By James Slater – Reigning IBF super-middleweight king Carl Froch, who will face Lucian Bute in a rematch clause-ordered rematch next year, and may also face Mikkell Kessler in another mouth-watering return in 2013, will fight first in November. “The Cobra,” speaking with BBC Radio Nottingham, said two dates have been “pencilled in” for a voluntary defence to take place in his hometown: November 3rd and November 10th.
Right now, Froch and his team are looking at a suitable opponent, but if Froch gets his way it will likely be former middleweight king Kelly Pavlik. For some time now, “The Ghost,” unbeaten in his 168-pound campaign, has been expressing interest in fighting Froch, and Froch says he’s had enough of Pavlik’s talk..
“Pavlik has been calling me out , so I’d like to shut him up,” Froch said. “If we can get him over to Nottingham, that’s one the fans would want. He’s just one name, and there are a couple of other names that Eddie’s [Hearn] looking at. We’re looking at November 3rd, or November 10th
“It gives me an opportunity to fight again in Nottingham and to defend the IBF title. Then, in the new year, there’s the rematch with Bute and the rematch with Kessler.”
Froch added that a return fight with Kessler is “more appealing to him,” but that he will have to honour his rematch clause with Bute and will fight him over in Canada. But all that comes in 2013 – in the meantime we could have Froch Vs. Pavlik, and what a great fight that could be.
Like Froch, Pavlik, 40-2(34) overall and 4-0(2) as a super-middleweight, is never in a bad fight. Always exciting to watch, Pavlik seems to also have his hunger back after his well-publicised out of the ring problems. Taller than Froch (6’2” to Froch’s 6’1”) and having an identical reach at 75,” 30-year-old Pavlik would match up to Froch well. And style wise, how could this one not be a tough fight for both men? I’d be very surprised to see an early KO one way or the other (then again, who saw Froch taking out Bute as swiftly as he did?) and would instead expect a rough, tough battle of attrition.
Pavlik seems motivated for this fight, while Froch is in top form right now. Both men would have to be at their very best to have a good chance of winning, but Pavlik would be getting in the way of some big Froch plans if he were to score the upset in November. Let’s see if “The “Ghost” is unafraid of leaving the U.S and travelling to England to fight! I’m sure the leather will really fly if these two warriors square off.