Moments ago, stage 3 of the Super Six World Boxing Classic tournament wrapped up as Carl Froch and Arthur Abraham battled for the vacant WBC super middleweight title at Hartwall Arena in Helsinki, Finland. Find out who won and relive all the action in FightHype's in-depth minute-by-minute round-by-round results.
PREFIGHT
Abraham makes his way to the ring first. He shows little emotion on his face; just another day at the office. Carl Froch comes out next. He looks confident and ready to go to battle.
ROUND 1
Abraham comes out behind his high guard. Froch circling and just touching Abrahams gloves with his jab. Quick jab lands for Abraham. Lunging right hand from Abraham misses. Froch lands an uppercut and a right against the ropes. Abraham lands a right. Right to the body lands for Froch. Quick left hand lands for Abraham. Froch measuring with his jab, but he's sticking it out there consistently. Right to the body lands for Froch. They trade jabs. Hard right hand down the middle lands for Froch. Round to Froch, who looks a hair bit quicker.
Froch 10 Abraham 9
ROUND 2
Froch continues to stick his jab into the guard of Abraham. Froch circles; Abraham stalks. Right hand from Froch is blocked by Abraham's guard. They trade jabs to the body. Froch blasts an uppercut and a right hand through the guard of Abraham. Right to the body lands for Froch. Now Abraham lets his hands go and lands a 1-2. Left hook lands for Abraham. Froch digs a five-punch combo to the body. Right hand upstairs lands for Froch. Abraham lands a jab. Round to Froch. Abraham has to get more active.
Froch 20 Abraham 18
ROUND 3
They trade jabs to start the round. Froch firing his jab upstairs and downstairs. Jab lands for Abraham. Froch continues to fire jabs at the guard of Abraham. Most are blocked, but one might sneak in every now and then. Abraham lands a nice left hook. Now a right hand lands for Abraham. Another. Froch misses with a big right. Now Froch lands a 1-2 as he walks Abraham backs to teh ropes. Froch lets his hands go, but a lot of those punches blocked. Abraham invites him in. Froch misses with another wild right hand. Abraham landed a few nice shots, but he's simply getting outworked in there by Froch. Round to Froch.
Froch 30 Abraham 27
ROUND 4
Froch taking a wide stance, looking as though he wants to mix it up with Abraham a bit more. They trade jabs. Right hand from Froch blasts through the guard of Abraham. More jabs to the guard from Froch. A couple of right hands from Froch land on Abraham's guard, but they back him up. Abraham grazes Froch with a 1-2. Right to the body lands for Froch. Now Abraham explodes and lands a nice right hook that gets a smile out of Froch. Abraham turning up the pressure a little bit more, but still not enough to win the round. Round to Froch.
Froch 40 Abraham 36
ROUND 5
They trade a couple of jabs. Abraham looking to close teh distance. Left hook from Froch catches Abraham as he jumps in. More jabs to the guard of Abraham. Now Froch lands a right to the body. Another right and a left to the body lands for Froch. Abraham just covers up and presses forward. Nice left hand lands for Froch. Abraham chopping down with his right hand, but missing wildly. Froch keeping him at bay with his jab. Abraham throwing an odd looking right hand that keeps missing. Froch picking him apart from the outside with his jab. Nice left hand down the middle lands for Froch to close out the round. Round to Froch.
Froch 50 Abraham 45
ROUND 6
Froch continues to fire that jab into the guard of Abraham, essentially keeping him from firing anything back. They trade some more jabs, but Froch, with his longer reach, seems to be more effective with his. Another jab from Froch snaps the head back of Abraham. Right hand from Froch lands on the ear of Abraham. HARD 1-2 to the body lands for Froch and Abraham backs up. As inactive as Abraham has been, I think Manny Pacquiao could probably move up and beat him. Now Abraham explodes and lands a nice 1-2. Another nice quick combo lands for Abraham. Froch lands a left though. Another left hook from Froch lands and Abraham slips to the canvas. No knockdown. A little more action from Abraham to close out the round, but I still gotta give the first 2 minutes and 30 seconds to Froch. Abraham just doesn't look good at all in there tonight.
Froch 60 Abraham 54
ROUND 7
The jab from Froch really starting to push Abraham back now, even though it's only hitting his guard. Nice right hand lands for Froch. They trade jabs. Froch unleashes 10, 11, 12 punches on Abraham. Even though most of them were blocked, they still give the impression that Abraham is getting battered against the ropes. Stiff jab lands for Abraham. Nice right hand from Froch sneaks in through the guard. Looping right hand from Abraham is blocked. HARD right hand to the body lands for Froch to end the round. Round to Froch.
Froch 70 Abraham 63
ROUND 8
Abraham looks as though he's losing some steam in there. A couple of jabs land for Froch. Abraham bulls forward, but he's quickly tied up by Froch. They trade jabs. Right to the body lands for Froch. Again, Abraham backs up to the ropes and just lets Froch wail away on his arms. Now Abraham bulls forward and lands an elbow that gets a warning from the ref. They trade jabs. Froch lands a right and a left upstairs. Right to the body and a couple more jabs land for Froch. Abraham leaps in sloppily and wings a right and a left that's blocked. Round to Froch.
Froch 80 Abraham 72
ROUND 9
It's beginning to look like Froch may have had tougher sparring sessions than the actual fight itself. More jabs from Froch, who's simply circling Abraham and preventing him from punching. A couple of nice right hands land for Froch. Abraham lands a couple of jabs. Froch just batters the guard of Abraham, keeping his distance and controlling the action. Another right hand lands for Froch. Abraham does little other than leap in with a left or right hand occassionally. Froch backs him up with a left hook. Another attempted elbow from Abraham, and Froch answers with a cheap shot after the bell. Round to Froch.
Froch 90 Abraham 81
ROUND 10
Double, triple jabs from Froch. Abraham just covers up. Left and a right from Froch backs Abraham up to the ropes. Truth be told, I don't think Abraham has anything left to offer and Froch could probably stop him if he just threw caution to the wind. More circling and jabbing from Froch. More covering up from Abraham. Now Abraham lands a right. Froch firing the jab upstairs and downstairs. They trade left hooks. Stiff jab lands for Abraham. HARD left hook to the body lands for Froch. Abraham retreats to the ropes and just covers up. They trade jabs. Wild right hand from Abraham misses. Round to Froch.
Froch 100 Abraham 90
ROUND 11
Froch continues to dominate with virtually his jab alone. Nice right hand from Froch sneaks in again. Right and a left from Froch batters Abraham's guard. They trade jabs. Nice left hook to the body lands for Froch. Abraham tries to milk it as a low blow, but the ref says fight on. Another nice left to the body lands for Froch. Abraham throwing nothing back; he looks to be in survival mode. Jab, jab and a right hand from Froch blasts through the guard of Abraham again. Froch making this look so easy. Round to Froch as Abraham walks back to his corner looking like a defeated man.
Froch 110 Abraham 99
ROUND 12
A desparate Arthur Abraham comes out letting his hands go. Froch avoids any serious damage and goes right back to his game plan; just stick and move. Jab, jab, right hand from Froch makes Abraham cover up. Abraham gets in a right. They trade jabs. Nice three-punch combo to the body followed by a left hook upstairs lands for Froch. Abraham lands a jab. Froch digs another right to the body and a left upstairs. Froch just stuffing that jab in Abraham's face. Left hook counter lands for Froch. Round to Froch.
Froch 120 Abraham 108
Official judges scorecards: 119-109, 120-108, 120-108
THE WINNER BY UNANIMOUS DECISION...AND NEW WBC SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPION....CARL FROCH.