Froch-Bute two-fight deal: Stupid move by Froch?

By Boxing News - 12/19/2011 - Comments

Image: Froch-Bute two-fight deal: Stupid move by Froch?By Scott Gilfoid: Carl Froch (28-2, 20 KO’s) and his promoter Eddie Hearn are reportedly on the verge of putting together a two-fight deal with IBF super middleweight champion Lucian Bute (29-0, 24 KO’s) for 2012 where the first will take place in Montreal, Canada, which is where Bute fights 99% of the time, and the second city taking place at the Forest City Ground stadium in Froch’s home city of Nottingham, England.

While I think this is a great fight at first glance, it might actually be a bone-heated one if you’re looking at this from Froch’s perspective. If I’m Froch’s promoter I wouldn’t put this fight together, no way. Froch just lost badly to WBA super middleweight champion Andre Ward last Saturday night and was out-boxed all the way through.

Froch came into that fight having won three out of his last four fights but really he came into that fight with a 2-2 record in his last four bouts because Andre Dirrell clearly beat him but was given the shaft in Nottingham. What I’m saying here is Froch’s boxing skills aren’t good enough for him to compete with a guy Bute. If Froch’s promoter is cool with him losing back to back fights against Bute, then that’s on him and Froch.

Personally I think it’s dumb as heck. Can you see a promoter like Bob Arum making this fight? I can’t. If Arum has a flawed fighter, he generally protects them by putting that fighter in against guys that he’s very sure they can beat. I don’t think Froch can beat Bute even on Bute’s worse day. That’s why I think this is a stupid fight. If Froch loses those two fights with Bute, just where does he go?

Froch will have lost his last three fights at that point and he won’t even be a factor in the super middleweight division at that point. He’ll be a 35-year-old fighter with a record of 28-4, and his best days behind him. Hearn needs to protect Froch by matching him against domestic fodder like Nathan Cleverly, George Groves and James DeGale. Just let Froch knocked off the softies and get his confidence back before cashing out.

I think putting Froch in with a guy like Bute is so, so stupid. Why waste Froch like that? Let him fight Andre Dirrell again instead so they can get that match-up, which would be a huge fight in the U.S. But don’t feed Froch to Bute. He’ll just get eaten up and end up thrashed.



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