Well, I avoided any kind of technology all day to avoid finding out the result of the fight so I could watch the ITV replay, and it was worth it. What a fight, not quite my FOTY but well up there, and like many have drawn comparisoms with the Bute-Andrade fight, and there were similarities except this one didn't have a corrupt ref
Anyway, I made very well clear that I can't stand Froch, and would gladly delight in his defeat. However, he showed great heart and power to finish Taylor how he did, and the claim that he's beaten nobody cannot be thrown at him any more. He beat a guy with all the natural gifts that he can only dream of, and battled his way back into a fight that he had been boxed out of, and what a knockout! As much as I was on the edge of my seat pulling for Taylor, it can't be denied that it was an exciting fight & again referring to the Andrade fight, I can definitely relate to how you Froch fans must have felt.
As for Taylor, I have always been unconvinced by him when up against the best opposition, and thought he lost both times to B-Hop, Wright & Pavlik. However, the way he fought for the bulk of the fight last night was so classy & after so many years he finally won me over as a fan. If he could have just gone for Froch in the last 30 seconds of Round 3, he would be the WBC champ right now. Still, he looked so slick & was also unafraid to get involved with Froch that I can't hold it against him. His class in the post-fight interview shone through, he gave all credit to Froch with no qualifications & didn't try to blame a stoppage that some might have questioned. Some might see this as weakness, personally I see it as a strength of character. For the first time in his career, I find myself wanting to see him fight again.
I'm amazed at some of the hate going at both fighters on here, as well as other undeserving figures (Andrade & Kessler). These two guys gave us the fans a really good scrap and we should be glad to them for it. Personally, I would love to see a rematch & I think the fight definitely warrants it, although they might choose to have a fight in-between each. I'm hoping JT doesn't quit because I think he definitely still has a lot to offer. If Froch gets a chance at Calzaghe that would be huge, but otherwise the winner of Bute-Andrade II or a rematch with Taylor would be fantastic as well, and if Kessler comes along that too would be a great fight.
Bookmarks