Prior to last Saturdays WBC super-middleweight title fight, Carl Froch was one of those names that I’d heard but knew very little about. The only thing I did know was his age, so I went into the fight with a pretty open mind.
However, my allegiance was won over the moment Froch entered the arena. Not because of the 31 year olds confidence, bravado or showmanship, but the man’s music taste. The fighter nicknamed the ‘Cobra’ entered the Nottingham Arena to the classic sound of Queen, more specifically ‘We Will Rock You’. This was followed by the Guns ‘n’ Roses epic, ‘Welcome to the Jungle’. A song that set the tone for a fight that saw two boxers scrapping like animals, baying for each others blood.
The fight was reminiscent of the first legendary encounter between Nigel Benn and Chris Eubank back in 1990 with both contenders battling relentlessly for the vacated world title, given up by Joe Calzaghe after ten years of untouchable domination.
Apart from rounds six and seven where both Froch and Pascal showed their first signs of fatigue, the fight was a classic and a shining example of, in my opinion, how boxing should be. It was like watching Rocky Balboa against Apollo Creed!
By the end of the twelve, both fighters felt they had won the bout and awaited the decision of the three scoring judges. However, the grit and determination of the ‘cobra’ was rewarded with a unanimous point’s decision, sparking his home town crowd into hysteria.
Although credit has to be paid to Pascal who was unlucky not to come away with a win and the world title in the bag. The Canadian had a lot of success with his overhand right and showed an astonishing amount of punch resistance. He even managed force a cut on Froch’s left eyelid in the eighth before his energy levels were sapped after receiving one too many jabs.
Froch, a former British and commonwealth champion, is now unbeaten in 24 professional bouts and will look to dominate the division in the way that Joe Calzaghe has done. The Nottingham man has even challenged the Welshman to put off his impending retirement to try and take the title back.
A fight that has been completely dismissed by the unbeaten 36 year old who laughed off the prospect when he jokingly asked the BBC who Froch was?
“Carl who? Who’s that guy? Nah? He is a long way off deserving a fight with me and should join the list, along with Bernard Hopkins, Mikel Kessler and Chad Dawson.”
Now Froch’s performance on Saturday did win me over and I am now a big fan of his, but I think he is getting a little ahead of himself by talking up a fight with Calzaghe. For now, he should look to defend his title against Jermaine Taylor, which in itself is a big ask before looking for the big money super fights that he craves.
However, my allegiance was won over the moment Froch entered the arena. Not because of the 31 year olds confidence, bravado or showmanship, but the man’s music taste. The fighter nicknamed the ‘Cobra’ entered the Nottingham Arena to the classic sound of Queen, more specifically ‘We Will Rock You’. This was followed by the Guns ‘n’ Roses epic, ‘Welcome to the Jungle’. A song that set the tone for a fight that saw two boxers scrapping like animals, baying for each others blood.
The fight was reminiscent of the first legendary encounter between Nigel Benn and Chris Eubank back in 1990 with both contenders battling relentlessly for the vacated world title, given up by Joe Calzaghe after ten years of untouchable domination.
Apart from rounds six and seven where both Froch and Pascal showed their first signs of fatigue, the fight was a classic and a shining example of, in my opinion, how boxing should be. It was like watching Rocky Balboa against Apollo Creed!
By the end of the twelve, both fighters felt they had won the bout and awaited the decision of the three scoring judges. However, the grit and determination of the ‘cobra’ was rewarded with a unanimous point’s decision, sparking his home town crowd into hysteria.
Although credit has to be paid to Pascal who was unlucky not to come away with a win and the world title in the bag. The Canadian had a lot of success with his overhand right and showed an astonishing amount of punch resistance. He even managed force a cut on Froch’s left eyelid in the eighth before his energy levels were sapped after receiving one too many jabs.
Froch, a former British and commonwealth champion, is now unbeaten in 24 professional bouts and will look to dominate the division in the way that Joe Calzaghe has done. The Nottingham man has even challenged the Welshman to put off his impending retirement to try and take the title back.
A fight that has been completely dismissed by the unbeaten 36 year old who laughed off the prospect when he jokingly asked the BBC who Froch was?
“Carl who? Who’s that guy? Nah? He is a long way off deserving a fight with me and should join the list, along with Bernard Hopkins, Mikel Kessler and Chad Dawson.”
Now Froch’s performance on Saturday did win me over and I am now a big fan of his, but I think he is getting a little ahead of himself by talking up a fight with Calzaghe. For now, he should look to defend his title against Jermaine Taylor, which in itself is a big ask before looking for the big money super fights that he craves.
Follow the link to hear Calzaghe's thoughts on the matter...
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