FightFranchise | Can the Cobra Solve The Matrix?

A Look At Carl Froch (WBC Super-Middleweight World Champion)

The opening bouts of the Super Six World Boxing Classic are a little over one week away, the fighters are winding down their camps and as October 17th edges ever closer, anticipation for the event from boxing and non-boxing fans alike is bubbling away under the surface.

Having dissected the prior opponents of Andre ‘The Matrix’ Deal earlier in the week, its now time to turn our attention to Carl ‘The Cobra’ Froch, Nottingham’s favourite son. The champion will be defending his world title for the second time, bringing the belt back to his fans in the Trent FM Arena, having regained it first time out epically against Jermain Taylor in America. The Trent FM Arena, has been the ‘house that Froch built’ in recent years, competing regularly in front of his home crowd and getting the ‘W’ every time he has entered the ring.

Carl readily admits however the dream of being a boxer came second to the desire as a child of wanting to play football for his beloved Nottingham Forrest, football’s loss was boxing’ gain and having first laced a pair of gloves aged 9, he progressed steadily learning his trade and reached the peak of the British amateur game twice, winning titles in 1999 and 2001, furthermore Carl operated internationally as an amateur winning a bronze at the 2001 World Amateur Boxing Championships.

The Cobra as with the challenger Dirrell has a perfect record, fighting professionally 25 times and putting to sleep 80% of his opponents to ensure victory by knockout, winning the English Super Middleweight Title, the Commonwealth Super Middleweight Crown and the British Super Middleweight honour along the way.

Carl enters the ring on October 17th as the WBC Super Middleweight Champion having fought two ‘fight of the year’ bouts (to win and regain the belt) in less than 12 months, prior to those bouts however lets take a look at Carl at the beginning of 2007 and his attempt to ensure the boxing community began to recognise, he had out-grown the domestic scene and was ready to earn some respect on a international level.

Opponent: Sergey Tatevosyan: Record @ time of bout 26-7-0

Result: Froch W TKO 2

Date: 23-03-07

Broadcast: Sky Sports (Friday Fight Night)

Froch began 2007 with one thing on his mind, climbing further up the Super-Middleweight rankings and earning a shot at Joe Calzaghe’s WBO crown. Sergey Tatevosynan acted as a gate-keeper to bridge that gap between domestic domination and the international arena. Tatevosyan hailing from Russia a few months prior had taken Lucian Bute (the current Romanian IBF Super-Middleweight whose career has ran a-parallel to Froch’s and is a potential opponent post the Super Six) the distance, before dropping a wide unanimous decision to the now resident of Montreal, Canada.

Carl spoke in advance of being ‘ready for the big time’, confident as ever in his power and forthcoming performance, he vowed to stop for the first time the rugged-Russian. The Cobra did not disappoint, making a statement to those above him in the pecking order stopping Tatevosyan in the second-round, the contest was a non-starter, Froch won every second. The bout opened with Carl using his jab and reflexes to unsettle the Russian landing a big overhand right in the final 20seconds that prepared Tatevosyan for a further onslaught. Froch began the second confident and in complete control, taking no more than a 180 seconds to work out his opponent, landing further penetrating jabs, before around the two-minute mark throwing a combination ending in a colossal right hand that connected with the Russian’s jaw and sent him to the canvas. The resilient Tatevosyan proud of having never been stopped before, was eager to continue and beat the count, continuing albeit on unsteady legs, Froch a finisher of the highest degree zoned in, pushing back his opponent into a corner before throwing and landing over a dozen headshots. The referee Terry O’Connor stopped the bout and no counter-argument was heard from Tatevosyan’s corner.

Froch had done as promised, delivering an explosive performance against a durable gate-keeper who had lasted the course with many before him.

Opponent: Robin Reid; Record @ time of bout 39-5-1

Result: Froch W RTD 5

Date: 09-11-2007

Broadcast: Sky Sports (Friday Fight Night)

A week prior to Carl Froch facing Robin Reid, Joe Calzaghe had stamped his dominance and authority over the Super Middle-Weight division by defeating Mikkel Kessler via unanimous decision in a superbly fought contest, in front of 50,000 fans at the Millennium Stadium, Wales. Carl appreciative of his Welsh rival’s performance invited him to be his ‘guest-of-honour’ at his forthcoming fight with Reid, stating that Joe would be granted the opportunity to get a “close look at [himself] and realise why I will give much more of a fight than a 42-year-old Hopkins”.

Robin Reid was yet to be another stepping stone towards the belts Calzaghe had recently unified and was rumoured to be vacating (proffering a move to light-heavyweight and greater riches), Froch aware of this promised another worthy performance. Reid a veteran of the ring having tussled with the likes of Joe Calzaghe, Jeff Lacy, and Sven Ottke had operated on a world-title level (falling short on every occasion) and viewed Froch as an opportunity to re-establish himself as a figure in the division and have one last run at elusive world honours.

Froch took the opening two rounds in an uneventful fashion, both fighters seemed to take longer than usual to size-each other up and restrained in throwing the shots we had seen them launch in the past, the third however proved a turning point, Carl came out looking confident, sharper and fresher, attributes Reid could no longer possess six-years older than the man coming towards him, Robin fought negatively, spoiling and on the backfoot throughout and weary of Carl’s power, falling to the canvas at the end of the third round, in an attempt to steer clear of any further damaging onslaught, as opposed to one clinical strike landing.

The fourth started better with Reid opening up a big right hand on ‘The Cobra’, such success however was limited with Carl doing enough of his own work to win the round. Reid boosted by his performance in the fifth came out looking lively but soon found himself the victim to another count, taking a knee after a big right hand thrown by Froch, beating the count and lasting the round did nothing to convince his corner he could operate with any success against Froch, hence at the end of the fifth round, Brian Hughes, Reid’s long term trainer called time on not only the bout, but Robin’s career.

Froch proved yet again he was fit to operate in a class above what could be provided domestically, with a ‘name’ opponent on his résumé, his calls for a world-title shot became ever voracious.

Opponent: Albert Rybacki; Record @ time of bout 15-0-0

Result: Froch W TKO 4

Date: 10-05-08

Broadcast: ITV/ Showtime

Albert Rybacki was never meant to figure on Carl Froch’s record, a late replacement for Denis Inkin, the Polish Super-Middleweight was outclassed from the start. Froch however had to find an opponent, given equal dual billing to Junior Witter vs Timothy Bradley and featuring on Showtime, ‘The Cobra’ was eager to ensure one of America’s big boxing provider’s showcased his skills to an international audience.

Carl stopped Rybacki in the fourth, in a one-sided affair that highlighted once more, the necessity to step Carl up and fight the very best 168lb’s has to offer, his promoter cannot be blamed for putting him in against Rybacki, the highly regard Inkin pulled out of the bout on two separate occasions in what on paper looked like a much more competitive bout.

Froch did however what he had to do, win and via stoppage (a feature the networks crave), ensuring that as promised he would now fight a little later in the year for the WBC Super Middleweight crown as recently retired by Newbridge, Wales finest.

Opponent: Jean Pascal; Record @ time of bout 21-0-0

Result: Froch W UD 12

Date: 06-12-08

Broadcast: ITV

For the ‘Vacant WBC Super Middleweight Championship’

Carl Froch and Jean Pascal entered the ring at the Trent FM Arena, Nottingham both undefeated, with unyielding senses of belief in their own ability promised to be a true contest for the relinquished green-strap.

What transpired was nothing short of ‘breathtaking’ an exhilarating contest fought over 12 evenly matched rounds, “This fight lived up to some of the best super middleweight fights I’ve ever seen”, lauded former world featherweight champion Barry McGuigan, commentator for the live ITV broadcast.

Froch bolted out of the traps keen to make an impression, taking the upper hand from the first bell and backing up Pascal with a series of ferocious shots, instantly getting to work his stiff jab, over hand right combination that had sealed the fate of all those before Pascal. The Haitian born fighter, now residing in Quebec, Canada avoided any telling blows, ducking low and responding to anything thrown by Froch with hooks of his own, and horrendous uppercuts which eliminated any doubts some may have on ‘The Cobra’s’ chin.

The bout was back and forth until the fifth, with every blow thrown as if to end the night early, a shot after the bell by Pascal on Froch seemed to daze the British challenger as he walked towards his corner at the conclusion, all fears were allayed at the beginning of the sixth as Froch responded firing back with Pascal and whilst textbook technique did not always prevail, as a spectacle and as a ‘fight’ the bout was unravelling in dramatic style. Froch sustained a cut in the eighth that frustrated his performance in the ninth, ensuring Rob McCracken at the round’s conclusion implored Froch to box and get back on his jab.

The Cobra duly obliged, taking heed of his trainer’s call (a factor to prove crucial in his next bout) and appearing more active in the ‘championship rounds’, picking his shots and landing evermore heavy telling blows.

The judges’ scores of 118-110, 117-111 and 116-112 at the bout’s conclusion, did not adequately reflect the competitive and gladiatorial account these two warriors had given of themselves.

Britain had a new World Champion, Carl Froch elated with his performance and the victory, professed a desire to unify the division and conquer America, fighting the fittest and the best the world could provide.

Opponent: Jermain Taylor

Result: Froch W TKO 12

Date: 25-04-09

Broadcast: Showtime/ ITV

The Cobra vowed to break America earlier than the Super-Middleweight from Britain who preceded him and was prepared to fight the challenger, Jermain Taylor in his own back yard, regardless of the fact that the ‘strap’ was in the hands of the one doing the travelling.

Froch spoke ahead of the bout proclaiming “It’s a tough task and I haven't done it yet, but I'm looking forward to showing my skills in the U.S. and doing a number on Taylor.” Confidence and an assurance in his own ability has never been lacking in Carl’s make-up and in the build-up to the fight, boxing fans from across the globe were all agreed come fight night, this could well be a ‘pick-em fight’, regardless no-one could have foreseen what transpired at the Foxwoods Resort, Connecticut.

Jermain Taylor opened the bout by showcasing his superior hand speed, jabbing at will and landing over-hand rights that ensured Froch took notice on a number of occasions in the opening six minutes. Carl came out positive in the third, taking the best of the round, before falling to a monster left-hook followed by another as thrown by Taylor that sent Carl for the first time in his career to the canvas. ‘The Cobra’ was now in uncharted territory, down, facing a count and away from home against an elite level fighter.

Froch beat the count, looking over at his trainer Rob McCracken during the referee’s call, as if to say, I am okay and after rising on his feet, looked collected and not feeling the effects of the shots that had transpired beforehand. Taylor did not seek to reaffirm his dominance, the killer instinct was lacking, and he chose not to jump back on Froch and boxed his way out of the third round, mindful of the mistakes he made in 2007, jumping in on Kelly Pavlik post scoring a knockdown and expending all his energy in the process.

The fight was the American’ until the 6th, sweeping the scorecards until Froch finally began to get behind his jab and land some telling shots of his own. Taylor began to slow in the 7th and at the conclusion of the bout Rob McCracken; Froch’s trainer earned every penny of his fee, giving Carl poignant, telling and crucial advice about how to win and pick off each and every round.

Carl followed the directions as if they were gospel, winning the 9th and 10th, before exchanging with Taylor frantically in the 11th and gaining the upper hand in the bout as he landed the harder more determined shots. Carl was landing as ferociously as he had been when he came into his own in the sixth; Taylor on the other hand was fading.

As Carl came off his stool for the final round, he wasn’t to know that only a knockout would ensure the title came back to Britain, summoning every last resolve from within him, he took the bout to Taylor pushing him about the ring and landing numerous over hand rights and hooks, that rocked the hometown challenger. Taylor in the final two minutes of the fight did nothing but try to avoid the offensive, alas it was not to be, being sent to the canvas after a accumulation of shots in the corner, before rising valiantly only to be stopped with seconds to spare as Froch unloaded a barrage of undefended blows, the ref had simply seen enough.

Conclusion

Carl Froch in his last two outings has shown he is worthy of holding the WBC Super Middleweight strap, a proud fighter with explosive power, he has dug deep in his past two bouts, showing tremendous heart and boxing prowess throughout.

The bout with Jermain Taylor concluding in such an enthralling fashion, ensured the networks globally began to sit-up, Showtime in America heaped praise upon the performance, keen and eager to work with ‘The Cobra’ again.

The next stage in Carl Froch’s career begins on October 17th and the opening bout of the Super Six World Boxing Classic against another American challenger, Andre Dirrell.