Hearn: Froch would be at a disadvantage against Hopkins

By Boxing News - 05/13/2013 - Comments

froch9By Scott Gilfoid: Eddie Hearn, the promoter for IBF super middleweight champion Carl Froch, ruled out a fight between Froch and 48-year-old IBF light heavyweight champion Bernard Hopkins in the near future, saying that Hopkins was too big for Froch, even though there’s only 7 pounds that separates the two fighters.

Hearn said to Sky Sports “It’s flattering [that Hopkins wants to fight Froch]…I don’t think Carl needs to fight at a catchweight…Carl walks around just above 12 stone and he’d be at a big disadvantage.”

Oh man, Hearn won’t even put Froch in with a fighter that is nearly 50-years-old in Hopkins. That is pretty sad. It just gives the appearance that Hearn is protecting Froch from what could be a very, very tough fight for him.

To be sure, it would be a difficult fight for Froch because Hopkins could do pretty much what Andre Ward did to Froch by getting in close and forcing Froch to fight on the inside for 12 rounds.

Froch can’t fight on the inside and has only rudimentary skills in that area. We saw that in his loss to Ward, as Froch literally looked like a fish out of water whenever Ward took it to the inside with him.

Hopkins is the best on the inside, and basically a lot of what Ward learned in how to fight on the inside was from Hopkins. Just imagine what Hopkins would do to Froch for 12 rounds in smothering his offense and forcing him to fight a grueling inside war that Froch isn’t prepared for.

In terms of money to be made, I don’t know how Hearn could say no to a Froch-Hopkins fight. It’s easily the most money he could make for his fighter, so why wouldn’t he be agreeable to match Froch against Hopkins?

Is it fear? We always hear how Froch is calling himself a warrior and how he only wants to fight the best, then why wouldn’t he want to fight Hopkins when he would only be giving up 7 measly pounds?



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