Froch v Kessler II: The panel on preparation

Ahead of Froch-Kessler II on May 25, Johnny Nelson, Jim Watt, Glenn McCrory and Richie Woodhall have had their say on the big fight. Here they share their verdict on each fighter's preparations for the O2 Arena showdown - and what the fighters will have learnt from their last meeting in 2010.

How does a rematch affect the mentality of a fighter - and will it change the way Froch and Kessler approach the contest tactically? Johnny Nelson: If it was a hard fight before you can sometimes go into a rematch a little gun shy and think 'I don't want to have to dig so deep again' but if you're like these two guys - and I admire their attitude - then be sure they will put it all on the line. When they come across each other they're very polite, very matter of fact, like two paid assassins eyeing each other up thinking 'I know what I'm going to do to you'. These two guys are for real and it's a mark of their physical and mental maturity that they are prepared to go there and give it their all once again. Glenn McCrory: I had a couple of rematches back in my day, two back-to-back rematches in my first year as a pro. I don't think I was as good second time round, certainly not as convincing. I was going over old ground as I had beaten them both, so beating the guy you've already beaten might make it harder for Kessler. I think because he won that first one, there is more pressure on Kessler, too, while, because he lost that first one, Froch knows he can do better. And has to do better! Richie Woodhall: Psychologically, going into this, Kessler has a little advantage because he won the first one. Carl desperately wanted the rematch so he can even it up, whereas Kessler will want to win with style and show he can do better than he did in the first fight, which was a close call. He'll remember how he beat Froch last time and in a way that might work against him - or rather give Froch the advantage. He is a tough, tough man psychologically and he will have that added desire to level the score because he will be the hungrier of the two. Jim Watt: If you look back through history of return matches of great fights they haven't always lived up - for instance, Marco Antonio Barrera-Erik Morales was phenomenal first time round but the second fight didn't touch it. The first time you box someone you don't know what to expect. But ahead of the return you are sitting in the dressing room knowing what's ahead of you. Your character really comes into a return match. Do you really want to do it the way you did before? Or do you want to lessen the impact a bit? Well, neither of these men are lacking in the character department, I can tell you. Of the two, Carl is the one who will drive this fight. He doesn't care about it being as hard as the first time, while Mikkel may say 'I've got skills I can use, I will have to go into the trenches once or twice, but it's not my plan to go there'.