WBC super-middleweight champion Carl Froch admitted he doesn't know what to expect from his Super Six opponent Andre Dirrell.
World champion won't take Dirrell lightly
WBC super-middleweight champion Carl Froch admitted he doesn't know what to expect from his Super Six opponent Andre Dirrell.
Froch faces the American in the tournament opener in his hometown of Nottingham on Saturday, a fight which also sees him defend his WBC title.
Despite being undefeated, Dirrell has yet to be really tested at the top level and while Froch shares his unbeaten record, he admits he doesn't know much else about him.
"Andre Dirrell seems very, very confident," he said. "He's got a big mouth; he's talking a lot of trash, but we don't actually know what he's got.
"He's an Olympic medallist and he's coming over and obviously wants to follow on that form. He's coming to Nottingham to take the WBC title home with him and he's going to do anything he can to try and take it off me.
"It's my job to make sure he doesn't."
Home advantage
The 32-year-old is expected to step into the ring in front of a sell-out crowd at the Trent FM Arena, the venue which saw him win his belt against Jean Pascal last December.
Froch successfully defended his title against Jermain Taylor in a gruelling 12-round fight in Connecticut in April, and the encounter made the Englishman realise the importance of a home crowd.
"I think it helps in a massive way," said Froch, whose record currently stands at 25-0 (20 KOs).
"I've been in America, fighting in front of Jermain Taylor's crowd all booing me and cheering him - even if a shot just misses your chin the crowd think it has landed and they cheer. You think 'this is bad' - you can feel it.
"When you get to round 10 or 11, you're feeling the pace and the crowd are booing you, it doesn't help. I boxed Jean Pascal at the Trent FM Arena for my world title fight - and the crowd really lifted me, they really did."
