Carl Froch vs. Andre Dirrell: Live Round-by-Round Updates

We'll be live-blogging Carl Froch (25-0, 20 knockouts) vs. Andre Dirrell (18-0, 13 KOs) with round-by-round updates of one of the biggest super middleweight fights of the year as part of the Showtime Super Six World Boxing Classic Super Middleweight Series.

The Froch-Dirrell bout is scheduled to start following the tape-delayed Showtime broadcast of the Arthur Abraham vs. Jermain Taylor matchup slated to begin at 8 p.m. ET.

Refresh this page often for minute-by-minute updates.

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Pre-fight: Introduced by Jimmy Lenny Jr., Dirrell, wearing a green baseball cap, green jacket and green gloves, and carrying two, small American flags in each hand, smiles against the chorus of boos from the partisan fans. The back of his jacket reads, in yellow letters, "Operation WBC Froch."

Froch enters to Queen's "We Will Rock You," wearing a black robe with white lettering. His song switches to Guns-N-Roses, "Welcome To The Jungle." Fans cheer, and the Union Jack -- England's flag -- is spotted as Froch pauses to acknowledge their screams before stepping through the ropes and into the ring.

Introduced by Lennon in the ring, yet again, Dirrell has removed his green jacket to reveal a shirt with his own face on it, saluting the American flag. The fans boo.

Fans are boisterous during Froch's introduction, and the champion throws combinations at an imaginary opponent.

Round 1: Dirrell wearing orange shoes, throws a three-punch combination out of the blocks. The fighters circle in the middle of the ring. A southpaw, Dirrell is fighting out of the right hand stance, jabbing with his left. They trade jabs, with Froch's falling short. Froch misses with a left hook. Dirrell lands two jabs. Dirrell, the yellow letters, USA on the back of his trunks, switches to southpaw. Froch runs into a jab, Dirrell beckons for him to come forward. Dirrell stands flat-footed. Froch jabs to the body. Dirrell's round, 10-9.

Round 2: Froch, in black trunks with white lettering, leaps and jabs but misses. Froch tries to jab to the body. Out of the right hand stance, Dirrell jabs twice, effectively. Dirrell backs off when Froch jabs. Two jabs land by Froch. Dirrell is back to southpaw, pawing with his right hand. Three jabs by Dirrell falls short. Froch misses with a long right hand, and takes a counter left hand from Dirrell. Froch misses with a right and Dirrell lands a left and then another left. Froch lands a right to the body. Froch has his hands down. Froch misses with a winging right. Dirrell misses with a left. Dirrell lands a double-left jab. Dirrell manages to stay out of the corners. Dirrell's speed is apparent against the slower Froch. Dirrell's round, 10-9.

Round 3: Dirrell steps in and lands two left hooks before the fighters clinch. Froch hits on the break and is warned. Froch is trying to cut off the ring. Dirrell lands a left to the body. Dirrell, out of the southpaw stance, lands a right and then a left. Dirrell mocks Froch after the champion's miss, raising both hands to his side. Another jab lands by Dirrell, who is successfully holding the champion off. Froch backs off to avoid three striaght rights from Dirrell, as the fighters trade right hands. Dirrell lands a left hand. Froch fails to pin Dirrell in a corner, yet again. Dirrell's round, 10-9.

Round 4: Dirrell meet Froch in the middle of the ring, still fighting as a southpaw. Dirrell steps in and lands a left hand set up by a right jab. Froch's hands are low. Dirrell lands a right to the body. Dirrell lands a right left and three straight jabs. Dirrell's nose or his lip have begun to run blood. Dirrell still lands a right jab. Froch begins to close the gap and must take risks, but he misses with a right. The crowd boos Dirrell. Froch lands a long right to Dirrel's right side. Froch lands a right to Dirrell's head in a corner, but Dirrell escapes further harm. Dirrell's round, 10-9.

Round 5: Froch closes the gap as Dirrell backs away. Dirrell lands a great overhand right, and then dances away. Froch lands a long, looping left. Froch takes a left and a long right from Dirrell, who still is in the left hand stance. Froch sneaks in a right, Froch takes a right and slings Dirrell to the ground. Froch is warned for his roughhouse tactics. Froch lands a nice jab. Froch misses with a left, and takes a counter right. Froch lands a jab. In a clinch, Dirrell takes a right to the jaw. Froch hits on the break, landing to Dirrell's body. Dirrell lands to the body again, but takes a right before the bell. Froch's round, 10-9.

Round 6: Froch misses with two punches, Dirrell loses balance and is on the canvas again, but not from a punch. Dirrell lands a left. Dirrell lands a double-left on Froch. Dirrell goes to his knees again, but gets up, again, not as a result of taking any blows. Dirrell takes a hard left and a right and then another left. Dirrell, in the corner, lands a left. The fighters are warned for getting dirty. Dirrell takes a right. Dirrell misses and takes two right hands in a clinch. Froch is encouraged. Dirrell smiles after a miss by Froch.. Dirrell drops to his knees again but gets up, yet again, without a punch having led to his tumble. Froch's round, 10-9.

Round 7: Dirrell starts with a nice combination. Froch comes forward, jabbing, hands down. Dirrell, appearing to be fading, is back to jabbing, and avoids being cornered. Froch digs to the body in a clinch. Froch lands a long right. Froch nails Dirrell during a clinch with a chopping right hand. Dirrell lands two left hands coming forward. Froch lands two rights and then a left. Froch lands another couple of rights as Dirrell holds on. Froch again punches Dirrell behind the head. Froch lands two more rights and then a left-right combination just before the bell. Froch's round, 10-9.

Round 8: Froch has gained in confidence, apparently believing Dirrell to be wilting under pressure. Dirrell is back to the right hand stance, and his early jabs are effective. Dirrell slips on a slick spot on the canvas and goes down -- but only after having landed a jab. Dirrell is up and lands a hard right. Dirrell takes another punch behind the head and Froch is not warned. Froch holds and hits, but later takes a three-punch combination. Dirrell takes a hard left hook that gets his attention along the ropes. Dirrell holds on, the crowd cheers, sensing that Froch has taken over the fight's momentum. Froch's round, 10-9.

Round 9: Froch walks through two jabs by Dirrell and lands a couple of jabs of his own. Dirrell's right eye is swelling. Froch, hands down, is beginning to walk in, but Dirrell lands a strong left, even as he takes a punch in return. Froch lands a short left inside. Dirrell takes a left but lands a left-right combination. Dirrell lands another left, as the punch begins to find a home. Dirrell avoids punishment on the ropes and then, absorbs a right, then a left. Froch is warned for holding and hitting again. Dirrell ends the round by landing four left hands. Dirrell's round, 10-9.

Round 10: Dirrell, in the 10th round for only the second time of his career, lands a combination. Froch, who has five stoppages after the 10th round, is experienced here. Dirrell lands a left and takes a left. Dirrell lands another left and spins Froch into a corner. Dirrell, however, fails to follow up. After Froch lands hard to the body, referee, Hector Afu, calls time, brings Dirrell to ring-center and indicates that he is penalizing Dirrell a point for holding. Dirrell is mystified and asks his corner why a point is beind deducted. Dirrell holds on, again, nevertheless. Dirrell lands a big left hand and backs up Froch with two more lefts, followed by a right. Dirrell hurts and wobbled a walking-forward Froch with a left-right combination. Dirrell pursues the wounded warrior three more blows before the bell. Even round, 9-9.

Round 11: Dirrell takes several short punches while in the corner, but gets out of trouble with a hard left hand. Dirrell hurts Froch, yet again, with about five left hands. Froch counters with a hard left hook. Froch lands to the body and head. Dirrell, hands down, fires a three-punch combination. Another left hand by Dirrell is followed up by two more, grazing left hands to Froch's head. Dirrell backs up Froch with another left. Dirrell's round, 10-9.

Round 12: Dirrell is told by trainer, Leon Lawson, to go for the knockout because he will not win a decision, and the younger fighter goes out initially to try and make it hapen. Dirrell fires a long, leaping left, followed by a short left before the fighters clinch. Dirrell lands two more lefts, one of which is an uppercut, as Froch backs up. Froch lands a left uppercut. Dirrell is back to southpaw. The fighters trade jabs. Dirrell chases Froch with a three-punch combination. Froch twice fails to land with Dirrell slipping punches in a corner. The fighters exchange at the bell. Dirrell's round, 10-9

Froch retains his title by split decision. Massimo Barrovecchio and Daniel Van De Wiele had it for Froch, 115-112. Dirrell was favored, 114-113, on the card of Alejandro Rochin.

FanHouse scored it for Dirrell, 115-113.