Source: This is Nottingham

Unbeaten super middleweight contenders Carl Froch (23-0, 19 KO) and Jean Pascal (21-0, 14 KO) will fight on December 6 to decide the vacant WBC title in Froch's hometown Nottingham.

British champion Froch, 31, has been out of action since May, when he beat late replacement Albert Rybacki via fourth round TKO at the Nottingham Arena. He was to face Denis Inkin, who repeatedly pulled out of the bout. It was the same night that Timothy Bradley upset Junior Witter for the WBC junior welterweight title.

Froch then attempted to pursue a fight with Jermain Taylor, who opted instead for more money to take on Jeff Lacy in his super middleweight debut, coming on November 15. He has also called out Joe Calzaghe, who vacated the title, on numerous occasions, to no avail.

Haitian-Canadian Pascal, 25, last fought in January, beating Omar Pittman in a fight where he dominated before taking his foot off the gas pedal and getting himself in way too much trouble. He was part of an ESPN2 double-header with Edison Miranda that night (the night Miranda turned David Banks' lights out), and the card had been designed to set up a Miranda-Pascal fight for the summer. It never came to pass.

Early favorite? I don't know. Froch will have a big hometown edge, and he's a fine boxer, but he was unimpressive against Rybacki, who came in with a soft, pretty record. Pascal can be electric, just lightning fast, but he also has bad defensive lapses and can box his way out of fights, like he did against Pittman.

If both guys fight their best, I favor Pascal. He's a more dynamic fighter.