Froch unhappy despite win

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The showdown at the Trent FM Arena was both fighters' opening contest in the high-profile six-man tournament, pitting the reigning WBC champion and second-favourite against unbeaten and untested Michigan man Dirrell.

Froch told BBC Radio 5 Live: "I'm a little bit dissatisfied but I can only beat what's in front of me. Andre Dirrell is very fast, very skilful, very slick; if you couple that together with negativity, which is what he brought, you're going to get a bit of a dud fight."

He added: "We never really stood and had a trade and got going with anything.

"A win's a win, he can't expect to come to Nottingham and beat me by running and holding and complaining.

"I don't feel like I got hit or hurt at any stage. I felt comfortable all the way. Through the whole fight, I didn't feel hurt or jaded or fazed, it was just comfortable."

"I disagree with the spilt decision, but that's professional boxing, it's subjective scoring."

There was a nervous air as a split decision verdict was announced, but with Froch being awarded 115-112 by two judges and Dirrell 114-113 by the other, it was the Englishman who made a winning start to the tournament.

In the opening bout of the Super Six in Berlin, Arthur Abraham began with a superb 12th-round bonus-point knockout victory over fellow former middleweight champion Jermain Taylor.