15.04.05 – British and Commonwealth champion Carl Froch landed in Los Angeles with promoter Mick Hennessy and trainer Robert McCracken on Tuesday, nine days ahead of his American debut on April 21st when he appears in the live co-feature of a HBO Latino bill at the Avalon venue in Hollywood.
The 27-year-old from Nottingham will contest a ten rounder against the highly respected WBC #11 Henry Porras from Costa Rica. “This is my big opportunity to show America exactly what I am all about,” said ‘The Cobra’.
“I am already feared by the fighters on my side of the pond – Calzaghe and Magee have both ignored challenges. Robin Reid has also ducked me. I see now that he has chosen to step in against IBF champion Jeff Lacy – but even then it appears he had to be dragged kicking and screaming to the table.
“Lacy won’t have to come looking for me. I am already in his backyard and after I have done a job on Porras I will be in his face constantly.”
He added: “I am about to scare the life out of all the super middleweights in the USA.
“Porras is a dangerous operator, so when I do a better job on him than the likes of Otis Grant, Danilo Haussler and Mikkel Kessler, who in my opinion earned a premature stoppage over Porras, people will sit up and take notice.
“I should also go straight in to the WBC’s top ten; it’s all part of the plan to bring a genuine world title back to England before the end of the 2005.
“I intend to take out a major name to win that title. That is the way to become a superstar of boxing.
“Fighting nobodies for vacant titles means absolutely nothing. I don’t want anything handed to me on a plate.”
The contest against Porras is the first of three this year that will see Froch campaign Stateside under a strategic partnership between Hennessy Sports and Oscar de la Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions.
He hasn’t taken long to find his feet.
“I love it over here,” he added. “There is a good vibe and I think the American’s will take to me; I have a style they will love.
“These fight fans know their boxing. They wouldn’t stand for some of the crap that British fight fans are forced to put up with – bogus titles and the like.
“When I was over here helping Howard Eastman prepare for his challenge to undisputed middleweight champion Bernard Hopkins, a lot of people were coming up to me and telling me that they loved the way I fight.”
He added: “I will be spending time in a few different gyms on this trip to soak up the experience.
“Yesterday I had an excellent session at the Montoya gym in Hoover Street, South Central. Tomorrow we are going to visit the Wild Card Gym.
“Thanks to Oscar de la Hoya and Richard Schaefer at Golden Boy, I also have full access to Oscar’s private gym.
“What other British boxers can say they get the opportunity to train at Oscar de la Hoya’s gym and then fight on one of his promotions?
“I really appreciate the faith both Mick Hennessy and Oscar have placed in me.
“I will repay it in spades with a series of sensational performances over here.
“Strap yourself in and get ready for the ride; I’m about to set world boxing alight.”
photo © Hennessy Sports