By Scott Gilfoid: WBA light heavyweight strap holder Jurgen Braehmer (44-2, 32 KOs) is interested in facing IBF/WBA super middleweight champion Carl Froch (33-2, 24 KOs) at either 168 or a catch-weight.
Braehmer’s promoter Kalle Sauerland believes a fight between the two fighters would be a big deal, presumably because of a Germany vs. England rivalry. Froch still doesn’t have an opponent for next January, and it’s looking like the fight that he’s been pining away for against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr isn’t going to happen.
The Chavez Jr-Froch negotiations have stalled and there’s no progress at this point. Froch’s promoter Eddie Hearn wants to match him against #1 IBF James DeGale or Mikkel Kessler. Those guys are at least recognizable names with the British boxing public.
Braehmer has been fighting in Germany all these years, and not always against the best. For some reason, Braehmer has never been matched up against Adonis Stevenson, Bernard Hopkins or Sergey Kovalev. Instead of being matched against those talents, we’ve seen Braehmer feasting on the likes of Enzo Maccarinelli, Roberto Feliciano Bolonti, Marcus Oliveira, Stefano Abatangelo, Tony Averlant, Eduard Gutknecht, Vikapita Meroro and Jose Maria Guerrero. These are the guys that Braehmer has fought the best two years. They’re all technically contenders, but they remind me a lot of the soft opponents that former WBO 175 pound champion Nathan Cleverly was facing before he eventually got destroyed by Kovalev.
“If Froch is worried he doesn’t stand a chance of taking my title in my weight class, I’ll drop a division or we’ll agree a catch-weight,” Brähmer said. “If things work out, I’d definitely box on the island. A Germany v. England duel in Great Britain – what more could you want. After all, such highlights are why I became a sportsman and they electrify boxing fans around the world.”
I honestly can’t see any real upside in Froch burning up one of his last remaining fights on a guy like Braehmer, because he doesn’t have a big name due to all the time he’s spent fighting in Germany against the above mentioned fighters.
If Braehmer had stepped it up a class ages ago and fought outside Germany against talented fighters instead of the mere contenders, he’d have a much bigger name. But right now, Braehmer is a belt holder and not even the guy at WBA. Hopkins holds the WBA Super World light heavyweight title, and I think he would beat Braehmer with ease.
“I have spoken to Froch’s promoter Eddie Hearn this week about this fight and it is something that we will be discussing in the coming weeks,” said Braehmer’s promoter Kalle Sauerland. “Obviously there is a score to settle from the amateur days but also would represent a new challenge to Froch to test himself against the best Light Heavyweight in the Division.”
I don’t see how Hearn could sell Froch vs. Braehmer. I see that fight about as interesting to the British public as Froch vs. Albert Rybacki. I could be wrong, but I don’t know that Froch-Braehmer is a fight that would be marketable. It seems to me that DeGale, Kessler, Groves, Andre Ward and the Dirrell brothers are better options.
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