By Chris McHugh: As Super Six finalist Carl ‘The Cobra’ Froch sets out to become a three-time world champion against IBF super-middleweight king Lucian ‘Le Tombeur’ Bute, I ask you where does the Nottingham hero rank in the list of all-time greatest British fighters?

When it comes to boxers stepping out of their comfort zone and heading into uncharted territory, there are few in the game to rival Froch when it comes to having the guts to test themselves against the best in the business, wherever that may be.

Obviously the Super Six tournament meant that The Cobra, who has lost just two of his 30 professional bouts against future pound-for-pound king Andre Ward and a close decision against pre-tournament favourite Mikkel Kessler in Denmark, was pitted against the most highly rated boxers in the division.

However, prior to the tournament Froch claimed the WBC super-middleweight strap following a win in Nottingham, where he also meets Bute in the first bout on May 26, against Jean Pascal, a former WBC and The Ring light-heavyweight world champion, and then showed what he was really all about as he headed straight over to America to take on Jermain Taylor in his homeland.

Taylor, a former undisputed middleweight world champion, was still considered one of the best around at the time, but instead of taking an easy first defence of his title Froch stepped into the lion’s den and showed the heart of a true champion as he forced a stoppage with just 14 seconds of the fight remaining, when trailing on all three judges’ scorecards going into the last round.

I now truly believe that if Froch can pull off a victory against the unbeaten Candian-Romanian, and then defend the title against all odds in the return fight in Montreal, there are few British greats who can say that they have fought the same quality of opponents as the granite-chinned fighter.

I’m not claiming Froch to be rated higher than, for example, heavyweight great Lennox Lewis, who unified a heavyweight division that included the likes of Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson, although past his prime when the fight finally came about, or even possess the same natural boxing ability as the lightning-quick Joe Calzaghe.

But I believe he does not get anywhere near the respect he deserves for being a true warrior who never fails to entertain when he steps into the ring and, in my opinion, when he proves the doubters wrong once again by seeing off Bute over both legs, I hope the British public and media rightfully regard Froch as one of the best Brits to ever take to the squared circle.