Froch: Stays Retired ‘For Now’ But Keeps Eye on DeGale

By Olly Campbell - 11/11/2015 - Comments

British former super-middleweight world champion, Carl Froch sparked intrigue earlier this week with comments suggesting he was considering a comeback at 38, 18 months after his career swansong rematch against George Groves in May 2014.

Yet the ‘Cobra’, writing in his column for Sky Sports, has decided to now scotch the speculation, by saying he remains retired, and his desire to fight is gone….for the moment.

“In a nutshell, there is no reason forcing me back into the ring,” he said. “There are no itches left to scratch and nothing left to prove. My final fight was called ‘Unfinished Business’ – and I finished it. ”

Much has been made of Froch being tempted out of retirement to face IBF 168 lb champion, James DeGale, who fights Froch’s former foe, Lucien Bute on Nov. 28 in Canada, a fight he claims only now holds an interest for him given ‘Chunky’ has a world title.

The IBF strap DeGale won against Andre Dirrell in May was vacated by Froch when the Londoner was his mandatory challenger, though the Nottingham man is keen to say there was no ducking going on; ‘Chunky’ just didn’t have his respect at the time.

“Would I bash up James DeGale? Yes, of course I would,” Froch said regarding the situation. “Why didn’t that fight happen last year? DeGale simply hadn’t done anything to command my respect at that point and I’d just smoked a guy who’d previously beaten him [Groves].

“If he does the business [against Bute] it could actually whet my appetite and I could think to myself, ‘You know what? Let’s have another punch-up!” he said, before going on to concede his partner would attempt to talk him out of it and bring him back down to reality.

“Fighting is in my blood and always will be, as you can imagine, and it’s only natural to have those thoughts and urges [about coming back.]

“If I did decide to fight again it wouldn’t be to rectify a defeat and it wouldn’t be because I needed the money. It would be all about the big challenge, the reason to push myself to the limits once again and something to spark the desire that seems to have gone away……For now.”

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