OUTSPOKEN WBC super-middleweight champion Carl Froch is eager to put aside the pre-fight trash talk and get down to business ahead of Saturday’s Super Six World Boxing Classic opener against Andre Dirrell.
The Nottingham fighter begins his bid to be crowned undisputed champion by taking on unbeaten and untested American Dirrell at the Trent FM Arena in his home town.
Froch, 32, is no stranger to verbal jousting during the build-up to fights but insists the “nonsense” from Dirrell for this contest is becoming tiresome.
“Andre Dirrell and his team lack class as far as I’m concerned,” Froch said during a heated Press conference yesterday.
“The language has been bad, the banter has been terrible and I don’t want to get involved in any of that nonsense.
“He knows he’s in deep water on Saturday and he knows when I start connecting with the bombs he’s going to be in serious trouble.
“I’ve got a feeling he’s going to run scared but it’s 12 three-minute rounds and I will catch him up. When I do I’m going to do some serious damage. I’ll be bringing it on Saturday night and I cannot wait.”
Froch’s promoter, Mick Hennessy, believes the Super Six tournament is long overdue.
“It’s the biggest thing to happen in boxing in at least 20 years,” he said.
“It’s an incredible tournament.”
Froch believes he has every right to regard himself as a favourite. Denmark’s Mikkel Kessler – long time holder of the WBA title – is the bookmakers’ favourite to win the six-man round robin tournament with Froch running him a close second.
Unbeaten Froch heads into the competition on the back of a dramatic come-from-behind 12th-round stoppage win over fellow Super Six competitor Jermaine Taylor in April and believes his experience “in the trenches” will help him win the tournament.
“Dirrell keeps talking about being mentally prepared,” he said.
“I don’t have to get mentally prepared – I’m a consummate professional.
“I’ve been in the trenches more than once and I’ve come out on top more than once. I’m an undefeated professional with an excellent knockout ratio. That I’m fighting in my home town just makes my job a whole lot easier.”
Froch expects Kessler will be his toughest rival as he bids to become the undisputed super-middleweight champion.
“Kessler has only lost one fight and that was to Joe Calzaghe who obviously dominated the super middleweight division for years,” Froch said.
