CARL Froch has been training for his big fight with Mikkel Kessler – next door to an elderly ladies friendship group.
The Post were invited to watch the Cobra in the ring for a couple of hours at Phoenix ABC this week.
It is where he began his boxing career as a kid and even though he is now a millionaire three-time world champion he still goes back there to train.
And as he worked up an almighty sweat during some ferocious pad and heavy bag work with his coach Rob McCracken, nine pensioners were having a quiz in the little community centre.
The big question on everyone's lips, of course, is can Froch beat the great Dane and avenge a controversial points defeat to him in Denmark just over three years ago?
The IBF champion certainly looks in great shape with a week to go until they come face to face in a sold-out O2 Arena in London – and he is determined to make sure there will be no need for the judges after 12 rounds this time.
"The loss to him still plays in my mind; it still upsets me when I think about it," said Froch.
"But it doesn't ruin my night's sleep. I'm very much over it.
"I've become a world champion two more times since losing to him.
"It was a close fight that could have gone either way.
"If you ask 100 people who won, 50 would say me and 50 would say Kessler and if the same fight was in England and not Denmark, I would maybe have got the nod.
"On the night, I didn't do enough to win the fight for numerous reasons, but this time it's on my turf.
"It's not in my backyard, it's not in Nottingham. But a fight of this magnitude needs to be in an arena as big as the O2.
"I'm confident I won't need to leave it to the judges and any influence of any home crowd advantage.
"If I do the job I know I can do, I'll get him out of there."
It was mesmerising watching Froch in action so close to such a huge fight in his career and as he shadowboxed in the ring it was almost as if he was picturing Kessler in front of him with every punch he threw.
"I think about what maybe he is going to be doing," he said afterwards.
"He's going to maybe throw the jab and the right hand, he throws a lot of straight shots and he throws the right hand to the body as well.
"I'm not visualising his face, but I'm honed in and in the zone that's for sure.
"We're working to a plan, we've got our tactics laid out.
"There are reasons I'm doing what I'm doing.
"When I'm training, jabbing and letting my shots go and putting my combinations together, I'm thinking about where my opponent's going to be, what's coming back at me, what kind of shots.
"Once I've attacked him, I'm thinking about what he's going to look to counter-punch with and getting out the way of them.
"It's all very much thought about, it's all methodical and I'm very much in the zone."
Having worked so hard to prepare for the fight, Froch believes he will be fitter, sharper and stronger than he ever has been when he goes toe to toe with Kessler and that he has every base covered for when the bell goes.
"It's not so much I've got this plan and it's got to work. He's (Kessler) talking about having a Plan A, B, C and D," he added.
"What I do when I fight is react to what my opponent does.
"If he's trying to come forward and land big shots then I move my feet, move my legs, get out of his way and get behind my long jab.
"I've got a longer reach than Mikkel Kessler so if he comes in looking for a war early on, looking to stand and fight early on, and I don't want to, I'll get behind my long reach and keep him at the end of my punches.
"If he's looking at jabbing and moving and keeping me at the end of his reach early on then maybe I'll put him on his back foot, shorten my shots up, close him down and start hooking a bit, throwing different punches, body shots. So it's not like I've got this plan and that plan, I just fight.
"I think it's Newton's third law of motion that every action causes a reaction, so whatever he does I'll react accordingly – and effectively – to get the win."
Carl Froch is an ambassador for Betfair.
For the latest pre-fight odds for Betfair's Warriors' Call, Froch v Kessler II, visit http://www.betfair.com/sport
