By Scott Gilfoid: WBC super middleweight champion Carl Froch wants to unify the super middleweight titles and he can’t wait to get his hands on the WBA title, which currently is being held by Andre Ward. Froch was upset when Mikkel Kessler lost the WBA title to Ward, because Froch was hoping the World Boxing Association super middleweight title would be on the line this Saturday night when they meet in their stage 2 Super Six tourney bout in Herning, Denmark.
It’s hard to understand why Froch wouldn’t be more impressed with winning the Super Six tournament and beating the top fighters in the division rather than collecting alphabet titles. Boxing fans are more interested in who the fighters face rather than seeing them collecting straps over obscure opponents. For example, the WBO super middleweight title is currently being held by Robert Stieglitz of Germany, who few people have heard about in the United States and probably even fewer in the UK.
If Froch was to beat Stieglitz, few fans would really care about it unless I miss my guess. They don’t know the guy. Therefore, Froch would have strap that would have little meaning to casual boxing fans that have never heard or seen Stieglitz fight. In an article at Thisislondon, Froch says “I really wanted it to be a unification fight [speaking of his fight with Kessler this Saturday], so that was disappointing to say the least. The WBA belt is still tied up in the tournament though.
So it’s not all doom and gloom.” Unfortunately, the WBA belt is held by Ward and I think Froch would have little chance of beating Ward. In fact, I think Froch will get beaten worse than Kessler did against Ward. This is why I think Froch shouldn’t worry his head over the thought of collecting titles, because I don’t see him capable of beating Ward.
Maybe Froch can beat Stieglitz after the tourney is over and win that title. However, by then, I expect Froch to have lost his WBC title in the Super Six tourney, likely to Kessler this Saturday. What Froch should be thinking is how can he survive the tournament without getting badly outclassed. He’s facing some skilled fighters starting with Kessler and after that it gets arguably tougher with Arthur Abraham. I think Froch already should have lost his first fight against Andre Dirrell, but he pulled that fight out while fighting at home in Nottingham. Froch didn’t look like the kind of material that will eventually win the Super Six tournament.
Froch says “I’m not so much concentrating on the Super Six as much as I’m concentrating on getting these fights won one at a time.” That sounds more like it. Froch should forget about thinking about winning the Super Six tourney. Instead, he should focus on one fight at a time and think survival. I see Froch as a leaky boat going out in the middle of a perfect storm, getting battered by one huge wave after another and eventually getting sunk.
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