Why Froch vs Kessler Off?

Anyone know why? Big disappointment if so, really was looking forward to this fight, it was going to be a barn buster. Also, for Froch's record and legacy, hugely important.

Eddie Hearn has been selling it for weeks so for it to be off now is a shocker really. Even Kessler said he wanted it.

Thoughts?

Link? First I've heard of it being off.

http://www.boxingscene.com/stevenson-camp-reveal-froch-negotiations-details--61097

And he's held a press conference about the fight in Canada.

He's been forced by the IBF to fight Stevenson or be stripped of his title.

I heard they were willing to put that fight on hold? Link please. Plus, Kessler has a belt anyway, the fight sells regardless if Froch is IBF Champ. Plus, Bute has said he wants another fight before a rematch with Froch.

Cheers ghosty. Those plebs again. I reckon its the fight boxing needs. Froch should dump the belt. He makes the belt valid not the other way around.

Here, here. The IBF belt should not get in the way. Although, Brook is going for it soon, so maybe Eddie is in a bind with the IBF peeps?

Still, the fight must always come first. It's a huge fight, a fight the sport is begging for. A sky sports, Danish TV, HBO fight. A huge fight.

Kessler has a fairly meaningless belt Emore, without the IBF title it makes Froch bargaining far less and I would assume any muted fight between the pair was on the proviso that the IBF title would be on the line. It's not a terrible fight but on the back of the Bute destruction it doesn't set the pulse racing having faced the over matched Mack. I do question if a second fight between Kessler and Froch will ever happen.

The Stevenson fight had purse bids ordered this week. Couple of the writers from Boxing Asylum that I follow on twitter have told me that HBO are backing Stevenson and that he is desperate for the fight to be in Canada.

No way should it be in Canada, Froch is the Champ and has done plenty of road trips. Stevenson has to come to his backyard and prove himself. Not the other way around. If HBO take the fight then that's something at least, Froch can raise his profile even more. However, none of this tops a rematch with Kessler. For numerous reasons long since covered on here.

Drop the IBF, fight for the WBA, that's all that's needed. Imperial to say the fight loses clout if The IBF isn't there is rubbish. Both fighters just came off epic KO wins against slightly lower-level opponents. Now is the time. They both can make a fortune if this fight happens in the UK. PPV for sure, 20,000 fans, a hug build up and a hell of a lot of hype.

The fight doesn't lose clout but Froch loses out big time if he's left negotiating without a title.

Money talks not the IBF. Froch is a big money earner now dude. Read my previous post.

Would you not agree he loses a lot of bargaining power without a title?

Getting Kessler to come to the UK when he would be the one defending a title would be a much harder proposition.

Perhaps Froch not being THE man at the weight needs the belt as a bargaining chip. Pity that.

That's bang on the money Az, without that title he's just another contender and in the long run with neither Kessler or Froch holding the IBF title what real inclination does he have to rematch either? Whether we like it or not that titles means a lot more in the grand scheme than it should.

I could not disagree with you more guys. Froch aint some hump. Who else can Kessler earn as much against? Who else can he fight that is as big a name in the SM division? No one.

He'd earn more against ward on HBO for a start........

I disagree with the weight in which you guys are giving the IBF belt. I think what Froch has achieved has transcended that of a belt. In such a diluted sport are we not drowning in Alphabet Soup?

The only one worth having is the coveted 'Ring' magazine anything outside of that be it Gold, Silver, Bronze, Tin, Plastic is just a pointless.

TRUSS, he really wouldn't. PPV fight on Sky and in Denmark trumps Ward. 2 million a piece has been spoken off already. A Ward fight cannot match that number. Hence Ward trying to get in on the act by moaning about them not fighting him. He has nowhere to go.

Sharksoul knows.

Ward whilst being probably the second best p4p simply doesn't sell.

He's being backed by HBo.......because of his recognition as p4p number 1..

which sells itself...Kessler is a champion so it would mean unification...

However Froch is a huge fight too.....for Kessler...

splitting hairs....

We all know it doesn't work like that unless you're one of the sports biggest names Emore, without a title Froch would stand to earn a lot less against Kessler as well as the likelihood of it happening in the uk being a lot less too.

TRUSS, good points, so it is money that now counts. Money is the decider and Froch vs Kessler makes more than either of them fighting Ward. Fact.

Imperial, not when a guaranteed purse is secured. I know he aint no Mayweather, but Mayweather does not need a belt, neither does Pac. Nor Khan. Some fighters sell regardless, on different levels, and Froch is one of them.

Why is it a fact?????

You're speculating...........

Ward is number 1 p4p...Kessler has a title = Unification......

HBO has big pockets....

2 million dollars a piece? Unlikely. It wouldn't be PPV either. HBO are not in the business of doing bad business, TRUSS.

S2 million sounds cheap.......

Chavez and rosario got half a million back in 1987.......and that wasn't a unification..

Mexico v PR always sells. Plus both were big names and the best in their division when JCC moved up.

Chavez wasn't big before Rosario..

He was only a undercard King fighter...

None were p4p no 1 like Ward......and Ward is American too..

Plus inflation......$500,000 must be a lot more than that 25 years on!!

TRUSS, are you insane, 2 million is a lot.

I'm saying that if you can pay Rosario 500,000 back in 87......(he lost his last but one fight to Camacho!!)....

Then 2 million for the p4p no1 and his opponent is not nearly that hard to foresee...

It is when Ward couldn't attract flies outside of Oakland. The guy isn't much more known than Chad Dawson in America, he simply won't sell. Plus, his style aint that pretty.

HBO are getting behind the guy.......

not to the tune of two million a man, not yet anyway.

Maybe 2m pesos.

Azania wake up, Hearn spoke about the fee, and it was on Boxingscene recently.

It's a very gettable purse for that fight. I reckon at 20 quid, with Bellew on the under-card, they can do 300-500 PPV, that's if you take into consideration Denmark. Add to that the gate of 20,000, plus advertisement and TV rights.

It's a very, very doable number.

He gets paid more than $2 million per defence now.......HBO pays top dollar....emore..

Nah, i bet he made 1-1.5 million max on his last fight. But not 2. Plus, Chad wouldn't have made as much. HBO may pay top dollar, but not for yawn fests. And after Ward's latest yawn fest, it'll take a big entertainer in the other corner for him to command 2 million. He is extremely gifted though, i give you that. Ward is an excellent fighter. But not to the casual armchair fan that PPV can attract through hype. He is boring to them.

He got paid more than that for dawson.....

look Rosario got $500000 back in 87 on HBO.......and he wasn't p4p number 1.....

That's over a million bucks in 2012...

Still clinging on to that Rosario fee? Exception not rule old boy. When John Murray fought Rios for a title he got 75,000 dollars. And i do believe HBO carried that fight. Hardly mind blowing.

Also, HBO say they wont pay Burns 1 million to fight Broner in a unification fight. Broner, the new face of boxing and ten times more entertaining than Ward.

I never said that was the only one............So where you get exception to the rule from god only knows....

Bobby chyz got half a million for fighting Williams on the Hearns-Roldan UNDERCARD...

Plenty more If needed..

Froch has already lost to Kessler and knows he would get beaten again. Sky will not make that fight because they want Froch to fight guys they know he will beat and then hype him up as a great.

In fairness to froch at least they haven't gone down the tried and tested Warren route..

Dig up and old legend..beat him and say "he's just beaten a legend...."

If he was a WARREN fighter it'd be Roberto Duran vs Froch next summer!!

Gordy, why don't you write 'I'm here to write things that will annoy people and show i know little about boxing'. It be more subtle.

TRUSS, boxing in the 80s was a huge sport. Hence the relatively huge pay days. Also, JCC is an ATG, Ward is not. ALSO, Ward still has to establish himself as a star before he and his opponents benefit. It's why everyone and their dog want Mayweather. They'll get paid by association.

You know these things TRUSS, deep down you do, come on now.

lol @ TRUSS

Frank Warren is done. And looks bitter in his demise.

Your 80's argument is a good one....hadn't thought of that!!

Valid point for sure.........

However with inflation and the fact Ward is p4p number 1 I'm sure $2 million is reasonable for a unification..

Didn't King once put on a card with 8 world title fights and JCC, Nelson, Meldrick etc all on the under card?

It is in my opinion too mate. But let's be frank here TRUSS, HBO will not pay that for a Ward fight unless it's against a Canelo or Martinez. And that is never going to happen. For obvious reasons.

Great debating.

Canelo annoys me, he name drops opponents more than a C grade celebrity fresh off some reality show. He needs to fight genuine world level opposition next. Austin Trout, a available, prime, winning champion. Chavez Jr stepped up, eventually.

azania wrote:Cheers ghosty. Those plebs again. I reckon its the fight boxing needs. Froch should dump the belt. He makes the belt valid not the other way around.

But Kessler is European. meaning he won't fight unless there's a belt. The Euros love their trinkets. And Kessler has never held the nice shiny red one before.

To be fair though, unless Kessler has the chance to become a world champion again what's in it for him?