CARL FROCH: ICE BATHS KEY TO BEATING MIKKEL KESSLER

Guardian Kevin Mitchell19th February, 2010

Herning, a city of 45,000 people, sits in the middle of Denmark and will provide the warmest of welcomes for Nottingham's Carl Froch when he travels there to fight their national hero, Mikkel Kessler, on 24 April. Froch would have preferred the fight to be in Copenhagen but he returned from Herning yesterday reasonably content.

"I went into the lion's den in Connecticut to fight Jermain Taylor in the middle of a big forest," the unbeaten WBC super-middleweight champion said in his home town today. "It was difficult. There were 5,000 fans booing me and about five fans cheering me but, when you are in that ring, it's just you and your opponent and the referee. The ring can be wherever. The result is going to be the same."

It was a typically robust declaration by Froch, who edged by the young American Andre Dirrell in the first round of Showtime's Super Six series to find the world's best fighter at 12 stones and views round two against Kessler with equanimity.

The Dane is equally relaxed. When a boxer describes an opponent as "my type of fighter", as Kessler said of Froch before he arrived in Nottingham, it is safe to assume their contest will be no tea party.

Kessler, a brave loser to Joe Calzaghe in November 2007, was the pre-tournament favourite but lost the WBA title in the first round of the series when he was outpointed by Andre Ward in the Californian's backyard. He looked as slow against Ward as Froch did against Dirrell. They are perfectly matched for a slugging match in centre ring.

"I've been in the gym for five weeks," Kessler said today. "I've got a new coach, Jimmy Montoya, and we're doing the best things I can possibly do to face a good fighter like Carl. I'll be more than ready for this fight."

Montoya, who says he would like to train Ricky Hatton for his comeback, is based in Berlin. "The other day," Montoya said, "Kessler said to me, 'Not only am I going to win a title back, I'm going to win the Super Six tournament'.

"He's doing great and I really feel he will do it. He's got a lot of things that he can do that he hasn't been doing, which he will do pretty soon. No fighter is complete until he dies. The more he works, the more he can learn."

Froch and Kessler will learn plenty about each other in Herning in April.