22.01.09 – by James Slater – There had been talk of a super-middleweight match-up between Nottingham, UK’s Carl Froch and Arkansas man Jermain Taylor even before “The Cobra” became the WBC 168-pound champion. This talk revved up again recently, as “Bad Intentions” is Froch’s number-one contender. However, the fight – which is still being haggled with purse bids at the moment – remains to be been signed..
Froch, who won his world title in a December, 2008 thriller against Canada’s Jean Pascal, has made no secret of the fact that he wants the fight – even claiming he would be happy to travel to America for the intriguing clash. But does Taylor want it? One man who says the former middleweight king does not want the fight is Mike Marley, advisor to WBA super-middleweight boss Mikkel Kessler.
Speaking over the phone today on The Steve Bunce Boxing Hour, the vocal Marley said Taylor and his people want nothing to do with the unbeaten “Cobra.”
“Jermain Taylor is a shell of what he used to be,” Marley said. “He’s very vulnerable and he didn’t look great in his win against Jeff Lacy. He can’t afford another loss, so that’s why Taylor’s people don’t want the fight [with Froch.]
“Even Stevie Wonder and Ray Charles can see they don’t want the fight.”
This is debatable, but also on today’s hourly show the news was revealed that Mick Hennessey, promoter of Froch, has offered Taylor a $1 million greater offer that what was originally on the table, so as to try and get “Bad Intentions” to come over to Froch’s hometown of Nottingham for the bout. We will await Team-Taylor’s response to this offer.
In case Taylor-Froch does not happen, though, Marley says one fighter who would be willing to face the 31-year-old is his own Mikkel Kessler. Marley assures us this match-up will take place this year.
“Kessler against Froch will happen some time in 2009,” Marley said. “Why? Because either Frochy will come over to Copenhagen, or Kessler – who proved when he fought Joe Calzaghe in Wales he is not scared to travel for a fight – will go to Nottingham. The Viking Warrior will hook-up with Froch I believe, and it will be a great fight.”
Marley may be somewhat biased, but it is now up to Taylor and his advisors to make up their mind and take the fight or reject it once and for all. Both Froch against Taylor and Froch against Kessler would be exciting fights – we will have to wait and see which one comes to fruition. It seems very unlikely both match-ups will take place.