, and he lands a right hand. Forch edging forward, but not fully committing to the attack as he's respecting Dirrell's speed on the counter. 2:00 to go. Dirrell fighting southpaw again. Forch feints with a right, but doesn't throw it, and Dirrell fires back with a right, and then they get tangled and Froch throws Dirrell down. Froch is given a warning which he acknowledges and the action resumes. 1:30 to. Dirrell comes forward and lands a right. Froch having a hell of a hard time getting close. Everytime he gets into range, Dirrell gets out of there quick. 55 seconds left. Froch is short with a jab. Dirrell short with his own jab. Dirrell with a right, then they clinch and Froch with a right hand in the clinch. Dirrell charges forward and they get tied up. The action has been fairly awkward at times here. Froch tries to mix it up, but Dirrell again gets out of there. 10:09... Action in the middle of the ring to start the 6th. Dirrell boxing out of the southpaw stance. Froch throwing the jab, an then lunges forward with a wild 1-2 that misses. Then Dirrell slips to the canvas. No knockdown there, and the ref wipes his gloves and they are back at it and there's a clinch. Dirrell now edging forward, and Froch tries to counter, and ends up getting Dirrell in a head lock. Some sloppy stuff here. Now Froch edges forward, is short with a jab, and Dirrell misses a counter and they clinch. Froch charges forward, and lands a decent left hand. Dirrell I think was bothered by that and he grabbed Froch. Froch responded by banging Dirrell in the clinch, and the ref tells them to keep it clean. Now Dirrell fires a hard 1-2. Froch keeps coming. Dirrell on his toes, going left, then right. Now Froch tries to attack and Dirrell locks up Froch's arm. More messy stuff. "Froch wants to get it a little ugly in there." - Bernstein. Now Froch presses forward and misses with a right as Dirrell slips away. Now Dirrell tries to grab Froch and Froch backs away and Dirrell slips to the canvas. Dirrell's winning this here, but his style is not a pleasing one. A lot o moving with some holding to go with it. 10:12... Froch misses with a jab, and Dirrell lands a coutner. Action in the middle of the ring as round 7 is underway. Froch edges forward. Dirrell sticks the jab and backs off. Froch trying to attack, but Dirrell slips away and they clinch. Dirrell with a jab. "A lot of close rounds." - Bernstein. Al has it 58-56 for Dirrell. Now Froch edges forward, backs Dirrell into a counter, but misses and Dirrell gets out of there. Now Froch lands a right, and Dirrell grabs a hold of him immediately. Now Dirrell grabs Froch again on the inside. The ref now warns Dirrell for all the holding. I'm not enjoying Dirrell's style at all tonight. Now he grabs Froch again. 1:00 to go. Froch comes forward, and Dirrell misses with a counter and ties Froch up who whacks Dirrell in the clinch. More holding from Dirrell. If this keeps up, the ref would be well within his rights to take a point. The ref is again warning Dirrell. Froch whacks Dirrell in the clinch and Dirrell doesn't like it. He had a word for the ref there. Froch then attacked and was caught with a hard left hook. Good shot there from Dirrell. 10:13... We just a replay of a couple of shots Froch landed on the inside. 10:16... Round 8. Al has it 1 point fight for Dirrell. Action in the middle of the ring. Dirrell with a decent counter over Froch's jab. Dirrell sticking the jab. Froch coming forward, Dirrell backing up and now moving to his left. He tries to jump in with a right, but is short. Now Dirrell again tries to jump in, but he slips to the canvas. Dirrell with a good right hand counter that catches Froch on the way in. Froch took it well and comes forward. Dirrell ties him up though. Froch trying to work in the clinch. Again Dirrell ties him up. Froch is getting rough in those clinches. Now Dirrell again holding and Froch trying to fight out of it. Nice to see the ref letting him do that. Dirrell with a solid counter right again. Froch though keeps coming and lands a hard left hand. That got Dirrell's attendion. Now Dirrell tries to hold on. Froch backs him. Dirrell grabs a hold of him. Yet another clinch. 10 seconds to go. Froch presses forward and gets tied up again. Messy stuff. 10:19... Round 9. Scorecards should be interesting. Direll with a couple of jabs to open the round. He's boxing righty at the moment. Froch edging forward. Froch is short with a jab. Dirrell backing away. Direll now with a jab, and then gets out of there. Froch charges forward as Dirrell backs away. Froch with a jab. Froch misses with a hook. Froch edging forward. Dirrell moving to his left. Tarver comments that Dirrell has a knot by his right eye and it might matter later on. Nice counter left from Dirrell as Froch was coming in. Now Dirrell switches southpaw. Froch tries to attack, and they clinch. Froch comes forward and lands with a hook, while Dirrell lands with a counter and grins. Froch comes forward and tries to rough Dirrell up as they clinch. Froch edges forward and Dirrell ducks down and Froch nails him, an the ref warns Froch for hitting behind the head. He was guilty of it there. Now they clinch again. 20 seconds left. Froch comes forward and tries to bang the body as Dirrell backs along the ropes. Froch again tries to dig downstairs, and they mix it up along the ropes. Al though that was a good round for Froch, while Johnson thought it was a good round for Dirrell. 10:23... Dirrell with a couple jabs to start the 10th. Dirrell with a counter right. Dirrell in the southpaw stance. Froch comes forward and presses Dirrell in the counter, only to get tied up. Froch keeps coming. He misses wildly with a right and gets tied up again. 2:00 to go. Froch coming forward, but Dirrell lands a counter and ties him up. Dirrell with a left hand. Froch with a jab. Froch presses forward, and they get tied up in the corner. Froch with a jab, and a right hand in the clinch. Froch now bangs the body with a right hand, and Dirrell ties him up along the ropes and walks him into the corner. Now Dirrell is going to lose a point for holding. Al's not a fan of the deduction, pointing out that both men have been breaking the rules. Froch pressing forward. Dirrell slips away to his left, but eats a right hand. Froch now misses with a big right, and eats a big counter left hand. That caught Froch flush. Now Dirrell goes after Froch, but is wild in doing so. Froch now resumes the chase, and Dirrell gets back to moving. 10 seconds left. Froch attacks, and got hurt by a counter left. Froch looked in a bit of trouble as Dirrel went after him, but Froch fires back before the bell. 10:24... Froch's corner isn't pleased. "You're walking in with your hands down!" 10:24... It was a counter right from Dirrell that landed hard near the end of the 10th. 10:27... Al points out that this is first time Dirrell has seen the 11th round. Dirrell is fighting southpaw again. Froch comes forward and tries to bang the body. He presses Dirrell in the corner, but Dirrell makes him miss and fires back with a counter. Froch follows as Dirrell escapes. Now Dirrell lands a hard left hand! That caught Froch flush, and Dirrell goes after him. Now Froch with a hard right hand! Dirrell ties him up immediately. Some decent shots getting exchanged here in the 11th. Froch with a left hand misses over the top with a right. Now Froch bangs the body. Now FRoch with a jab and chases Dirrell accross the ring. Froch trying to flurry, but Dirrell rolling with these shots on the ropes. Now Froch smacks him with a short right in the clinch. Fronch with a nice combo. 30 seconds left. Dirrell with a nice counter. Now they clinch again. Dirrell misses with a right. Now Froch comes back with a right hand just before the bell. 10:28... Round 12 coming up. 10:28... "Back him up." - Froch's corner. 10:31... Froch coming forward here in the 12th, but Dirrell lands a counter. Now Froch tries to flurry, but can't land. Dirrell gets out of there. Now Dirrell firs a hard right, that's blocked. Now they clinch again. Dirrell with a left hand counter. Froch coming forward. Dirrell moving to his right. Dirrell jumps in with a combo. Froch witha right hand uppercut. Now they clinch. Dirrell walks Froch into the ropes in the clinch. 1:30 to go. Froch with a jab. FRoch just misses with a right hand, and Dirrell escapes to his right. 1:10 to go. They exchange jabs. Dirrell comes forard with a 1-2, and they clinch. Froch trying to come back, but Dirrell again fires back. Froch presses Direll into the corner and tries to flurry. Now Dirrell ties him up. 30 seconds to go. Froch again backs Dirrell into the corner and tries to Flurry. Dirrell though comes back with his own flurry. 10 seconds left. Froch trying to close strong. Dirrell back pedals and Froch chases. Froch tries to flurry along the ropes, and there's the bell. This one is going to the cards. 10:32... I think Dirrell's got this one. His tactics weren't pleasing, but he landed the cleaner shots. 10:33... Here's Jimmy Lennon with the decision. It's a split one. 114-113 for Dirrell. 115-112 for Froch. The fighters are seated on one knee together in the middle of the ring awaiting the final card. 115-112 for the winner... Carl Froch. 10:34... Great sportsmanship from both men there. 10:36... Jim Gray is with Dirrell. Dirrell feels like he earned the decision, but isn't too angry. He's not pleased though about the point deduction. 10:37... Gray asks Dirrell if he felt he had a chance to win the decision in Nottingham. "Of course I did, or I wouldn't have come out here." 10:38... Very classy from Dirrell. He says he'll be back in the gym working harder, and takes nothing away from Froch. 10:39... Gus and Al are chatting now, as they wait for Gray to get a hold of Froch. 10:40... Press row had it 115-113, 115-114 for Froch and 114-114. Al likes the 114-114 card. 10:41... Froch is now with Gray. He feels he won the fight. He says that Dirrell just didn't want to stand and fight and though very negatively. "What am I supposed to do if he's not going to stand and fight?" 10:42... Gray asks Froch what he thinks of Dirrell calling it a hometown decision. "That's nonsense." You know, that's not fair at all from Gray. Dirrell was very respectful in the interview and accepted the result, and Gray really had to bring any complaints out of him. To then tell Froch that Dirrell's full of complaints is bull-shit. 10:43... Gray asks Froch about Kessler... "I'm looking forward to it... he'll stand and trade with him and that's what the fans want to see." 10:44... That's it for our coverage of the Super Six Opening Night. Hope you enjoyed it and make sure you come back and check out our future round by round blogs. 10:45... One final note. Jermain Taylor was taken to hospital for observations as he suffered a concussion. Sounds like it's strictly precautionary.

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Super Six Opening Night Predictions: Froch vs Dirrell & Abraham vs Taylor

Showtime's Super Six tournament gets underway tonight with two big opening round fights.

Leading off from Berlin's O2 World Arena will be Arthur Abraham against Jermain Taylor (tape delayed), followed by a trip to Nottingham's Trent FM Arena for the match-up between Carl Froch and Andre Dirrell.

Make sure to check out our round by round coverage of both fights, starting at 8 PM EST.

Let's get to our writer's picks...

Carl Froch vs Andre Dirrell & Arthur Abraham vs Jermain Taylor

Froch/Dirrell - I view Dirrell as the weakest fighter in the Super Six tournament and don’t believe he’ll record a win in the competition. He’s got good footwork, flashy combinations and has quick hands, but he doesn’t seem to carry serious power, has a big question mark over his chin and has no experience of fighting at this level. I think Froch will start slowly before settling into his usual methodical rhythm. Dirrell might be hard to hit clean early on but I think as soon as Froch starts to land, he’ll hurt Dirrell and stop him. I think Froch will win by stoppage sometime in the final four rounds. Abraham/Taylor - I feel the fight between Jermain Taylor and Arthur Abraham will be a much closer affair than the Froch-Dirrell fight but will take on a similar pattern. I think Taylor will do well in the first six rounds before his stamina problem resurfaces and allows Abraham back into the fight. I can see Taylor being ahead on the scorecards before getting stopped late on. It’ll be interesting how Abraham fights at super- middleweight, although it’s worth noting that he demolished Edison Miranda up at super-middle in their rematch of June last year. If that fight is anything to go by, Abraham might be a much bigger puncher at the higher weight, which spells danger for Taylor. - Dave Oakes

Froch/Dirrell - Completely agree with Dave's first paragraph. I also view Dirrell as the weakest fighter of the bunch. He has some physical tools... and that's about it. Chin's too high, defense is amateurish and so is his delivery. I think he has to come out of nowhere with a huge KO shot to defeat Froch. Given the youngster's lack of one punch knockouts, and the man from Nottingham's chin, that seems like more than a bit of a stretch. I'll take Froch to rough him up on his way to a clear decision. Dirrell is going to be introduced to a whole new level of fighting, as well as pain. Abraham/Taylor - Many people are going to disagree with me on this, but I think this is Taylor's fight to lose. I really believe he has an advantage in physical stature as well as the style to force Abraham out of his game a little bit. If Jermain can maintain a safe distance most of the night, he'll keep his opponent's hands pasted to his face with jabs and long rights that don't need to land clean. As long as he keeps Arthur busy on defense, he'll be able to fight at his pace. I think the key to beat Abraham is to stay at long range. He wants to counter aggression with his bombs, but if you don't give him anything he'll be content to just block the incoming. Many think that his lack of aggression in the recent past is because of the toll making 160 had on his body, and I think there is something to that, but I also believe he is just a patient and careful fighter. Arthur can end the fight at any moment with his cannon ball fists, but I'm going to go with my gut and say this fight lasts 12 rounds. It's going to be hard for Taylor to get a decision in Germany, and that crowd will probably bring out some doubt in him, so I'll go with Abraham to up the pressure just enough to get a close decision. - Lee Payton Check out Lee's Previews for both of tonight's fights: Can Jermain Taylor Upset Arthur Abraham? & Carl Froch Is Too Rough And Tough for Andre Dirrell

Froch/Dirrell - I think Andre Dirrell is being a little underrated here. True he's completely untested at this level, but he's got a ton of natural ability - quick feet, quick hands and some good pop. I'd rate him #4 of the 6 fighters - just a little ahead of Ward (I've got Taylor 6th). I'm picking Froch to grind out the win, but I think he'll be pushed in a similar manner to the Pascal fight - and this one might even be a bit tougher. Abraham/Taylor - I think Taylor can outwork Abraham early, but 12 rounds is a long time. Taylor always seems to be in very good condition - but he still gets tired. I think it's a tension issue. He just never seems relaxed and comfy in the ring, and I think against a crunching puncher like Abraham, those nervous issues aren't going to dissapear. I like Taylor to get out to an early lead - and then 1 of 2 things will happen. Abraham will land a sudden fight changing punch to turn things around, or Taylor will start to slowly fade and Abraham will steadily gain the advantage. Either way, I think Abraham takes it. - Andrew Fruman

Froch/Dirrell - I agree with the notion that Dirrell, at this point is near the bottom of the pack and probably has the most to prove, however he also has the most upside. I think someone gets embarrassed in Dirrell-Froch... meaning someone gets knocked out. Froch looked very slow against Taylor earlier this year, and Dirrell is faster than Taylor in my opinion. Dirrell has major firepower when he lets his hands go, and he could rise to the top of the tournament if he reaches the potential he may have. However, I think Froch is so determined and so willful that he will break Dirrell by the fights end. I look for Dirrell's speed to be flashy and effective early, Froch to plod after him and ultimately put Dirrell in all out retreat mode. If the ending is as explosive as I think it will be, whoever wins this will suddenly be a tournament favorite. I like Froch by stoppage, but wouldn't be surprised if he went through major strife to do it. To me, Froch is the dark horse to take the whole thing. Abraham/Taylor - As for the Taylor-Abraham bout, I agree with Lee that this is Jermain's to lose... the problem for him is that when a fight is his to lose, he usually loses it. Still, of all the match-up's for Taylor this one seems to provide him with the most advantages, as he will be the faster, busier man. If he can find the right pace, he may force Abraham into mounting an all out onslaught for a late KO win. To me it's a 50-50 fight. I'll go with the mild upset and say Jermain puts it together against an Abraham who gets a little too defensive in the face of Jermain's quick combos. Abraham let's him off the hook enough during the fight for Taylor to take it slow and survive the twelve on the way to a close points victory. - Jeff Pryor Check out Jeff's Super Six Preview: The Brave & The Bold: The Super Six Shoot-out

Abraham/Taylor - Taylor’s going to lose. I don’t see where he has any advantages in the fight. HBO has manufactured this jab of his and his combinations aren’t that quick. They are quite loopy, and will give Abraham plenty of chances to find spots to counter. I think the main reason Abraham doesn’t throw that many punches has to do with the trouble he's been having to make 160. He's been draining himself badly to make weight, and that's not the case this time. He looked like a wrecking machine at the weigh-in, and the decimation will begin right from the opening bell. Froch/Dirrell - I'm leaning towards Froch by stoppage. For all Dirrell's athletic advantages, this is a very big jump in competition and my gut tells me he'll fold under the kind of pressure Froch will bring. Of course my gut has been wrong before, and I wouldn't be shocked to see Dirrell take it. - Mark Lyons

Froch/Dirrell - I agree with Andy on both fights, except I'm on the fence concerning Dirrell-Froch. I think Dirrell's power is a bit underrated, and if Froch gets too reckless, he's gonna get hurt. I expect drama regardless of the winner. Force me to make a pick and I'll say Dirrell survives a late rally to eek out a decision. Abraham/Taylor - I think Abraham-Taylor will play out like Froch-Taylor. Abe loses the first six rounds before coming back to KO Taylor in ten. - Michael Nelson Check out Michael's Froch/Dirrell Preview: Andre Dirrell Ready To Show He Belongs With The Heavy Hitters

Abraham/Taylor - I think Taylor pulls the upset. He's bigger, faster has better overall boxing skills and has fought the better opposition. If Taylor runs out of gas again, Abraham will have a real puncher's chance, but otherwise I see this being a decision win for Taylor. Froch/Dirrell - Froch hits harder and has fought better opposition yet I can't see him being able to deal with a fighter as athletic and fast as Dirrell. It's pretty much the same thing as Taylor vs Abraham... if Dirrell gets tired, he'll get caught and finished, but otherwise he'll win by UD. - Ivan Montiel

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Andre Dirrell Ready To Show He Belongs With The Heavy Hitters

Michael Nelson takes a look at Andre Dirrell's chances of pulling the upset in tomorrow night's Showtime Super Six Opener.

Along with Jermain Taylor vs Arthur Abraham, the Froch vs Dirrelll bout will be shown in the UK live on PPV. Click here for more info.

Having been fed largely overmatched opposition thus far in his career, Andre 'The Matrix' Dirrell is taking the largest leap of the six combatants in Showtime's groundbreaking tournament. The 27 year old from Flint, Michigan will be immediately thrown into the lion's den, travelling to Nottingham to take on rugged WBC champion Carl Froch.

Is he ready for the big cats?

His skeptics present a legitimate case. The 6'2 switch hitter has relied on his athleticism and speed to handle guys he generally towers over. He makes several mistakes - pulling straight back, leaving his hands low, and leaping in with single shots - that could cost him dearly against a skilled opponent his size. Such technical deficiencies mixed with a chin that seems less than granite means he has a smaller margin of error than Froch, and can be a recipe for disaster tomorrow night.

In fact, Froch backers need only to look at Andre's 7th fight, a tough scrap against tall journeyman Alfonso Rocha, for evidence of what their man might do. After telegraphing a left hand out of the southpaw stance, Dirrell got caught with a well-timed counter right that immediately lifted him off his feet. He was fortunate that it happened at the very end of the third round because he was in pretty bad shape.

To his credit, he shook off the cobwebs in between rounds and resumed controlling the fight to win a lopsided decision.

Then there was his infamous bout against fellow prospect Curtis Stevens in June 2007. In his sole HBO appearance, Dirrell used his superior foot speed to get in an occasional potshot against a plodding Stevens and gain the favor of the judges. It was one of the worst fights of the decade - perhaps the worst shown on HBO. Pundits and fans dubbed the name Andre Gazelle and wrote him off as more suspect than prospect.

So why does he have a good chance of going to Nottingham and upsetting the more experienced hometown fighter?

To put it simply, he learned from his awful 2007 performance and developed into a dangerous puncher. He found redemption last year by crushing Anthony Hanshaw - who went the distance with Roy Jones - on ShoBox inside of five rounds, taking him apart with powerful counters off the ropes. He split Mike Paschall's forehead wide open with a single punch in his following fight, before turning Victor Oganov's face into a bloody mask with a violent series of uppercuts last November.

Froch's vast defensive liabilities were exposed in his winning efforts against Jean Pascal and Jermain Taylor, and it says here that Dirrell punches harder than both. Most will agree Carl should have some trouble catching up with Andre's speed, at least in the early going. But perhaps more importantly, he'll be catching damaging blows from The Matrix while chasing him down. It's a mistake to assume the tough Englishman can easily walk through the firepower coming back at him and Dirrell's heavy hands tend to draw blood from his opponents. Moreover, you can expect the former Olympian to be far more aggressive than Taylor was if he shakes Froch up with one of his counters.

Another question mark is how well Froch will handle a talented southpaw. Although the left hook from the orthodox stance is Dirrell's most effective punch, if the switch hitter finds success as a lefty, he may stick with it and potshot his way to victory.

I see this as the most intriguing fight out of the first stage of the tournament. Both men have ability to hurt each other. Both men have enough flaws to make it fun. And both men have O's on their record they want to preserve.

Whatever happens, it should be the third consecutive drama in the saga of Carl Froch, and the first peer into the character and heart of young Andre Dirrell.

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Carl Froch Is Too Rough And Tough For Andre Dirrell

By Lee Payton

Along with Jermain Taylor vs Arthur Abraham, the Froch vs Dirrelll bout will be shown live on PPV in the UK. Click here for more info.

Photo © Justin McKie

When a fighter steps up for the first time it's natural to be skeptical. Many of boxing's greatest were initially questioned by cynical fans and media because they were relatively untested heading into showdowns with more seasoned performers. That's the story surrounding Andre Dirrell as he prepares to take on Carl Froch this Saturday, in the first round of "The Super Six" World Boxing Classic, hosted by Showtime.

It's always tempting to think a man can't do something until he shows you he can, but in this case it's what I have seen that makes me think the young pug is in for a methodical and thorough beating.

The first thing Dirrell backers point out is his advantage in overall speed, which is supposed to enable him to box circles around his slower opponent. He is definitely a quick fighter, but being fast is not a skill. Skill is utilizing that speed in such a way that you "hit and don't get hit". While he is loaded with physical gifts I think he's a little light on professional know-how.

Much of what "The Matrix" does in the ring will never be found in a book of boxing basics. For instance, he has a tendency to pull straight back with his chin up in the air and he switches up stances just because he can. This man flips between orthodox and southpaw more than any fighter I have ever seen. It's his favourite defensive maneuver. The purist in me scowls. I'm not convinced there is much thought behind it. Seems more like athletic arrogance covering up some confusion or indecisiveness.

So far, so good I guess, but if you look hard enough you might be able to pick out a few instances where his chin looked a little less than sturdy. Watching him get touched up a bit, it's almost like he doesn't expect to get hit. This is the hurt business. A fighter has got to expect and accept contact, as well as pain.

Beyond the flaws I've mentioned, I think the style match-up is a difficult one. Most of Dirrell's opponents to date have been shorter guys who came to him with little power. We don't really know how he's going to handle a tall, rangy, awkward fighter who can swat.

I love it when these flashy youngsters meet up with hard asses who are sure to push them. It's how the tough questions are answered.

On Saturday night we're going to witness one man's introduction to something totally new. How will he react when he gets nailed and a crowd of 8000 are screaming for more? What's plan B, if necessary? Does he have the maturity to close the show if he has his man on the brink? And finally, can Dirrell handle not being the boss in there?

These are all questions Froch has answered. We know what he's about. If there is any give in the guy standing across from him, you can bet he'll find a way to exploit it in a violent way.

Give me Carl Froch to win by scrappy, but clear decision. I can't shake the feeling that things are going to become a little too rough for the kid.

If Andre Dirrell is going to win this fight, I think it's got to be done with a homerun swing. Given his lack of real kayo power and the veteran's durability, that appears to be a long shot, but almost anything can happen in this cruel sport.

Maybe he really does have the guts and grit to pull off the upset and just hasn't had to bite down hard yet. Either way, the truth will be revealed in the ring. Will the youngster be ground to dust by the immense pressure of the big stage, or will he thrive under the hot lights?

What do you think?

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