Boxing News Boxing News
It has been announced by Matchroom Sport that newly crowned IBF and two time WBC Super Middleweight Champion Carl Froch will be making the maiden defence of his IBF Super Middleweight title against two time world title challenger Yusaf Mack of the United States at the Nottingham Arena on November 17th.
The 35-year-old Froch won the IBF version of the 12 stone title back in May when he stopped the big hitting Canadian-Romanian Lucian Bute in just five rounds in front of Bute’s partisan home crowd.
Many knowledgeable figures within this sport regard Froch’s victory as not only his finest performance of his 31 fight professional career to date, but also one of the finest by a British fighter in a world title bout of all time.
Froch applied intelligent, relentless pressure against the powerfully elegant southpaw to clinch his third world title and secure his future within the sport.
Prior to the fight, Froch had stated had he lost to Bute he would have been left to consider his future in the sport as he had no desire to step down to British level.
The 32 year old Mack, who hails from Philadelphia and is the USBA Light-Heavyweight champion, brings with him a 35 fight record with 31 wins, 17 by knockout and four losses all by stoppage, has not fought at Super Middleweight since 2007, when he was stopped in seven rounds by the tough Mexican Librade Andrade.
Since that time, Mack has been fighting at Light-Heavyweight with mixed results, suffering defeats against former Froch victim Glencoffe Johnson in six rounds in an IBF eliminator, and later was dispatched in eight rounds, this time against big hitting countryman Tavoris Cloud in June 2011, but he does hold a win against five time world title challenger Omar Sheika.
In contrast, Froch has engaged in eight consecutive world title fights against top 10 ranked fighters, an impressive feat in it’s own right, but it is made even more impressive when you take into account that the Super-Middleweight class is currently regarded as one of the most stacked division in the sport.
Reaction has been mixed to Froch facing a boxer ranked #15 at Light-Heavy, as people were expecting yet another tough title bout to keep the run going, however it can also be argued that Froch has earnt a “gimme” fight after such a tough run, and that he would look to have a lower risk fight before his mandatory rematch against Bute in Quebec.
Froch vs. Mack will be broadcasted on Sky Sports, with whom Froch’s promoter Matchroom Sports have signed a two year deal.
As for this fight, it will be clear that Froch, with his superior experience at championship level and knockout power, will be a clear favourite in front his adoring public, but Mack will be looking to supply a damper to Froch’s fireworks.
Iain Langmaid can be contacted on:
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