Carl Froch calls out Joe Calzaghe for exhibition

By Boxing News - 09/24/2021 - Comments

By Charles Brun: Carl ‘The Cobra’ Froch has called out former two-division world champion Joe Calzaghe for an exhibition match. The 44-year-old Froch (33-2, 24 KOs) believes Calzaghe (46-0, 32 KOs) might be interested in coming out of retirement to face him in a fight that would attract a lot of fan interest.

Calzaghe, 49, hasn’t fought since 2008, and he’s gained weight over the years during his retirement.

If Calzaghe does take the fight, he’ll need to be prepared for Froch to be going all out in the same way we saw with Vitor Belfort in his exhibition match with 58-year-old Evander Holyfield.

Calzaghe would need to trim off some pounds for the exhibition match with Froch to happen because it would be a joke if the exhibition is held at heavyweight.

Froch always wanted to fight Calzaghe when the two were active, but it never came off. Calzaghe was doing his own thing towards the end of his career, focusing on money fights against Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones Jr.

Most boxing fans believe Calzaghe would have schooled Froch with his technical ability and embarrassed him as he did against many of his opponents.

The Cobra Froch calls out Calzaghe

“How about Joe Calzaghe? How does that sound?” said Froch to iFL TV. “Let’s get Joe Calzaghe out of retirement. I know he spoke the other week saying that he fancies an exhibition.

Image: Carl Froch calls out Joe Calzaghe for exhibition

“We’ll have big gloves on. We’re not trying to ruin each other. It’ll be a fight, and some of the fans can get excited about.

“So that’s what we’re at right now in trying to put something together that maybe the fans are excited about rather than trying to con the public.

“If Joe Calzaghe took an exhibition fight with me, it wouldn’t be an exhibition, would it?  He’s got fast hands. I’m going to get annoyed and try to smack him in the face. Before you know it, it becomes an all-out slugfest. That could be the appeal,” said Froch.

British boxing fans would like to see Calzaghe and Froch go it despite their advanced age. However, fans outside of the UK probably wouldn’t be too interested in seeing these two old codgers go at it.

Fans were already put off by the dreadful exhibition matches recently between Belfort and Holyfield and Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr. Those were terrible to watch.

If Froch wanted to do something respectable, he’d come out of retirement and try and line up a fight with Gennadiy Golovkin. That would be fun to watch. If Froch offered GGG enough money, he might give him a fight.

It would be a heck of a lot more appealing to watch Froch take on a shark-like Golovkin rather than an overweight 49-year-old Calzaghe. Golovkin is about to turn 40, so you can’t say that he’d be picking on Froch because they’re almost the same age.

Froch targeting Kessler & Roy Jones Jr

“I was approached by a promotional company that said we can make this happen. It’s an exhibition,” said Froch about a possible exhibition between him and Roy Jones Jr.

“I can’t get in the ring and do an exhibition because if I get hit in the nose, I’m going to be pissed off. There will be no sparring sessions for me.

“I spoke to Roy Jones and told him, ‘I can’t pull my punches. I can go to the body a little bit, but if you’re prepared to have a heavy spar, let’s stick to 14-oz gloves, so we don’t do real damage.’

“Nobody has come with a realistic offer that says we can do the event. It might not be Roy Jones. It might be Mikkel Kessler. We’re 1-1, and we can have a rematch. We’ll have a proper fight, me and Kessler. We’re both proud men,” Froch said.

The 52-year-old Roy Jones Jr. vs. Froch probably wouldn’t sell with the U.S boxing fans, as Carl has been out of the ring for too many years. American boxing fans aren’t familiar with Froch due to him having retired seven years ago in 2014.

42-year-old Mikkel Kessler would be a better option for Froch, but again, that’s not a fight that would likely sell with U.S fans. Kessler hasn’t fought since 2013, and he’s not famous enough for a battle between him and Froch to sell.