By James Slater: “This is by no stretch of the imagination the end of Carl Froch,” so said “The Cobra” himself whilst speaking in the third person. Disappointed at having lost widely on points to Andre Ward (widely on one of the three cards, anyway – the one card that most accurately reflected Saturday night’s “Super Six” grand final), the 34-year-old is already making plans to return “bigger and better” than before.
Eddie Hearn, Froch’s promoter, told BBC Sport that he is already talking with International Boxing Federation (IBF) 168-pound ruler Lucian Bute. Hearn also said that a return fight between Froch and the only other man to have beaten him, in Mikkel Kessler, is also a real possibility. What Froch wants to do, however, is fight in his homeland once more.
Fully deserving of having a bout on home soil, Froch – a man who can give “Road Warrior” Glen Johnson a run for his money nickname-wise – has boxed five of his last six bouts abroad. Not since his close points win over former “Super Six” entrant Andre Dirrell, back in October of 2009, has “The Cobra” enjoyed a fight in the U.K. But will either Bute or Kessler be persuaded to come over and fight Froch in England?
It would be a massive occasion for British boxing if either the Dane or the Canadian-based Romanian did agree to rumble with Froch in the U.K. Bute has already expressed interest in getting it on with the former WBC boss from Nottingham, but getting “Le Tombeur” to fight outside of Canada has proven very tricky – with just five of the southpaw’s fights taking place away from Canada, these going down in Romania and America. How much money would Bute want to fight in England?
Kessler, having had home advantage when he eat Froch in April of 2010, may decide, in the interest of sportsmanship, to travel to his rival’s country this time around. If Kessler can beat Robert Stieglitz in April and pick up the WBO belt, Kessler-Froch II would give Froch the opportunity to reign once again.
Both fights would be extremely interesting, and I’d give Froch a great shot at beating Kessler (who may be past his best) in a return. Froch would enter the ring against Bute as a considerable underdog though – wherever he fought him. But as “The Cobra” says himself, there are a number of big fight options out there for him. He has, after all, only lost two pro fights; both on points.
Froch did lose clearly to Ward, but I wouldn’t write him off just yet.