By James Slater: Though his immediate focus is on his upcoming, expected-to-be-tough, semi-final with “Road Warrior” Glen Johnson – with the winner of June 4th clash a step closer to winning the “Super-Six” tournament – WBC king Carl Froch has a number of exciting options for after the tourney is over with.
The most recent name to speak of a possible meeting with “The Cobra” is Welshman Nathan Cleverly, who spoke of his hopes of one day meeting with the Nottingham warrior. Also a possibility for Froch in the near future, perhaps next year, is the recently-returned Kelly Pavlik. “The Ghost,” installed as the WBC number-one at 168 even before he’d fought there, made a winning return last Saturday, as he out-pointed Alfonso Lopez over ten-rounds in Las Vegas.
Froch was there to see the former middleweight champ’s win, and he spoke to fans about the possibility of him facing the Youngstown hero. Well, it seems Froch is not in the least bit interested in Pavlik (or in Cleverly for that matter – for the time being anyway, as Froch told The Express how he is currently looking at “Clev” as a fighter who is still at domestic level).
Speaking to gathered fans in Las Vegas (my brother being one of them!), the once-beaten Froch said he is “not at all interested in a fight with Pavlik,” and that his plans are, “to win the Super-Six, then get a rematch with Mikkel Kessler, before moving up to light-heavyweight.”
In the past, a number of times, Froch has reminded fans how he and Jean Pascal have a verbal agreement to engage in a rematch once Carl’s days at 168 are done. Froch, 27-1(20) is the only man to have beaten the Canadian (in that thriller from December 2008), and Froch vowed to give the man he respects a chance to get revenge one day. Froch is a man of his word and, assuming Pascal can get past Bernard Hopkins in their May 21st return (no guarantee of that), he will almost certainly step up in weight to fight him – after he’s had the chance to avenge the sole pro loss of his own career, that is.
As fans know, “Viking Warrior” Kessler out-pointed Froch in another thriller, in April of last year. Ever since, the 33-year-old Brit has claimed he was the victim of a hometown verdict. Some fans agree with Froch, others do not. But as great as the fight was, a return would certainly be welcomed. Kessler is set to return to the ring the same night Froch meets Johnson; for the first time since his eye operation. The 32-year-old will face Mehdi Bouadla in Copenhagen.
It remains to be seen if Kessler, 43-2(32) can be the force he was pre his fights with Froch and Andre Ward, but the Dane has said he plans to “be waiting for the Super-Six winner” when the tournament has come to its conclusion. Who knows, maybe Froch will win the trophy and then get it on with Kessler in what would be a massive fight?
A lot could happen before Froch’s ideal game-plan plays itself out: he could lose to Johnson, he could lose to Ward in the final. Or, how about this for a spanner-throwing scenario – Arthur Abraham beats Ward this Saturday! That shock, if it happened, would sure change a lot of plans, for a good many people. And, as big a favourite as “S.O.G” is to beat “King” Arthur, Abraham has promised to give the fight of his life.
For my money, Ward will win a wide UD at the weekend, and Froch will also win a decision against Johnson (albeit a very close one); then the American and the Brit will meet in a tough-to-call final. If Froch can pull that win off, he could probably pick and choose who he wanted next. As long as he has kept winning in the meantime, though, Froch will almost certainly opt to get it on with Kessler for a second time. That’s just Froch’s mental make-up: he is old-school and he wants to beat everyone he meets.
So, sorry Pavlik, Cleverly – you just aren’t on Froch’s radar right now!