Froch conqueror withdraws from Super Six tournament

Mikkel Kessler, the only man to defeat Nottingham’s Carl Froch, has announced his withdrawal from the Super Six super-middleweight tournament due to a longstanding eye problem.

“This is the most disappointing moment of my boxing career. After defeating Carl Froch, I was on the way to win the tournament, so pulling out now really hurts,” began Kessler in a statement released today.

“The eye problem has bothered me since the beginning of the Super Six in my preparation for the bout against Andre Ward. It also bothered me in the fights against (Andre) Ward and Froch, and in my training for the fight against (Allan) Green it has become unbearable. I have consulted leading experts in Denmark and Germany and they have advised me to take a break from boxing so that the problem can heal,” the Dane continued.

“I have been assured that it will heal completely and that I will be back in the ring next year. As a fair sportsman, I do not want to delay the Super Six, which is still the best thing that has happened to boxing for a long time. I wish my fellow contestants the best of luck – may the best man win. I will be there to fight the winner in 2011,” vowed Kessler.

Kessler’s matchup with Allan Green (who replaced original competitor Jermain Taylor in the Super Six) which was scheduled to take place in Hernig on 25 September has now been shelved.

Organisers Showtime will release a statement with regards to the future direction of the Super Six tournament in the coming days. Froch is currently preparing to take on Arthur Abraham for a place in the Super Six's semi-finals on 2 October in Monaco.