By Scott Gilfoid: It’s looking more and more like unbeaten #3 IBF Thomas Oosthuizen (20-0-1, 13 KO’s) could be the one to face IBF super middleweight champion Carl Froch (29-2, 21 KO’s) in October unless Froch suddenly gets cold feet and opts for a lesser threat.

Oosthuizen’s management are trying to get the Froch fight for their 24-year-old contender. However, if Froch decides to choose an easier mark, Oosthuizen won’t sweat it and will instead keep marching forward against other fighters until he’s locked in for the mandatory position for the strap. By then, I highly doubt that Froch will be the International Boxing Federation champion. He’s got too many tough fights ahead of him, such as a rematch against former IBF super middleweight champion Lucian Bute early next year, a rematch against Mikkel Kessler and a mandatory title defense coming up against the winner of the August 17th IBF 168 pound elimination bout between Don George and Adonis Stevenson. Any one of those fights could knock Froch off his perch as he IBF champ.

Oosthuizen’s trainer Harold Volbecht said to IOL Sport “Tommy’s worth ethic in the gym is amazing. He keeps improving all the time. He’s ready to take on Froch.”

The question is whether Froch is ready for him? I don’t know but if he takes a lesser threat the I think we’ll know the answer to that question.

Oosthuizen is coming off of a sensational 12 round unanimous decision over one of the division’s most dangerous punchers in Rowland Bryant last Thursday night. Oosthuizen calmly stood firm under withering fire and never flinched, taking Bryant’s best home run shots without getting hurt and firing back punch after punch to get the decision. It was a very impressive performance because Bryant is someone that could knockout anyone in the division on any given night. He’s that good, but Oosthuizen had him eating out of his palm. It was too easy.