Froch: Predictably Flirting With Comeback Idea

By Olly Campbell - 11/09/2015 - Comments

After teasing fans with the possibility of a final career fight with Gennady Golovkin before just as quickly retiring earlier this year, former super middleweight champion, Carl Froch, is now [predictably] prepared to go back on his promise of never fighting again, insisting he is flirting with the idea of a comeback.

The Marmite-like Froch, a granite chinned warrior in the ring, but an oft-abrasive and divisive personality outside of it, has been entertaining and irritating viewers of Sky Sports in equal measure in his latest role as a pundit and on-screen analyst, although judging by his latest comments it seems he isn’t finding life on the other side of the ropes as satisfying as he at first thought he might do.

“I always said ‘Once I’ve retired, I won’t come back’, but just lately, now, 18 months on from my last fight, I’m starting to think to myself ‘You know what? I’m fit, I’m strong, I’m in good shape’,” Froch said.

One suspects it’s merely the limelight that Froch is craving most, although replicating the euphoria of his May ’14, ’80k fans at Wembley’ swansong against George Groves is going to be a tough act to beat, unless of course he hops on a plane and fulfills a life-long dream of boxing to a capacity crowd in Las Vegas.

Of course the question remains as to who exactly ‘The Cobra’ could fight for such a comeback, and venues aside, he is apparently focusing on IBF super-middleweight champion, James DeGale, the man who owns the title Froch previously vacated; ostensibly to avoid that fight with the 2008 Olympic gold medalist in the first place.

“There’s nobody at my weight where I’m thinking ‘I’m worried about him’, not even Andre Ward. If I did fancy it, I’m thinking spring next year, get Christmas out of the way. I’m training every day. I’m not doing much punching, but my fitness is up,” he said.

“It’d be a one-fight comeback. I’d beat DeGale, it’s an easy job for me, and he’s world champion. Come back, get my old belt back, show them all how it’s done, and then retire. There’d be something satisfying about that.”

DeGale fights former Froch foe, Lucien Bute, on Nov. 28 in Canada, and assuming he gets past that, a fight with Froch would still be a massive draw and event in the UK, as well as still retaining a considerable fan interest worldwide.

The advice would be not to get hopes too high however, as one suspects Froch is merely blowing hot-air as he is often partial.

Having recently welcomed a new addition to his young family, and not getting any younger at 38 years old, it’s reasonable to assume this won’t amount to anything more than an exercise in limelight-craving and a vain attempt to rekindle former glories – we will have to simply wait and see.

“I’m not missing it, I’m not saying I’m going to come back and fight again, but if I was going to it’d have to be next year, or the door’s definitely shut,” he said.

“I did always say ‘Never say never’, and there comes a point when I can and that’s the end of next year.

“But it’s a big if. I might just stick with poker. The desire’s gone, it’s getting the desire back, [and] what would I need? It might be DeGale beating [Lucian] Bute [later this month], [then] coming back and mouthing off.”

Watch this space, as they say…..

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