By James Slater: Though he is both proud and satisfied at the way he has given his paying fans a number of great action fights recently – against the likes of Arthur Abraham and, last time out, Glen Johnson – WBC super-middleweight king Carl Froch, 28-1(20) says he definitely wants to score more KO’s in the future: starting with his important fight with the unbeaten Andre Ward.
“The Cobra” will meet the WBA champ on October 29th, in what will be the grand finale of the exciting, two-years-to-complete “Super Six” Boxing Classic; and Froch says he is looking forward to putting some serious pressure on the jaw of the man who calls himself “S.O.G.”
As fans know, 27-year-old Ward, 24-0(13) has boxed his way to victory over good fighters Mikkel Kessler, Allan Green and, in his last fight, Abraham. However, Ward has yet to have his chin as severely tested as Froch is hoping to test it. Could the Oct. 29th fight be one that sees Ward hit and hurt for the first significant time?
Froch is training hard for the big bout, and he is almost on weight for the clash already – as he explained to Sky Sports News.
“I’m coming into the gym now at 175-pounds,” he said. “So I’m in a really good position. The perfect fight for me is to outbox my opponent and catch up with him late on in the fight, really put the pressure on and get the stoppage to excite the fans. I’ve been a bit disappointed in my last fights – because I’ve not got the stoppage. Against Ward, I’m going to connect with a hurtful shot on the jaw section of the cranium and do so serious damage.”
Froch has not stopped a foe since his sensational come-from-behind 12th-round TKO of Jermain Taylor in April of 2009. While Ward, not a big puncher, has not scored a KO since his 3rd-round stoppage of the overmatched Shelby Pudwill, also in 2009. I do feel the October battle has a great chance of going the distance; despite what Froch says about landing some hurt.
In a chess-match type affair, Ward has an excellent shot at retaining his perfect record and of lifting the Boxing Classic trophy. The thing is, can 34-year-old Froch turn the fight into a physical, rough fight? If he can, the trophy has a fine chance of coming home to Nottingham, U.K.
Looked at as a pick ‘em fight by many good judges, Ward-Froch promises to be an intense battle of wits. I think we will see great boxing skills from Ward, as well as effective aggression by Froch. A stoppage either way would be a surprise. It will be a case of who picks up the most points by impressing the judges. I have a sneaking feeling this will be the younger, arguably faster Ward.
But Froch has proven in the past how adept he is at winning when fans do not expect him to.