By Sean McDaniel: World Boxing Council super middleweight Carl Froch (26-0, 20 KO’s) has been left out in the cold by Sky TV, as his April 24th Super Six bout against Mikkel Kessler (42-2, 32 KO’s) won’t be shown by Sky TV despite it being a tournament fight and involving a fight against the former WBA super middleweight champion Kessler. Froch had this to say according to the Dailystar, “I think Sky TV is the forefront of boxing and at the minute it is the best channel to be on in terms of getting across to your target market. I consider myself to be a Sky Box Office fighter. They have had Khan-Salita and Haye-Valuev. I feel Froch-Kessler is up there with it and could justifiably be on Sky Box Office. My promoter Mick Hennessy has spoke to all the networks, but budgeting, scheduling whatever the reason I don’t think they’re good enough reasons. When I became world champion it was a difficult time for TV.”
It’s unknown why Froch is being ignored by local television in the UK, while other fighters like David Haye and Amir Khan have their fights shown on television. It could be just bad luck, but it has to be disappointing for the 32-year-old Froch as well as his fans. Froch has accomplished a great deal in the past year, beating super stars like Jermain Taylor and previously unbeaten Andre Dirrell, yet he seems to be having problems having his fights shown on local television. Is it that Froch is missing star appeal somehow?
To be sure, Haye and Khan are flashy fighters, both with their talking and fighting ability. Haye has blinding speed, incredible power and self promotional skills that few other fighters come even come close to. Khan has amazing hand speed, an ability to throw beautiful combinations and a certain physical presence that boxing fans find appealing.
Besides that, Khan has a Silver Medal in the 2004 Olympics and one of the best trainers in boxing. Froch has none of those things going for him. He’s more of a blue collar type fighter, who has average hand speed and sometimes poor defense. Froch doesn’t have the looks of Haye, Joe Calzaghe or Khan, and looks more like the common man.
Froch does have a dry sense of humor when he’s given a chance to have a say. However, Froch sometimes shoots himself in the foot by making boosts that some boxing fans feel are off putting. It seems like Froch needs an identity to make himself more appealing. Whether it is loud clothes or persona that he can show to the media that will attract fans, Froch might need to look for ways to make himself more appealing to the television networks.
Froch says “Setanta collapsing didn’t help because it minimized the competition. If Kessler won his last fight this would be box office for Sky but him losing his world title took the edge off the fight. But I am not going to cry about it. Primetime is a building channel.
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