Welcome to tonight’s live coverage of the second semi-final of Showtime’s Super Six World Boxing Classic as WBC Super Middleweight Champion Carl Froch fights well-traveled former light heavyweight mainstay Glen Johnson. We will bring you live play by play of all the action from Atlantic City in is a crucial match, with the winner scheduled to fight WBA Champion Andre Ward in the tournament final this fall. We will also bring you play by play of Sky Sports’ delayed coverage of Mikkel Kessler’s comeback fight in Denmark.
Mikkel Kessler vs Mehdi Bouadia
Round One
Kessler starts out strongly behind his jab, with the Viking Warrior taking the center of the ring and just peppering Bouadia with short lefts and the occasional right. Midway through starts mixing in the odd shot to the body. Bouadia throwing but usually not connecting due to Kessler fighting well from distance. Kessler looking very strong in this first round, with his work looking crisp. 10-9
Round Two
More of the same with Kessler just controlling Bouadia with the jab and then using that as a base to bring other punches such as the right hand, hook to the hook and the occasional left hook. Kessler really is fighting at a tremendous pace, showing tremendous ability to volume punch and move around the rinvg. Bouadia does catch him with a few punches in the second half of the round but the gulf in quality is clear. 20-18.
Round Three
Bouadia has a better start to the round, coming forward and pushing Kessler backwards. But Kessler quickly reestablishes control of the fight. He then drops Bouadia with a big right hand, with Bouadia looking very shaky as he gets to his feet. Bouadia tries to buy time by spitting out his gumshield, a piece of gamesmanship the referee rightly penalizes him for by deducting a point. Kessler smells blood and steps up a level in an attempt to Bouadia away. Kessler looked very impressive as he unload on the Frenchman with quality right hands and uppercuts. Bouadia was probably on the verge of being stopped but managed to stem the flow. Kessler drops the intensity down a notch towards the end as it becomes clear that Bouadia has regained all his senses. 10-7 round, so 30-25
Round Four
Kessler looking great against an opponent who while not world class is by no means a bum. Kessler is showing tremendous punch variation, with the jab as the spine of his offense as he brings in quality right hands, uppercuts and body shots. Indeed there’s one terrific combination where he puts all of these together in one sequence. Towards the end of the fight Kessler drops him with a right hand to the body. He gets up but its clear that he knows he’s in a fight he can’t win. 40-33
Round Five
Kessler slows down at the start of the round allowing Bouadia to sneak in a few right hands but Kessler ups the workrate in the second half to take the round. Kessler who had looked tired to begin with looks awesome as he puts together the combinations, really working the levels to punish the head and body of the Frenchmen. Strange circumstances as Kessler drops Bouadia with a straight right but the referee does not give the knockdown. Terrible decision there. Should have been a 10-8, so 50-41 on my scorecard.
Round Six
Kessler works over Bouadia, setting a tremendous pace as he has done throughout the fight. The end comes when Kessler hurts the Frenchman with several hard shots to the body, first visibly hurting his opponent and then dropping Bouadia. The referee disgracefully let the beaten man continue when the fight was over. Kessler would quickly finish Bouadia, unleashing a tremendous combination of punches to the body and head to secure the TKO victory at 2minute 25seconds.
Mikkel Kessler defeated Mehdi Bouadia via TKO at two minutes twenty five seconds in the sixth round
Our recap of the Kessler fight is now up. It concludes with the look ahead to what the future could bring for the Viking Warrior:
A dominant performance from a fighter many expect to challenge for either the IBF or WBO title before the end of the year in a bid to setup a blockbuster unification bout with whoever emerges from the Super Six holding the WBA and WBC belts he once proudly held. On the evidence of his comeback fight Mikkel Kessler will prove a stern test for whomever he steps in the ring against next.
Carl Froch vs Glen Johnson is up next. For Carl Froch this is a crucial fight. The Nottingham fighter is finally getting mainstream coverage in his native UK with Sky Sports broadcasting his fights after a long overdue split with incompetent promoter Mick Hennessy. An impressive victory over Johnson would do wonders for his name recognition in the UK and potentially set him up for a lucrative Sky Box Office pay per view presentation of the Super Six Final. And of course the Super Six Final would give Froch the opportunity to prove himself the best man in the crowded Super Middleweight Division.
Carl Froch vs Glen Johnson
Round One
Quiet round as Froch fights cautiously behind the jab for the duration of the three minutes. Johnson is unable to fight his way inside to land anything of note, while a cagey Froch is just pawing with his jab. Nothing of note in that awkward round. 10-10
Round Two
Froch is fighting off his backfoot but is not active enough to really win the rounds. He’s not hurting Johnson with the jab, instead pawing with it to set up distance. And that’s leaving him vulnerable to losing rounds to a Johnson happy to push the action. In the second half of the round Johnson bulled through Froch’s cagey defense and seemed to discomfort Froch with short punches. 20-19 to Johnson.
Round Three
Froch is not looking at his best in this fight, far too defensive and tentative. Johnson lands several jabs on the head of Froch in the opening exchanges and that brings Froch out of his shell. Furious left-right combination from Froch but that doesn’t discourage Johnson. Johnson pushing Froch around the ring and hurts him on a couple occasions. Froch would get his own punches in but the overall impression was of the British fighter being found wanting when put under pressure. We have a fight on our hands people. 30-28
Round Four
Froch again trying to work Johnson over with the jab but in the first minute is just not throwing a fast or accurate enough jab to keep Johnson off him. Johnson is coming forward and landing the most eye-catching punches. But as the round goes on he gradually becomes more comfortable, timing his jab better and bringing in different punches including the right hand and the occasional shot to the body. Towards the end Froch is clearly on top, putting together a couple of good combinations. Good round for a much more active Froch. 39-38
Round Five
Froch again boxing on the back foot but his jab just isn’t get through enough to win these rounds. Both men get warned for landing low. Froch does better with bringing in the right hand and lands a couple of uppercuts, but allows himself to be discourage when Johnson puts him under pressure. Froch does however secure the round when he comes back strong towards the end, seemingly hurting Johnson with right hands at the end. 48-48.
Round Six
Froch starts fast, fast one-two combinations to the head of Johnson. Froch then starts being pushed back by Johnson, with the Brit once again trying to fight off the back foot. Johnson landing some good punches on the inside to the body. Johnson starting to look tired allowing Froch back into the round, putting together several strong combinations. Johnson comes back with a strong right hand but Froch responds with a left hook of his own. Good round with both having their moments, but Froch was slightly the busier. 58-57 to Froch.
Round Seven
Johnson catches Froch badly with an overhand right hand midway through the round, pushing Froch up against the ropes as he tries to follow up with several right hands. Froch in a slugfest as he tries to stay in the fight but Johnson has clearly hurt the champion. Froch does come back well with the cobwebs clearing in time for him to land some big right hands of his own. However Johnson surely secure the round. 67-67
Round Eight
Froch starts strongly, winning several great slugfests with Johnson as the fight has really heated up. Froch putting his punches together well but is too quick to full back. Froch hurt with a punch to the body, who follows up with a hard overhand right that ROCKS Froch. Johnson follows up with some great, crunching blows. This is gutcheck time for the champion who is in real trouble here. Froch digging dip to put together some combinations of his own to at least put some doubt in the judges’ minds. 77-76
Round Nine
Froch doing some good work off the back foot but he’s not doing enough to keep the challenger at range. The ironic thing is its when Johnson bullies his way inside that Froch lets his hands go and punishes Johnson. Froch really takes charge of the round as it progresses and by the end is complete control, putting together top quality combinations and looking much better in the process. Very encouraging round for the Brit. 86-86
Round Ten
Froch letting Johnson walk him down again and again he’s not doing enough to keep Johnson off him. Again Johnson lands the big overhand right but on instinct Froch comes back strong, putting together several furious combinations. Why can Froch only reach peak intensity when he’s hurt? Johnson again lands the overhand right but takes it well. That may have taken the round away from Froch but he does land a clean left hand on Johnson’s chin and his overall work had clearly worn down Johnson. Difficult round to score. The bigger punches went to Johnson but Froch clearly outlanded him. I’d probably go with Froch. 96-95.
Round Eleven
Froch looking a bit more aggressive in this eleventh round although again he falls back onto the back foot. More excellent exchanges, with Froch landing clean on the American’s chin with a left hand while Johnson connects with crunching shot to the midsection of the Englishman. For perhaps the first time in the fight Froch has the center of the ring and gets the better of another great exchange, this time off the ropes. 106-104.
Round Twelve
So on my scorecard Johnson needs a knockout or two knockdowns, but several of those rounds were very close and he is the home fighter. The crowd applaud these two tremendous warriors a standing ovation at the start of the final round and its fully deserved. This has been a great fight. Johnson is clearly tired and Froch is looking far more comfortable and collected. Froch fighting off the back foot but now coming forward with eye-catching punches and combinations. In the last few seconds Johnsons lands one final right hand but on my scorecard its Froch’s round and fight, 116-113. The judges have it 114-114, 117-111 (what the hell?) and 116-112 to Carl Froch.
Tremendous fight from these two that absolutely delivered in the ring with a fight full of action and drama. Froch showed plenty of heart and determination to gut this fight out but Johnson did expose the same technical flaws in the champion’s game. Froch is going to have to tightened up his game if he’s going to compete against Andre Ward.
Carl Froch defeated Glen Johnson via majority decision (114-114, 116-113, 117-111) to retain WBC Super-Middleweight Title and progress to the Super Six World Boxing Classic Final.
