Boxing Preview Analysis: Carl Froch – Brian Magee

ByLee Bellfield

This Friday at the York Hall, Bethnal Green in London, unbeaten British and Commonwealth Super Middleweight Champion Carl Froch puts both his titles on the line against Belfast’s Brian Magee. For Froch, at age 28, now must be the time to enter the elite of the super middleweight division. Supremely talented and confident, he’s seeing Brian Magee as a stepping stone for a possible chance this year at world honours.

Unbeaten in 18 bouts with 14 knockouts, he won the vacant British title in 2003 with a seventh round stoppage against Manchester’s Alan Page. Froch quickly added the Commonwealth title one year later by outpointing Charles Adamu.

In Magee, Froch is meeting a man he shouldn’t under estimate. With only two defeats in 27 bouts, the Irishman just 12 months ago was deemed good enough to challenge world number one Joe Calzaghe in a bout that just 24 hours before it was due to begin, was scrapped following a protest from the camp of Mario Veit.

One look at the opponents of both men and I think Magee’s met the better quality opposition. His only two defeats have been against former World Champion Robin Reid and a close call against Vitali Tsypko for the European title.

In terms of boxing style, this appears to be a dream matchup. In Froch you have the smooth boxer puncher; In Magee you have the pressure fighter.

Come Friday Night what can we expect? I just hope that despite the trash talking that has been going on in the last week that Froch’s camp aren’t taking Magee too lightly. Magee will come to fight and I’ve a feeling that Froch is going to be in for a tough time. Had it taken place in Magee’s hometown of Belfast as originally scheduled then perhaps it could have been tougher.

That being said, the bout is fought in the ring and maybe the change in venue wouldn’t have made a difference anyway. Froch, for all his boasts, more time than not has produced the goods. However, on Friday night I think he’s going to be in the toughest fight of his life, one that could go all the way.