By Scott Gilfoid: Former WBC super middleweight champion Carl Froch (28-2, 20 KO’s) wasn’t just beaten last Saturday night by WBA super middleweight champion Andre Ward (25-0, 13 KO’s) in the Super Six tournament finals, Froch was completely dominated and looked like a fighter out of his league.
While some people will say it’s only one loss, no big deal. It is a big deal if Froch follows this loss with defeats against IBF super middleweight champion Lucian Bute and Mikkel Kessler, two fighters that Froch wants to face in 2012.
It may not be a big deal getting beat by a class fighter like Ward, but if Froch gets spanked by Bute and Kessler, where does Froch go? He made excuses for his loss to Kessler last year, but if he loses to him a second time there can’t be any more excuses.
He would have to reconcile the fact that he’s just not as good as him. I doubt Froch would retire with a loss to just Kessler, but I do think an additional loss to Bute may be the tipping factor in sending Froch into retirement. He’s too proud to just hand around and serve as a gate keeper or trial horse for the younger bucks to test their skills on.
Two to three losses in 2012 may also send Froch upwards to the light heavyweight division so that he can try and make the best of things by seeking out a new division with more opportunities due to less talented fighters that permeate that division.
Indeed, we see that clearly with a fighter like Nathan Cleverly holding down one of the world titles. However, I still don’t know if Froch could find a place in that division.
Sure, I think Froch would have no problems beating a fighter like Cleverly, but would have major problems beating Chad Dawson, Bernard Hopkins, Ismayl Sillakh, Beibut Shumenov and Tavoris Cloud. I think those guys would all beat Froch.
If I was Froch’s manager I would advise him to bail on the super middleweight division immediately in order to avoid the losses he will likely suffer at the hands of Bute and Kessler in 2012.
Instead, I would move Froch immediately up to light heavyweight and position him in the World Boxing Organization where he can quickly pick off Cleverly to capture his belt. The WBO has nothing weak opposition ranked in the top 15 as far as the eye can see.
Froch can literally sit on top of that title and milk it for three to six years easily unless someone like Sillakh got ranked by the WBO. But it’s easy money to grab that title and start with the milking Look at Cleverly; he’s got it so easy over there with absolutely no threats. It’s easy money.
That’s what Froch needs to do. Bail on the super middleweight division, avoid losses to Bute and Kessler, and pick off the weak link at light heavyweight in Cleverly to start with the milking.
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