Nottingham’s former WBA, WBC and IBF super-middleweight champion Carl “The Cobra” Froch has finally announced that the curtain has come down on his illustrious 13 year professional career, ending ALL speculation as to whether he would return to the ring to face murderous-punching Kazakh Gennady Golovkin.
Froch, tweeted the following before speaking to Sky Sports, with whom he will join in a punditry capacity;
“I’m officially retired from boxing. So much to say & so many people to thank. But for now, I just want to say THANK YOU to my amazing fans.”
The now 38 year old Froch, who considers the two fights with George Groves his defining moments, appeared to be plugging his new employers with his retirement words, when he said;
“I’m incredibly proud of what I have achieved in boxing but now is the right moment to hang up my gloves. I have nothing left to prove and my legacy speaks for itself.”
“Sky Sports is the home of boxing and has followed me throughout my career. I can’t wait to join the team and help bring fans the best fighters, the best contests and the best analysis.”
“Nothing can replace the thrill of stepping into the ring, but with Sky Sports, I’ll be doing the next best thing.”
It would seem that the cold reality of what would be required to continue being competitive was also a factor for Froch, who had been out of the ring since the 2nd fight with Groves in May of last year.
Despite all his posturing and indecision, it would seem that he has given the topic considerable thought as to where he really lies in the current landscape, and that the likes of James DeGale and Golovkin were simply too big a challenge in the Autumn of his career.
“Making the decision to retire and saying ‘it’s been a year, it’s too long, the fighting machine has gone, it’s not going to come back’, it’s still hard.” he said.
Froch retires with a record of 33-2, with 24 early finishes. His only career defeat that wasn’t avenged came against American P4P star Andre Ward in 2011.
He held notable victories over Jermain Taylor, Arthur Abraham, Andre Dirrell, Jean Pascal and Mikkel Kessler.
Twitter @Undilutedpoison