by James Slater – Top US promoter Lou DiBella, who promotes, among others, Jermain Taylor, told this writer earlier today how he has been made quite angry at what he has been reading on the internet boxing sites with regards to the still unsigned WBC super-middleweight title fight between his fighter Taylor and the belt holder Carl Froch.
What has angered DiBella the most is the version of events put out there according to the man he has been trying to iron a deal out with, in UK promoter Mick Hennessey – Froch’s promoter.
Never did Jermain Taylor view Froch as a fighter to fear, Lou assures us, and never was there even the possibility of the 168-pound clash taking place in Great Britain. Why? Quite simply because there is not the necessary money in the UK to make a meeting between the two a sensible option – the fight would not be financially viable unless it took place in America. “It had to happen here,” DiBella said..
DiBella spoke of how he likes Hennessey as a person, but that he is a difficult man to work with.
I asked Lou if he feels the Taylor-Froch fight will actually happen.
“We have to settle the date yet, and nothing has been signed,” Lou said. “But it’s likely. If I were a betting man, I’d bet on the fight taking place.”
The US promoter also informed this writer that his UK counterpart has now accepted what is basically the same offer that was originally on the table back in December of last year.
“Back on December 20th last year, I offered Hennessey a deal that he refused,” DiBella said. “But now, six weeks later, he has accepted what is basically the same deal. The only difference is he will be getting $50,000 more! So I’m really laughing at why he has done this and still talked all that crap in the news! Why has he changed his mind when it’s almost an identical deal? Why has he said we didn’t want the fight, when he has now accepted the original deal (plus an additional $50,000) I put on the table weeks ago? This fight has never been waiting on us, it’s only been waiting on him [Hennessey].”
DiBella told me how his fighter has even had to change TV stations so as to try to make the fight happen.
“We’ve fought our whole career on HBO,” Lou said. “We had to move to Showtime to make this fight because HBO didn’t want it – Froch is not a big name over here. Why would we do that if we didn’t want the fight? If we didn’t want this fight, if Jermain were at all hesitant to fight Froch, we wouldn’t take it. It’s that simple. Taylor has other options he could have stayed on HBO and taken. Froch doesn’t have a whole lot of other options.”
Lou also cleared up the Allan Green situation. Green, as has been reported, was told he would fight Taylor on the earlier March date that was set for Taylor-Froch; what with the fight against “The Cobra” looking like it was history.
“I feel bad for Allan Green, who I also promote,” Lou told me. “I told him verbally he would be fighting Jermain and he’s even started training camp. He will now fight on the under-card if the fight goes down. Jermain’s first choice, as he told me, was to fight Joe Calzaghe – but Calzaghe’s obviously not doing anything right now. Jermain’s second choice was to get his WBC title back and fight Froch. Taylor’s not a big talker, but this has been the most riled up I’ve seen him since the first Bernard Hopkins fight. What they [team-Froch] have done with all their trash talk is bring out the beast in him.
“If this fight does go down, it will be explosive. Both guys will really be trying to hurt each other.”
A while back, it was suggested, much to “The Cobra’s” annoyance, that he would have been unable to fight Taylor in March because the new champion was carrying a rib injury. Froch claimed he was fighting fit, but now DiBella has his doubts.
“I don’t blame Mick [Hennessey] for protecting his fighter,” Lou Said. “But was Froch really injury-free and ready to fight in March as was clamed? I mean, why has Hennessey suddenly come back and accepted my original deal now? It’s actually amusing, because all of a sudden he’s ready to take the same deal now!”
DiBella believes, as do many fight fans, that the prospective bout will be a great fight. However, he also warned that if a deal is not reached in around three or four days tops, there will be no fight.
“I think the fight will happen, because surely, unless Hennessey is insane, he will sign the deal now. But if he doesn’t do it soon, Showtime will walk. It has to be signed ASAP or else, really. [If the fight happens] we will find out whether or not Froch is as good as he thinks he is. Just because my guy doesn’t have the title, it doesn’t mean he isn’t the better fighter.
“Jermain has two wins over Bernard Hopkins, as well as wins over Kassim Ouma and Cory Spinks. Froch’s only notable win was over Jean Pascal – who, by the way, pulled out of fighting Jermain – so my guy brings much more to the table.”