Carl Froch says he'll 'kill' Kessler if he has to, British Board upset about comments

Carl Froch is in a bit of trouble with the British Boxing Board of Control after some rather objectionable comments ahead of Saturday's fight with Mikkel Kessler.

Here's what Froch said:

"I will kill this fucker if I have to. It sounds brutal, it sounds horrible, but that's what this fight means to me. When I am smashing his face in, I am going to go for the kill. I want to do him some damage. I want to put the record straight.

"I've never felt like this before. I've wanted to win before, but there is something about this guy that winds me up. It's anger and I've got to channel it. I'm in there not just to win this fight but to put him out of the game.

"I don't want to see him any more. I'm sick of him, I'm sick of the fact he has beaten me. I want to put the record straight. And if that means I have to do him some serious damage, then I will do. After all, I had to watch him strap my belt around his waist."

Obviously, it's a little distasteful and arguably goes too far, but I have my doubts that Kessler thought to himself, "Gee, this guy threatened to murder me!"

Froch has since apologized, but the British Boxing Board of Control aren't exactly happy with the comments:

"Carl's comments are inappropriate and we are disappointed in them," (Robert Smith) told Britain's Press Association. "They are very uncharacteristic from Carl, who is usually a very well-behaved and measured young man.

"We are surprised and disappointed in his comments. I have spoken to his management team of Rob McCracken and Eddie Hearn and we are looking into it and will deal with it accordingly."

Froch may wind up getting a slap on the wrist, which would be fair enough, in my estimation. I've personally never been a fan of taking the trash talk quite this far, or even when fighters blab about how they'll "die in the ring." I find no value in that; to me, it's just off-putting in every way. Brutal as it is, boxing is a sport, a profession. It's not actual, real war. But that's just me. If Froch gets off with a stern warning, that's fair enough, too. It's not that big a deal, really.