by James Slater – You have to go back a while to remember a time when 31-year-old WBC super-middleweight champion Carl Froch had anything nice to say about Welshman Joe Calzaghe. For months now, “The Cobra” has tried to get himself a fight with “The Pride of Wales,” but Calzaghe has seemingly shown no interest. This is a shame, as a Calzaghe-Froch showdown at either 168 or 175-pounds, would be a huge occasion for British boxing – and a genuine grudge-match. Of course, no-one (but Froch) is criticising Calzaghe for thinking about retiring right now, as opposed to facing Froch or anyone else – after all, Joe, at 46-0 and after everything he’s achieved, has nothing at all left to prove to anyone..
But this has not stopped the 31-year-old from launching his latest verbal attack on the Welshman. The man who picked up Calzaghe’s vacated WBC super-middleweight belt with a fine win over Jean Pascal has been upset by Calzaghe’s lack of interest in facing him, and “The Cobra” also took umbrage when Joe said the sport of boxing was now a “dying sport.”
In today’s Daily Post, Froch let loose on Calzaghe once more.
“A fight with Calzaghe would be good but to be honest he’s past his best,” Froch said. “Joe’s been offered it before and turned it down, he doesn’t want to get bashed up and that’s fair enough. But he’s mugging himself off by not taking the fight. He doesn’t talk straight or make sense. Calzaghe won’t fight a man in his prime who has just become world champion.”
Froch was referring to the fact that in Joe’s last two fights – against 43-year-old Bernard Hopkins and 39-year-old Roy Jones Junior – Calzaghe faced men he sees as past their best. This choice of opponent annoyed Froch all the more as Joe said recently that boxing is a “dying sport.”
“I can’t believe he said that when he’s ducking me and fighting old men instead,” Froch said with regards to Joe’s “dying sport” claim. “It’s a very bitter comment because the fight game, especially in Britain, is in the best shape it has been for years.”
British boxing would do more great business if Froch and Calzaghe got it on. The soon-to-be 37-year-old Calzaghe may or may not be “past his best,” but the fact is undeniable that the Welshman is the biggest star (Ricky Hatton aside) in UK boxing right now. And despite what Froch would say to the contrary, Joe would be made a definite favourite if the two men were to meet.
Froch, sensing the fight won’t happen, is looking at other bouts instead.
“[Jermain] Taylor is my mandatory,” Froch said. “He’s not ideal as he’s been beaten a few times now (actually twice) but I’ll happily face him as he’s still a big name.”
A Froch-Taylor fight has been in the pipeline for some time now, and it seems this is the fight the unbeaten 31-year-old will get next.