By Scott Gilfoid: Joe Calzaghe doesn’t give IBF/WBA super middleweight champion Carl Froch (31-2, 22 KO’s) a big chance in beating Andre Ward (26-0, 14 KO’s) if the two ever meet up in a rematch. Ward beat Froch by a 12 round unanimous decision two years ago in a fight that wasn’t as close as two of the judges had it scored.
Calzaghe thinks Froch will have to pressure Ward constantly from the 1st round to have any real chance of beating him. Unfortunately, Calzaghe suspects that Ward would be ready for that kind of approach by Froch and would foil that approach.
Calzaghe said to Ringside Toe 2 Toe podcast, “I don’t think Carl can adapt…He’ll have to change something. He will have to go at him at the opening bell…Andre Ward, he seems to tire late in fights. If he [Froch] stays on him from the opening bell and tries to pressure him and drag him into a war that will be his best chance.”
I haven’t seen Froch really attack in a relentless manner for any length of time. He tends to back off on his own and reset his attacks. That would be a losing strategy against Ward because if Froch keeps backing up to reset, he’s going to be eating jabs coming and going from Ward, and he’s not match for him at long range or in close.
Froch would have to stay at medium range for the entire 12 rounds and throw nonstop punches. I’ve never seen Froch do that before, and I can’t see him starting at his age. Calzaghe used to be able to do that if he wanted to, but he was a lot more adaptable fighter than Froch is.
Froch and his promoter Eddie Hearn want a third fight with Mikkel Kessler next. After that fight, Froch will likely face one of the names that HBO is interested in Froch facing, such as Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., or Gennady Golovkin.
Ward is someone that will likely be saved for last after Froch has faced Kessler, Golovkin, Chavez Jr., James DeGale and George Groves. By then it might not even be worth making the Froch-Ward 2 fight if Froch gets beaten by one or more of those fighters.
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