Where now for Carl Froch?

I wasn't altogether surprised when I heard the news that Carl Froch had lost his first professional fight to the formidable Dane Mikkel Kessler last weekend. Froch had looked well below par in his previous 'Super-Six' outing against Andre Dirrell and it was always going to be tough taking on the remarkably durable Kessler in his own backyard.
Froch's preparation for the fight was further hampered by an ear infection and the volcanic ash situation but the Nottingham-man, to his credit, has never been one for excuses. Having finally watched the fight - it's been a busy week, don't ask - I have some sympathy with those members of Froch's camp who have complained about the scoring. To be honest, I think the verdict was a fair one. Froch has an infuriating habit of keeping his hands dangling near his waist and a tendency to stand back and admire his handiwork after landing big shots instead of pressing home his advantage and finishing the job. He didn't do enough to keep his WBC title and he probably knows it. Having said that I have no clue how one of the judges scored the fight 117-111 to Kessler. Was he watching the same fight? Most of the rounds were pretty close and Froch had the better of the early exchanges in what was, at times, an enthralling fight. The last two rounds in particular will live long in the memory and marked perhaps the first time this Super-Six contest has really kicked into life. Froch has nothing to be ashamed of, none of the fighters taking part in the contest have won away from home so far and it was always going to be a big ask taking on Kessler in front of 10,000 partisan Danes. With a 1-1 record from his first two fights in the competition, Froch is far from out of it, and could still figure in the final reckoning to decide the world's best super-middleweight. Unless, as reports suggest, he rules himself out of the competition because of a dispute over the venue of his next fight with Arthur Abraham. That would be foolish.