Carl Froch, as the saying goes, has the world at his feet. The incredible 36-year-old scored his biggest and most satisfying win last night in crushing his most annoying and emotionally testing rival in George Groves (biggest in terms of record-breaking Box Office success and huge Wembley sell-out live gate) and now, as “The Cobra” casts an eye over how he will see out the remainder of his career as one of the greatest British fighters of all time, the options are plentiful for his next fight.
In silencing Groves – a talented and gifted fighter who pushed him hard over 15 rounds in two exciting battles – Froch showed once again how good he is. Capable of overcoming just about any style (with the exception of one boxer, who I will come back to further in this article), the Nottingham man has taken on all comers: see his fantastic wins over guys named Kessler, Bute, Dirrell, Abraham, Johnson, Pascal etc, etc. And now, already worthy, without any doubt, of being inducted into The Hall of Fame when the required amount of time has gone by, Froch can pick and choose how he walks away, the finishing touches put on his fine career.
Currently, there is talk of Froch either choosing to see his name lit up by the bright lights of Las Vegas, a fight there ticking another box for Froch, of taking on great Dane Kessler in a rubber-match, of attempting to add the WBC belt to his collection with a fight with Sakio Bika and/or of Froch taking on another Brit in once-beaten James DeGale, who earned his shot with a stoppage win over Brandon Gonzalez on last night’s mega-show. There may be more options on the table in the coming weeks, but already, Froch has some list to choose from.
And Froch, a fighter who has more than paid his dues, is entitled to that night in Vegas. But who would Froch, 33-2(24) face there should he take that option? A third Kessler fight would be better suited to a huge outdoor stadium in Europe, while a defence against DeGale wouldn’t be a smash hit in Vegas; nor would a Bika showdown. Froch would have to take on an American-known name with proven box office clout, say a Julio Cesar Chavez Junior, or, as has been mentioned in the past, a Gennady Golovkin – in what could be yet another option for Froch’s swansong. Then there is the one fighter and the one name that will always be brought up by Froch’s stubborn critics: Andre Ward.
A return with the man who widely out-pointed him in the “Super Six” final would probably prove attractive enough (even if Ward is not that great at shifting tickets, his boxing skill not exciting enough for some) but Froch would run the risk of going out a loser if he were to choose to tangle with the sublimely gifted Ward a second time. But Froch is a proud man, and maybe he will look at avenging this one remaining loss before he walks away. And as hard as he punched last night (albeit against a young fighter who, unlike Ward ever has been, was guilty of making a number of mistakes during battle), Froch can never, ever be counted out against anyone; even the brilliant Ward.
Froch though, when he’s finally gone and is looked back at years from now, will ultimately be remembered for his granite chin and his truly incredible quality of opposition. As tough and as durable as any British fighter you care to mention, Froch has further proved his worth by taking on, quite literally, all comers. Already he’s a lock for The Hall of Fame. Should Froch somehow find a way to defeat a Ward or a Golovkin before he’s through, he may well go down in history as THE greatest British fighter ever.
We fans from these shores are once again massively proud of Carl Martin Froch this morning.
