Carl Froch got his Super Six World Boxing Classic campaign off to a winning start and maintained his 100 per cent pro record into the bargain with a close, often uninspiring points win over American Andre Dirrell in Nottingham recently.

It wasn't a classic by any stretch of the imagination and plenty of observers actually had the American winning the fight (despite him being terribly negative for long spells) but the Nottingham-born WBC boss did what he had to do and the win now sets up a potentially intriguing 2010 super-middleweight world title showdown with WBA kingpin Mikkel Kessler.

Kessler has to get by another American in Andre Ward in his first Super Six match but if he does that it looks like 'The Cobra' and the 'Viking Warrior' will put their respective WBC and WBA belts on the line when they do battle next year.

Froch failed to truly shine against Dirrell but it's hard to be critical of a fighter who has faced top-level opposition in each of his last three fights inside the last 12 months and remains unbeaten (now 26-0).

Last December he claimed the WBC strap with a memorable points win over the then unbeaten Jean Pascal in Nottingham. Pascal has since gone on to win the WBC belt at light-heavyweight. Then in April Froch crossed the pond and survived a third-round knockdown to stop Jermain Taylor in truly memorable fashion. There were just 14 seconds left in the fight when Froch iced Taylor and the Brit was behind on the scorecards at the time.

Dirrell was another unbeaten fighter who Froch ultimately managed to repel and with Kessler waiting in the wings one accusation you cannot level against 'The Cobra' is that he is out there looking for low-risk/high-reward assignments as champion.

There is an old-school feel to Carl and his approach to the game. He is not the quickest fighter out there but there is a belligerence and doggedness about him. He doesn't panic when things are not going his way and seems to have complete faith in his ability and power. He has taken some notable scalps in the past 12 months and along with David Haye seems the man most likely to topple Ricky Hatton as the best 'pound-for-pound' fighter on these shores.

We've still not had official word from Hatton about his future and he stays top of our list for now but Haye of course goes for WBA world heavyweight title glory against Russian behemoth Nikolai Valuev in his next fight.

Valuev has lost just once in 52 pro starts while this will be just Haye's third fight at heavyweight but there are plenty, including former 'pound-for-pound' star and undisputed heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis, backing the Londoner to come good.

It's a big ask to go to Germany and get your hand raised against a fighter who has never been off his feet in over 15 years as a pro but there is a star quality to Haye and he showed in winning the undisputed cruiserweight title against Jean-Marc Mormeck that he doesn't mind going into the Lion's den.

Elsewhere on the British beat John Murray underlined his status as the best lightweight in the country by blitzing Jon Thaxton recently. It was yet another mature and impressive display from Murray, who at just 24 looks to have a big future in the game.

His team again called out Amir Khan after the Thaxton fight and if Khan can see off Dimitry Salita in Newcastle in December then therev is a chance those two could meet for world honours next year.

Alas one fighter who won't be boxing for a world title any time soon is Salford light-middle Jamie Moore, who was surprisingly stopped in seven enthralling rounds by the evergreen Ryan Rhodes recently.

It seems weight-making finally caught up with the amiable Moore and he insists his future will now be at middleweight.

However take nothing away from Rhodes who showed at 32 there is life in the old dog yet and its possible Ryan, a contemporary of 'Prince' Naseem Hamed, might yet nail down a world title shot at 155lbs.

Moore's loss sees him drop off out of the top 10 and he is replaced by quality Leicester super-bantam Rendall Munroe, who tries for the European title at 8st 10lbs against the useful Simone Maludrottu in November.

Munroe has lost just once in 20 contests and that was up at featherweight in a British title challenge to Andy Morris back in 2006. He's won nine in a row since and in that time the stylish Midlands box-puncher has claimed British and Commonwealth belts.

Sportinglife.com pound-for-pound British top 10

1 - Ricky Hatton

2 - David Haye

3 - Carl Froch

4 - Amir Khan

5 - John Murray

6 - Junior Witter

7 - Kell Brook

8 - Kevin Mitchell

9 - Nathan Cleverly

10 - Rendall Munroe

Honourable mentions: Nicky Cook, Jamie Moore, Anthony Small and Alex Arthur.