Boxing Betting / Editor / 11 October 2009 /

Alex Steedman tells us why Carl Froch can claim to be the British boxer with the most substance right now and what we can expect from him as he gets in the ring with Andre Dirrell.

Ask any man or woman in the street to name two current British boxing stars and It's likely they'll suggest Amir Khan or perhaps the out-of-action Ricky Hatton. Even the retired Joe Calzaghe might get a mention which really would grate Carl Froch, the heir to Calzaghe as Britain's best Super Middleweight.

All of which is a shame because regardless of public perception, most boxing fans know that right now Froch carries more substance than most save maybe David Haye but including Khan, Britain's only other current World Champion.

Exploding onto the world scene just as TV companies are taking a back seat hasn't helped and among the loungers is ITV 1 which is ironic given Froch served them up fight-of-the-year when he won the WBC title in a barn-burner against Jean Pascal last December. As if to impress the stock of Froch, Pascal has subsequently moved up a division and has won and defended a marquee world title.

With his rugged good looks, a swaggering tongue and the backing of a sizeable, if not extraordinary, home support in Nottingham, Froch is made for telly; he ought to be a superstar. And yet this weekend he'll go to war with another cross-Atlantic challenger fighting not just for money, pride and titles but for recognition too.

Opponent Andre Dirrell isn't exactly the retiring type himself and while a bronze medal at the 2004 Olympics underlines there is talent behind the brag, the American remains a prospect more than an achiever. His 18 fight unbeaten record is laced with Ko's of unknowns and "never wills" but the taming of Anthony Hanshaw last May again hints at some quality. Hanshaw had taken Roy Jones the distance previously where as Dirrell had him down in the 4th before finishing him off in the next. It should be stressed that Jones was particularly rusty and short on confidence at that time so perspective is required but it is an excellent form line nonetheless.

Dirrell is probably the most elusive fighter Froch has faced; he boxes mainly on the back foot and regularly switches between southpaw and orthodox - a style honed famously by Prince Naseem Hamed. The American wouldn't have Hamed's power, pro-rata and I'm not sure he's particularly fast either which is definitely the way to beat Froch. Make no mistake, Froch is beatable and we will be taking him on in this column sometime soon but not yet and not with Dirrell.

If you get a chance, YOUTUBE Dirrell and you will note how wide his stance often is; not particularly smart for the stick-and-move tactics which he employs. I also think his footwork is surprisingly poor for a supposed slickster and while Dirrell does have fast hands, he doesn't tend to throw clusters of punches when being stalked. Rather he throws the odd jab or straight punch in order to create space for himself. Now I'm sure Dirrell has enough smarts to befuddle Froch a little but not enough to prolong the discomfort.

Indeed, It is an enormous step up in many ways for the man from Flint, Michigan. He hasn't even completed 12 rounds yet, let alone fighting at Championship pace whereas Froch comes into this fight on the back of those two tear-ups against Pascal and latterly Jermain Taylor, where he was largely outboxed but produced a sensational final round stoppage. So Froch has quality, heart, a great chin and a huge punch. And he's still improving, all of which could be bad news for Dirrell.

Expect the American to start fast, flashing single shots at speed whilst on the move but also watch how he'll lean in at Froch and how low he'll carry his hands and how they'll lurk lower when he punches in range. If he does that with Froch, he will get knocked out. My hunch is Dirrell will fox his way beyond halfway but this fight is all about levels and Froch is some way above Dirrell. He may literally be standing above the American on Saturday night and enjoying that much deserved TV glare once again.

Recommended bets:

FROCH TO WIN @ [1.65]
METHOD OF VICTORY: FROCH BY KO. TKO or DQ @ [3.0]

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