10.12.08 – Mark Boyles: After a great performance against Jean Pascal on the weekend, one has to ask where does Froch go from here?
I suppose my curiosity comes from watching Joe Calzaghe’s career, and watching him flatten mandatory challenger after mandatory challenger in half empty halls, without ever getting that massive opportunity to get a huge money fight..
It’s very easy to blame Calzaghe’s camp, and a lot of people will talk about how he didn’t seem willing to fight Jones or Hopkins in their prime, but is it possible that to Jones and Hopkins, Calzaghe wasn’t a big enough name to warrant their attention in their prime? Certainly he wasn’t worth leaving the comfort of the US to fight in London or Cardiff for.
To that end, Froch might have a better shot at getting those career making (and bank balance padding) fights. His next mandatory challenger is Jermain Taylor, who, assuming he doesn’t pull out of a fight with Froch again, is a fighter that will get the attention of HBO. If however, Taylor doesn’t take the fight, it could mean a Calzaghe-esque time financially, fighting his way through the various unknown mandatory challengers, and having to unify the division to get himself into the American limelight.
The WBC belt might provide more incentive for people like Taylor to get into the ring with him, but Inkin ducked him, (twice) in a WBC eliminator and went on to become a world champion. Taylor pulled out, but seems to be enjoying financial success in the US taking on the likes of Lacy, who hasn’t been the same fighter since losing the IBF title and that serious shoulder injury.
Promoter Mick Hennessey said there are other big fights for Carl if Taylor and Calzaghe don’t happen. I can only assume he’s talking about Bika, Bute or Kessler. None of them though, are the kind of “big name” fighters that people will pay huge money to watch. I don’t know why it seems to work this way, but the biggest money in boxing comes from the US market, and it always seems more interesting watching a trans-atlantic slugfest. Perhaps it’s down to the fact US fighters know how to hype their fights. Bernard “I will never let a white boy beat me!” Hopkins, springs to mind, along with the likes of Floyd Mayweather Junior, who I’m sure most people would pay to watch, hoping somebody could actually prove the man wrong, rather than because he was such a prolific talent. Perhaps for Froch to break into the big time he needs to start talking more. It’s working for David Haye.