By Willam Mackay: Promoter Barry Hearn is interested in stepping in and becoming WBC super middleweight champion Carl Froch’s new promoter after Froch split with his long-time promoter Mick Hennessy recently. Froch recently said that he’s going to be shopping around for a new promoter once the Super Six tournament is completed in 2011. Froch’s fights have been largely ignored by the big British television networks until now. Sky Sports will likely be showing Froch’s June 4th semifinal Super Six tournament bout against Glen Johnson.

But even if Hearn does decide to become Froch’s promoter, is it in time to make Froch a big star in the UK? Froch has been winning for years and has been almost invisible in the UK, while guys like Amir Khan, Joe Calzaghe and David Haye routinely had their fights shown on television. The problem that Froch has is that he’s probably going to get beaten in the Super Six – either by Johnson or Andre Ward. Once that happens, he’s likely going to take a hit in popularity right at the moment when he is finally about to become a star. Sure, Hearn can become Froch’s promoter but if Froch turns around and gets beaten in fights after the Super Six against guys like Lucian Bute, Jean Pascal and Sergio Martinez, what’s the point?

In an interview at the BBC, Hearn said “He’s a great fighter who’s never really had the exposure he deserves. He’s showed fantastic character to win fights in foreign lands and that’s the mark of a great fighter… Carl knows where we are if he needs us. It’s his call.”

In looking at how big of a star Calzaghe was able to become despite having less than the best opposition until late in his career, you’d think that Froch would be right about at the same level as Calzaghe by now in terms of support. Unfortunately it hasn’t worked that way and with him.