By William Mackay: In recent years, boxing has gone downhill with fighters have become more and more focused on building up their records by taking the easiest fights possible at the expense of developing their skills by facing better opponents. In a lot of cases, you have fighters with dramatically build up records (often unbeaten) with only a small handful of halfway credible opponents.

This is why WBC super middleweight Carl Froch is such a breath of fresh air since winning the title WBC title in December 2008. Unlike other fighters, Froch wants to fight nothing but the best fighters, and isn’t concerned with protecting his unbeaten record. No matter who it is, Froch is willing to fight them.

Many fighters would never dream of fighting an opponent that they felt was better than them. Froch doesn’t care. If he has to travel across the world and fight one of his challengers in their own country, like Jermain Taylor, Froch is willing to do it. That is so rare.

Joe Calzaghe didn’t travel to the U.S. until late in his career when he was only a couple fights away from retirement. Bernard Hopkins, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Roy Jones Jr. were never interested in traveling to another country to fight on hostile soil.

Froch didn’t care, because he felt that he would win anyway because of his better talent. And sure enough, Froch proved that he was right in making the move. Froch knows that these big named opponents would never come to him, so he came to them. Froch is totally flexible, willing to travel to another country or meet them in Britain if they’re open to coming there.

But what I like about Froch most of all is that he’s willing to take on the best at all times, and doesn’t believe in cheating boxing fans by taking the easy path by fighting soft opponents to try and pad his record and extend his career. Froch is smart enough to know that boxing fans are sick of fighters that are unwilling to take risky fights and who retire suddenly just when they’re presented with some tough opponents.

Recently, Froch said “Everyone is saying Mikkel Kessler is the hardest fight out there for me, they’re saying don’t fight him. I’ll fight him and I’ll prove everyone wrong.” This is what’s so great about Froch. While most people think that Kessler would be too talented for Froch, and would likely beat him, Froch doesn’t care.

He’s ready to fight Kessler at the drop of a hat and is actively seeking out a fight with him. I don’t know if Froch can beat Kessler, but I do know that Froch will get a lot more respect for being willing to fight Kessler no matter where it is. You got to respect Froch for that.

Froch may not be as talented as some fighters in the super middleweight division, but he’s got more courage than most fighters that I can think of. I think Froch sets the example of what other boxers should strive to be like. If all fighters were like him, believe me, the sport would be much more exciting and not in the state it’s in now.