By Scott Gilfoid: According to Livefight.com, unbeaten super middleweight contender Thomas Oosthuizen (19-0, 13 KO’s) is a strong possibility for the next opponent for IBF super middleweight champion Carl Froch (29-2, 21 KO’s) on November 3rd or November 10th provided that the 24-year-old Oosthuizen gets past the hard hitting Rowland Bryant on August 2nd next month at the Roseland Ballroom, in New York, New York.

That’s not a given for 5’11” 32-year-old Bryant can really punch as we saw recently in his 3rd round TKO win over Librado Andrade last April.

The 6’4″ southpaw Oosthuizen, #4 IBF, #8 WBC, #13 WBA, would be a real problem for Froch if he decides to take this fight. Kelly Pavlik had been mentioned as someone that Froch could fight next, but it looks like Froch’s promoter is now looking at the lighter hitting Oosthuizen instead. Froch’s promoter Eddie Hearn is said to be in negotiations with Oosthuizen’s promoter to try and put the fight together. For Froch, this is a much safer fight than putting him in with Pavlik, because Pavlik would have a very good chance of knocking Froch out if they fought. Pavlik can do pretty much everything that Froch can do only better. The only way Froch could beat Pavlik is if he tried to box him, and I don’t know if even that would work for Froch, because Pavlik is pretty quick on his feet and good at cutting off the ring on his opposition nowadays. Froch doesn’t move quick enough himself to elude a puncher like Pavlik.

Oosthuizen makes things a lot easier for Froch because he’s tall and stork-like without much power as I previously mentioned, and who tries to overwhelm his opponents with shots. This fighting style kind of reminds me of weaker version of Andy Lee. It’s the same stand up style of fighting, the same mix it up style, and the same taking a lot of shots style that Lee has.

Froch should win this fight, but it might be a lot tougher than he can imagine. Oosthuizen is ten years younger than Froch, and when you got a youthful fighter with a high work rate and long arms like Oosthuizen, he could make Froch miserable in there. I wouldn’t be surprised if Froch lost the fight. I think the smart money is on Froch, but I could see him losing to Oosthuizen because he’s a pretty good fighter for someone without power. I rate Pavlik as a much more dangerous threat to Froch, which is probably why Hearn is talking to Oosthuizen’s management about a fight rather than Pavlik’s. The more winnable fight is the Oosthuizen one.