Photo: Casino/Showtime – By Scott Gilfoid: Carl Froch is getting up there in age at 34, looking physically slower than he used to and not quite the fighter he was four years ago. However, Froch thinks he hasn’t lost a thing but it’s hard to agree with him when you see that he’s no longer knocking out his opponents. Froch faces the younger 27-year-old Andre Ward on Saturday night in the Super Six finals.
The winner of the fight picks up the Super Six trophy and will be considered as the best fighter in the super middleweight division. Whoever emerges on top in this fight will be in the enviable position to get some of the biggest fights and will be able command a high figure.
Froch said to guardian.co.uk “I’m fitter, stronger and punching harder than ever …genetically I think I’m gifted.”
Oh brother, I think Froch is going a bit overboard with his exercising because I think it’s starting to effect his self image.
A good sign of a fighter aging is when they suddenly start to lose their power. Froch hasn’t scored a knockout since stopping the fragile-chinned Jermain Taylor in April 2009. Since then, Froch has experienced a knockout draught. He’s fought Andre Dirrell, Mikkel Kessler, Arthur Abraham and Glen Johnson since the Taylor KO win and not come close to stopping any of them. Froch hasn’t even hurt any of them. He lost to Kessler, should have lost to Dirrell, and has won his last two fights against beatable opposition.
I think Froch is kidding himself about punching harder than ever. He’s clearly not, and whether he’s aged slow or not, it matters little because on Saturday night he’s going to be facing a superior fighter in Ward. Froch would be 25-years-old and in the prime of his career and he’d still get beat badly. Ward is too talented and Froch is too slow, and too technically flawed. If you thought Amir Khan was flawed just wait until you see Froch in action. He doesn’t possess Khan’s hand speed, but is just as awful on the inside if not worse.
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