Ward: Froch and Kessler don’t want to fight me; they should admit it

By Boxing News - 12/22/2012 - Comments

ward6By Scott Gilfoid: WBA/WBC super middleweight champion Andre Ward (26-0, 14 KO’s) thinks that both Mikkel Kessler (46-2, 35 KO’s) and Carl Froch (30-2, 22 KO’s) have no interest whatsoever in fighting him again, and they should just admit it to the boxing public that they want no part of him so that the fans know what’s really going on. Ward thinks that they’re just namedropping his name every once in a while for appearance sake without serious interest in fighting him.

Ward said to Sky Sports Ringside “I don’t think either one of these guys [Froch and Kessler] want to fight me. I’ll be honest. I think they should stop misleading the fans and be honest. If you don’t want to fight, then say ‘I don’t want to fight,’ because neither [Eddie] Hearns or Kalle Sauerland has made us an offer to fight in the States or go to the UK or anywhere else.[ At this point, Ward then gives a direct message to Froch’s promoter] Eddie Hearn, pick up the phone and make us an offer. You guys say you want this match. I don’t have to do anything. I’m the [best of the] super middleweight champion. Pick up the phone. If I fought Carl Froch again, it would be a treat to the UK fans. I have respect for them that much. I love Great Britain. I tell you this that Froch won’t fight outside of Nottingham in a 10,000 seat arena unless he fights me. He’s only fought there in a 10,000 seat capacity arena. I guarantee that if I come to the UK, we’ll double that.”

I hate to say it but I think Ward could be right about Kessler and Froch not being eager to fight him. I think Froch might come around and fight Ward again if he doesn’t get whipped by Kessler or Lucian Bute, but I believe that Ward is going to near the end after Froch has faces Kessler and Bute. Froc won’t take the Ward fight before any of those fights, because the chances of him losing to Ward being so incredibly high.

That’s the smart thing to do, and I don’t blame Froch for saving Ward for last because if he were to fight Ward first, he’d only lose and then boxing fans would laugh at the idea of Froch fighting Kessler and Bute again. I still have serious doubts that the Froch-Ward fight will happen, though, because I think Kessler is going to beat Froch again, and then there won’t be any real need for Ward to do it again. Who would want to see Ward beat Froch again if Kessler already got there first?

As far as Kessler fighting Ward again, I don’t see that happening. Maybe there might be a chance if it’s one of the last fights of Kessler’s career, and Ward is even more popular than he is now, but I don’t see Kessler facing Ward until the bitter end of his career.

Ward will be fighting in February or March next year against former WBC/WBO middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik in a nice little mismatch. Pavlik is very similar to Froch in fighting style, and it should give boxing fans a good indication of what will happen to Froch when and if he faces Ward again.



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