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© Tom Casino / Showtime Boxing
Saturday night at the MGM Grand Foxwoods in Connecticut, reigning WBC Champion Carl Froch defended his super middleweight title against mandatory challenger Jermain Taylor.
Jermain ‘Bad Intentions’ Taylor of Little Rock, AR obviously had big support from the home-crowd. With a record of 28-2-1 (17), the younger Taylor was expected to win.
Booed in to the ring to the sounds of ‘We Will Rock You’, Froch, of Nottingham, England, remained stony-faced as he stood alongside trainer Robert McCracken. Undefeated Froch boasts a 24 win record with 19 of those wins coming by way of knockout, with no losses.
Straight away, Taylor lands a big right to the head of Froch. With Froch’s left arm low on defense, Taylor lands further punches to the left side of Froch’s face. It’s a great first round for Taylor.
Taylor is very quick but mid-way through the second – as he goes in with a right which lands – Froch lands with a clubbing left which sends Taylor off balance.
The end of the frame sees a scrap between the two fighters, but it’s been a better round than the first for Froch, who has started to ‘settle in’.
Froch has a good start to round three, but his confidence means that he drops his gloves even lower, almost to his sides. Seconds later, Taylor lands a big right punch but Froch isn’t fazed by it.
In the closing minute – another big right from Taylor sees Froch stumble off balance against the ropes. With 41 seconds remaining, Froch, for the first time in his career, goes down to the canvas from a right punch.
© Tom Casino / Showtime Boxing
Rubbing his nose, Froch takes the count but looks alert as he gets up. Going in with an uppercut, he gets caught again by a right as he turns side-on.
Trainer McCracken implores his charge to get his gloves up and keep his chin down as Froch sits in his corner.
The fourth is a better round for Froch as Taylor seems to ease off the pressure – looking for a big right punch.
Both men continue fighting after the bell at the end of round five and referee Michael Ortega has to step in. With a minute of the sixth frame gone – Froch lands his first really notable punch – a big right to the face of Taylor – who hardly blinks, but it’s a good round for Froch.
Round eight and both men seem to be looking for the big punch. Froch lands with a good left, but continues to let his gloves drop low. He delivers a good right punch in the closing minute, which Taylor ‘feels’.
Froch ‘picks it up’ in the closing twenty seconds, but a solid right from Taylor sees Froch under pressure. Taylor lands a big left uppercut and Froch is ‘saved by the bell’.
By the eleventh, both men have tired. Mid-way through the frame, Taylor lands a number of shots, beginning with a right uppercut and finishing with a right to the face of Froch.
The Nottingham man is in trouble but comes back with a right to the head of Taylor. Seconds later, a big straight left rocks back Froch’s head. Both men slug it out until Froch catches Taylor with a left hook and forces the home favourite into the corner as the final seconds tick away.
In the twelfth and final frame, Froch needs a ‘big round’ and pressures Taylor on the ropes, landing lefts and rights to the head – but Taylor ‘slips’ away from him.
Froch goes after him, forcing him back on the ropes again and Taylor looks to be in trouble. It’s mid-way through the round and Taylor looks dazed as Froch goes after him again.
Taylor tries to keep away from Froch – but Froch keeps going after him. Froch lands a right and follows up with more shots as Taylor defends himself in the corner. There’s a minute of the round remaining. Another left lands to the face of Taylor and he does well to keep upright.
Taylor comes back with some head shots and Froch returns with a right over the top followed by another right through the middle which sees Taylor sink to his knees in the corner.
Taylor is counted and only just makes it to his feet. He looks exhausted. Froch gives it everything he’s got as he pressures Taylor in the corner and with fourteen seconds remaining, referee Michael Ortega stops the contest.
Carl Froch retains his WBC Super Middleweight title by twelfth round stoppage. Froch was behind by four rounds on two cards and needed the stoppage, but accepted afterward that he ‘still had a lot to learn’.
© Tom Casino / Showtime Boxing
On the undercard, super middleweight Allan Green, 28-1 (20), won the biggest fight of his career by stopping Carlos De Leon Jr., 21-3-2 (14), in the second round.
Former IBF Light Welter Champion Paul Malignaggi, 26-2 (5), survived a few difficult moments to win an eight round unanimous decision over Christopher Fernandez, 16-7-1 (9), in his first bout back from a stoppage loss to Ricky Hatton last November.
Former heavyweight contender Dominck Guinn, 31-6-1 (21), stopped previously undefeated prospect Johhnie White, 21-1 (18), in the first round.
