Photo by Tom Casino / Showtime – Jermain “Bad Intentions” Taylor believes that he can be the first man to deposit Carl Froch on the canvas and then keep him there. Taylor made his bold prediction in New York today as the two rivals came face to face for the first time ahead of their WBC World Super Middleweight title showdown at the MGM Grand at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut on Saturday night. Froch laughed off his mandatory challengers fight forecast but the former Undisputed Middleweight champ insists he has the power to end “The Cobra’s” reign. “If I catch him he’s going to sleep,” blasted Taylor who is now campaigning at Super Middleweight having lost his Middleweight crown to Kelly Pavlik. “I have found the hunger again and it took fighting Carl for the belt to get it back.
“At Super Middleweight I’m more focused on boxing, because I don’t have to worry about making weight. This fight I want to show the doubters. I want to make a statement. This is a comeback fight for me and will probably be remembered by the outcome. It’s the kind of fight I need..”
However Froch says he’s not worried about Taylor’s power with his “Bad Intentions” finishing 17 of his 28 victims inside the distance. “If he thinks he’s knocking me out then he’s should change his name to ‘Bad Predictions’, joked Froch who added, “The only time Taylor’s put me to sleep was when I watched a couple of his middleweight defences.”
The Nottingham native says he’s enjoying his reign as WBC Super Middleweight Champ and Britain’s only current World Champion and he’s determined to maintain that status on Saturday night.
Froch told a large media turnout in New York, “It’s my pleasure to be here in America. I was in Canada for three weeks and I have been here for the last week training. We’ve had a good camp. Sparring has been very intense with guys who were hitting me like Jermain will be.
“Jermain seems very confident, talking about being back and No. 1 but make no mistake. This is my belt, I’m the champion, I ‘m undefeated. Only a few warriors have gone the distance with me. Everyone else hasn’t been able to stay in there.”
Retired champ Joe Calzaghe is tipping Taylor to win but Froch isn’t losing any sleep over Calzaghe’s prediction. The Welshman was Froch’s predecessor as WBC Champ but vacated the title rather than defend against him.
“Calzaghe didn’t want to fight me,” explained Froch. “When I became the champion it was vacant and you don’t get as much respect that way for some reason. But I am the WBC super middleweight champion and come Sunday morning Jermain Taylor will be disappointed that he doesn’t have the belt. I’m showing the Americans what ’The Cobra’ is made of.”
The fight is being broadcast across the U.S. by Showtime and Ken Hershman, the Senior VP at the network says that Froch and his promoter Mick Hennessy deserve great credit for taking such a dangerous fight on away ground.
“Carl Froch and Mick Hennessy are the champs here,” said Hershman. “They didn’t have to come over here and take this fight. My hat is off to them for coming here and doing this. This is a world class level event with world class level fighters. There are not many fighters that would come over here and do this.
“I’ve been a long time fan of Jermain Taylor. He is one of the most prolific fighters with one of the most impressive resumes. He has never shied away from a fight and this is a testament of that.”
British and Irish fight fans can watch the fight live via an online pay per view at frochvtaylor.com from 2am GMT in the early hours of Sunday morning.
The pay per view costs £9.95 (or €11.00 for Irish viewers) and the fight will be available in both 750kb/s and 1mb/s to give fight fans a true quality streaming experience. For further information visit frochvtaylor.com.
The fight will also be shown on a delayed basis on ITV4 at 8.30pm this Sunday and repeated on ITV1 at 11.15pm the same evening.
Froch takes a bite at Big Apple
Carl “The Cobra” Froch will arrive in New York today for the final pre fight press conference ahead of his massive WBC Super Middleweight World title fight with Jermain “Bad Intentions” Taylor. Britain’s only current World Champ will make the first defence of his title against former Undisputed Middleweight Champ, Taylor at the MGM Grand at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut this Saturday night. The two men will finally come face to face today having traded barbs across the Atlantic for the past few months.
Froch is relishing the opportunity to eyeball his challenger and prove to Taylor that he has pretty bad intentions himself with regard to this weekend’s clash.
“I’m looking forward to looking him in the eye and telling him that he better prepare for war,” said Froch. “I hope he’s ready for the fight of his life because I know I am. He wants to know who the Froch is Froch, well I’ve left no stone unturned for this one. This is my chance to make a real statement here in America and believe me after my hand has been raised on Saturday night Jermain Taylor will rue the day he ever heard my name.”
Froch wrapped up his training camp at Niagara Falls in Canada last weekend and has since been familiarising himself with the MGM Grand at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut ahead of the fight on Saturday.
“I’m really fired up for this,” said the Champion. “I’m out of my comfort zone here and in the danger zone but that’s where great fighters thrive. I could have stayed in Nottingham defending the World title but I think that would have blunted my ambition. I want the big fights and the big nights and if I have to travel then so be it. I need to crack the U.S. market and this is the perfect fight for me to do that.”
The bookies have made Taylor a slight favourite but Froch believes he will make a mockery of the underdog tag on Saturday night. “All the hype over here is geared towards Taylor and his ‘Bad Intentions’ and I think people here are expecting him to turn up and look a million dollars but they’ve picked the wrong fall guy and I think deep down, Taylor knows it.”
Froch won the title in Nottingham last December with a thrilling win over Jean Pascal, handing the Canadian the first defeat of his career in the process. He entered that fight nursing a cracked rib, a perforated ear drum and a cut eye but he emerged after a fight of the year candidate with the WBC Super Middleweight belt around his waist.
“People said my fight with Pascal was hard and of course it wasn’t easy, particularly as I had a few niggling injuries to contend with but it was the kind of fight I enjoy,” said Froch. “I relish going into the trenches, looking the other guy in the eye and sorting things out the old fashioned way. Taylor’s a great boxer but I’m a great fighter and when the going gets tough that’s when he wilts and I thrive and that’s going to be the difference between us.
Froch has renewed acquaintances with Pascal ahead of the fight sparring the Canadian at his Niagara Falls training camp and he feels his former foe has been perfect preparation for Taylor.
“Pascal is very similar in build to Taylor and to be honest I only realised just how much the experience of that fight with Pascal had brought me on when I sparred him in Canada,” revealed Froch.
“I was able to eliminate the little mistakes I’d made in that fight during our spars and I think Pascal could see the difference as well. I’m definitely boxing a lot better now and I think the improvements will be evident on Saturday night.”
British and Irish fight fans can watch the fight live via an online pay per view at frochvtaylor.com from 2am GMT in the early hours of Sunday morning.
The pay per view costs £9.95 (or €11.00 for Irish viewers) and the fight will be available in both 750kb/s and 1mb/s to give fight fans a true quality streaming experience. For further information visit frochvtaylor.com.