Showtime and FSN Open Thread

Showtime is on. They open the broadcast by saying that the first four fights “had one thing in common:” Action? Drama? Controversy? “The hometown fighter one.” YEEAAAAAHHHH!!!!

“won”, not “one.” Geez, already…..?

I wonder if Caroline Wozniacki is at the fight? She and Kessler are friends — he got her into boxing as a training tool.

Brick, are you RBRing?

Kessler looks nervous, Froch looks confident. Not good, given the questions over Kessler’s mental state. First thirty seconds are just spent trading jabs at the middle of the ring. Nobody feels like pressing the action. Froch lunges with a 1-2 that misses. Jab by Kessler lands. Froch is looking to keep distance. Nice 1-2-3 by Froch.Kessler with a right to the body.Froch lands a combination and their heads nearly collide. Both guys look a little tentative, but I think Froch was boxing better.

10-9 Froch

Froch comes out pumping the jab and moving to his left. Kessler with a lead left hook, and then aright to the body.Left hook to the head by Kessler as Froch tries to weave. KEssler has Froch in the corner, but doesn’t press the advantage. Lunging uppercut by Froch lands., but he should be careful launching that from so far outside. Kessler is having some trouble pulling the trigger on his 1-2. Kessler jab is much better this round. Froch tries a 1-2 that’s picked off by Kessler’s gloves. Left to the body by Kessler. Good little combo with 10 seconds left by Kessler, though Froch snuck in a counterpunch. Improved round for Kessler, but still a bit slow.

10-9 Kessler, 19-19

Froch again begins the round controlling with his jab. Kessler lands a few body shots in the midst of a combo against the ropes. Straight right to the body by Kessler, Froch retaliates with a hook of his own. 1-2 by Froch. Froch misses a combo and does a 360 to face forward again. Another hard body shot by Kessler. First clinch of the fight in round 3, which gives a hint of what dimensions both guys want the fight in. Kessler catches Froch coming in. Tarver notices what I’ve noticed, that Kessler’s 1-2 doesn’t seem to have the snap thatit used to. Uppercut by Froch off the ropes. Jab lands by Kessler at the bell. Close round, I lean towards Kessler for pressing the action.

Kessler 10-9, 29-28 same.

Kessler tries to start a little more active, but Froch counterpunches him nicely for his trouble. Kessler now working the jab. This round really is a jab fest, and Froch’s jab is better. BIG right by Froch, best punch of the fight. They trade in the center, Froch gets the better of it. Froch is doing a great job this round maintaining distance with his jab. As I say it he jumps in and gets cuaght. Kessler closing the round well and lands to the body, but this was a Froch round.

10-9 Froch, 38-38

Kessler opens with the jab. Froch continues to jab and move to his left. Kessler misses with a hook. Froch lands with a nice hook as they both open up. Kessler lands with a jab. Kessler’s best punches have all been 1-2’s to the body; Tarver says it needs to come up top and I agree. Kessler with another right to the body. Ref rules that slip and I don’t know….

Froch thinks he’s hurt, and is opening up, landing a few punches in the immediate aftermath of the “slip”. Big right hand by Froch. Another combo by Froch. Keslser lands a nice punch of his own, but Froch is barely fazed by it. Excellent round by Froch.

10-9, 48-47 Froch

Announcers say the feet got tangled. The camera shot doesn’t show the feet, so I have to take their word for it. Kessler lands a nice right to star the round, Froch shakes his head. The pace has picked up. Second clinch of the fight — one every three rounds I guess.

Kessler starts banging to the body. Kessler doesn’t like to fight inside but he is a good body puncher. Overhand left lands by Kessler. Kessler tries a combo as Froch is against the ropes. Froch throwsr one of those awkward combos that glance off Kessler’s head. Solid combo by Kessler.

Kessler 10-9, 57-57. But I’d be a happier camper if I were Froch than Kessler.

Kessler to the body, Froch back to the head. Another right hand lands for Froch. Kessler to the body and lands up top as Froch is against the ropes. Froch goes back to the jab. Kessler misses with a 1-2 and Froch pushes him off. Kessler to the body, Froch counters to the head again. Kessler with two jabs and a hook. This fight doesn’t seem like it’s too taxing, which might take the steam off of Froch’s vaunted late fight charges. Left hand gets in by Froch and another. Froch complains about a shot behind the head. Kessler picks it up at the end of the round — I think something might have just clicked there.

10-9 Kessler, 67-66 same

More jabs start the round. They trade straights about 45 seconds in. Kessler loops a hook, then goes back to the jab. Froch is boxing well, but he just isn’t doing that much. Kessler with another looping shot and Froch counters with a jab.Froch tries a hook but Kessler catches it.Nice counter by Kessler and Froch is hurt. Does Kessler notice it? Kessler isn’t pressingHe’s got him in the corner and starts working the body. He’s still hurt. Kessler with a straight to the body. Froch is holding on as the round ends. Man, I don’t know why Kessler didn’t press more.

10-9 Kessler, 77-75 same

Kessler lands a jab to Froch’s chest. Froch has his legs back by the looks of it. Kessler lands to the body as Froch comes in; Froch with a nice upper cut to Kessler’s body. Kessler goes back to the body. Tarver thinks Froch’s nose is broken. Combo by Froch lands. Kessler lands a hook as Froch tries to turn away, then goes upstairs/downstairs. Kessler lands behind the head.

One minute left, and Kessler still isn’t pressing like I’d want him to. Froch complains about a head butt. Froch comes in and lands, forcing Kessler back. An uppercut by Kessler. A sweeping hook by Froch. This is one of those rounds where the one guy won, but you feel like it’s slipping away from him at the same time. Froch is getting sloppy.

10-9 Froch, 86-85 Kessler.

Uppercut by Kessler lands to open the round. Kessler misses with a leaping hook. Froch lands with one of those weird combinations that seem to come from nowhere. Double jab lands by Kessler, and Froch tries another lunging uppercut. Body shot by Kessler, Froch lands back to the head.Kessler with a combo to the body. Nice left by Froch that catches Kessler. Overhand by Kessler lands. Froch misses most of his combination to the body as Froch got a little too close. Kessler with some more body work. Froch caught against the ropes as the round comes to the close and Kessler gets some good shots in.

10-9 Kessler, 96-94 same

Kessler opens up with two puunches to Froch’s head. Kessler stalking Froch towards the ropes and lands another combo. He tries it again, but most of it was blocked by Froch. Froch misses with a sweeping hook. Froch tries to come forward, but Kessler tries to catch him coming in. Kessler with an overhand right, and then a big straight right that seems to stun Kessler. They trade hooks in the center, and Kessler presses forward. Keslser is really prssing. HUGE right by Kessler. Kessler works on the inside, Froch with combination that splits Kessler’s guard. Kessler works wel on the isnide. And catcheS Froch again coming in. Both are letting all hang out this round. Another big hook to Froch’s body, and that’s really been effective throuhgout the fight.

10-9 Kessler, 106-103 same

They open up trading, both know they need the round. I have Kessler up, but there are a ton of close rounds. Kessler tries an overhand, and then lands with two jabs and a right. Counter right hook by Kessler lands, Froch tries a 1-2 that misses . Froch lands to the body, but gets warned for straying low. Kessler tries a 1-2 again, and they trade inside. Froch gets hit with a hook — they are trading something wild on the inside, and they are totally gased. Froch with a great combo, Kessler tries to answer.BIG left Kessler.He’s’s got Froch on the ropes, buty Froch works his way off. They both land with big shots.. Big shots by Froch with 20 seconds. Kessler with another 1-2, and Kesselr closes big! God, how do you score that round.

By throwing up my hands, that’s how.

10-10, 116-113 Kessler

I really want Kessler to win though. More drama in Round 3 that way.

117-111
115-113
116-112

KESSLER BY UD

Very tight fight, but Kessler showed a ton of mental fortitude in gutting this fight out.

was unforgivably bad. His garbled syntax reminds me of Mike Goldberg’s UFC stuff, which is insufferable. And he can’t understand what’s going on in the ring.

Bernstein and Tarver would be great on their own. Why is Gus even there?