By Scott Gilfoid: Former WBC super middleweight champion Carl Froch (28-2, 20 KO’s) doesn’t appear to be fighting IBF super middleweight champion Lucian Bute next in April, according to rds.ca.

Froch reportedly is considering fights against Jean Paul Mendy (29-1-1, 16 KO’s) and Kelly Pavlik (37-2, 32 KO’s) on May 5th in Nottingham, England. Mendy, 38, would seem to be an odd candidate for Froch, as Mendy was stopped in the 4th round in his last fight against Bute last July and is currently ranked #15 by the International Boxing Federation.

Froch recently gave an interview stating that his next opponent will be a top 10 contender, so that should mean that Mendy doesn’t get the fight.

However, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Froch choose him because it’s probably a fight Froch can win. I say probably because you just never know what you’re going to get with Froch and he’s had a lot of problems in the last three years in the Super Six tournament.

Pavlik, #2 WBO, #5 WBA, #6 WBC, would be a lot better choice but I can’t see Froch taking on someone that dangerous and I doubt Pavlik would want to face Froch give that Pavlik hasn’t fought since way back in May of last year when he barely beat Alfonso Lopez by a 10 round decision. Froch is perfect for Pavlik’s style, however, and it wouldn’t be a fight where Pavlik would have to do much chasing to catch up with Froch.

I think Pavlik should take the fight because if he can’t beat Froch then has no business fighting in the super middleweight division because the opposition gets much better than Froch when you go upwards against the likes of Andre Ward, Anthony Dirrell, Andre Dirrell and Bute.

At 29, Pavlik can’t just sit around forever wasting year after year. He’s got to beat the Froch’s of the super middleweight division so he can get a title shots against one of the champions.

There’s still no word about who Bute will be fighting next but it seems he has very few options other than to fight the same kind of soft opponents he’s been feasting on for the last three years since he won his IBF title.