Exclusive Interview: Carl “Cobra” Froch.

“I could beat anyone in the world at my weight.”-Carl Froch.

Click for larger image © Action Images

Carl Froch, the prodigiously talented Nottingham native, has gradually been building a fierce reputation for himself. There’s nothing strange in that, right? There isn’t. That is, of course, until you realize that he has only fourteen professional bouts under his belt and is already getting the rubber ear from the likes of Joe

Calzaghe and Robin Reid. Not bad for a “fourteen fight novice,” no? Many of Froch’s detractors accuse him of being over-confident. You really have to wonder what sport these people watch, though. Show me a boxer lacking in self-belief and I’ll show you a liar, quite simply. Besides, you would be confident, too, if a proven world champion like Joe Calzaghe wanted one of the biggest purses of his career to step in the ring with you. With a void in his schedule and a few things on his mind, Carl Froch was kind enough to grant me an interview for SaddoBoxing.com.

Don’t miss this essential interview with Carl Froch, one of England’s finest fighters speaking his mind about potential opponents, the BBC, Eastman-Hopkins, his own boxing future and much, much more.

SB: What have you been up to since the Damon Hague fight?

CF: I had a good couple of weeks off, then I went out to Thailand with my promoter Mick Hennessy and my trainer, Robert McCracken. And we had a week out there at a boxing convention, which was very beneficial. I met a lot of people. I met Injin Chi, as it goes.

SB: Did you?

CF: Yeah, I met a few boxers and just had a bit of a relax. Since then all I’ve been doing is getting back into my training. I’ve just been ticking over, basically: a few runs, a few gym sessions, nothing too intense. I’m just waiting for a fight, basically. I mean, I’ve called it on with a lot of people. I don’t know if you’ve read the papers recently…

SB: (Interrupting) Yeah, I was going to ask a few questions about that.

CF: Yeah, I’ve been calling it on. I want the fights, but I can’t seem to nail anybody down.

SB: You don’t have anything in the pipeline, then?

CF: Nothing lined up, no. I’m supposed to be going out to the States when Howard Eastman fights for the world title against Hopkins. Hopefully they’re going to get me on that under-card.

SB: Oh yeah, you’re under the same promoter.

CF: Yeah. We’re just a bit unsure what’s happening with Eastman and the title challenge at the minute. There’s a bit of commotion going on, apparently. I’ve not spoken to my promoter about it, but there’s been a few things in the papers saying that Eastman is looking to do his own thing with Don King or someone out there.

SB: Is that right?

CF: Yeah, something’s going on anyway.

SB: Since the Hague fight, you’ve called out Joe Calzaghe. Do you see a fight with him coming off?

CF: Realistically, short term, no. But in the future, maybe, if it’s a big money fight, he’d probably take it. He wants to earn a few pounds if he’s gonna get beat. He’s not gonna earn that against British and Commonwealth champions. If I had a world title, I’d probably challenge him for the world title. If the stakes were a bit higher, he’d probably take it. Business wise, for himself, the fight isn’t really to his benefit, which is probably why he didn’t take it. And he was saying stuff about how I’m just a fourteen-fight novice and that I’d only be suitable as a sparring partner—which is crazy really. If that was the case, he would have me as a warm up fight and annihilate me just to shut me up (laughing).

SB: Do you think his camp’s response to you has been a contradiction of sorts? On the one hand, they’re saying that you’re a fourteen-fight novice, and on the other hand, they’ve priced Joe out of a fight with you.

CF: Yeah, well that’s what I think it is. But if it’s not a big money fight for him, I can appreciate why he wouldn’t want to take it. Because there is a big risk of him getting beat and there’s not much money there for him. In his position, business wise, it doesn’t make any sense. But the way he’s got out of it, I think he’s exposed himself a little bit.

SB: You also gave Robin Reid the option of fighting you. But you were turned down by his camp as well, weren’t you?

CF: Yeah, we offered him a fight. I don’t think he said anything, to be honest. I think he just went quiet. Yeah, he just didn’t respond. I don’t know if they were waiting for money to be mentioned. I mean, it’s alright saying I wanna fight this guy and I wanna fight that guy, but surely there’s got to be some back up with it. I don’t know if there was any money put down on the table for Robin Reid or how it went, but he never got back to us to even start negotiations. So I’ll take it that he didn’t want the fight. He just beat Magee, didn’t he, for the IBO? He probably wants to defend that a couple of times before he takes on anyone serious. People with the IBO don’t tend to fight anyone, do they? It’s one of those titles where you can hand pick your challengers.

SB: Are you getting a bit frustrated with the lack of opportunities, or are you quite happy to learn your craft just now?

CF: That’s it, I wanna get in there and get fighting. I mean, you can spend as much time in the gym as you want and running. You get a certain fitness, but you’ve got to be fighting to be bringing yourself on. Sparring’s the closest thing you can get to fighting, but that’s a million miles away from the real thing. I could spar with people and they’d probably spar with me for five or six rounds, and I’d get some good sparring from certain people if I boxed them. But if I was to fight them, they’d probably last a round. I don’t wanna mention no names, but that’s the case with a lot of fighters that I spar with. I get a few rounds out of them, but under fight conditions it’s a different sport altogether. And if I’m gonna get to where I wanna be, which is dominating in America, getting titles, the top titles, I need to be busy and I need to be fighting at world class. I can’t be hanging around for five, six months at a time before I take on a serious competitor. It’s just not the right way to do it. The best fighters are busy fighters.

SB: You’ve referred to yourself as “Britain’s most talented sportsperson.” What is it you think separates you from the likes of David Beckham?

CF: I just think that boxing is such a tough sport, such an all round sport. When I compare myself to Beckham, I just think we’re leagues apart in terms of what you need to perform at the top level. I mean, for boxing, you’ve got to be fit, strong, have agility, speed, power, and all these things. It’s hand-to-hand combat, one man against one man and that’s always the toughest sport to be involved in. Football is obviously globalized, it’s massive. Everyone loves football, so that’s why they’re such big stars, because of the money involved and because of the sponsorships involved. But if David Beckham was a boxer doing the same thing, he wouldn’t be as famous as he is. I mean, he’s as famous as he is because he’s married to a bloody Spice Girl (laughing). That’s what put him up there. I mean, take for example, the likes of Michael Owen. He’s not as big as Beckham, but he’s just as good as him on his day. But Beckham’s in the spotlight, so that’s why I picked him as an example.

SB: He probably wouldn’t have the same looks either if he was a boxer.

CF: No, he wouldn’t have, he wouldn’t have at all. In terms of talented sports people, in terms of the skill that you need to box at the top level, it doesn’t compare with any other sport, especially not football. Don’t get me wrong, he’s skilful, he’s got skills, but he’s not an all-rounder on the pitch, is he?

SB: How highly do you rate yourself just now? For example, if Hopkins moved up to super middleweight, how do you think you would get on against him?

CF: I think I’d beat him, given a couple more fights. If I got a little bit more experience at the top level, I could take him on. I’m confident that I could beat anyone in the world in my weight division. I’ve seen them all fight and I’m not impressed with any of them. I mean, there’s some good fighters out there, some real good ones. Joe Calzaghe’s real tough and strong and fit, but he’s over the hill a little bit now. He’s not at his best, from what he was. If you’re going to separate boxers and dissect them into what they’ve got, I’ve got speed, I’ve got power, I’ve got skills, I can box and move, stand and fight. I mean, I’m super fit. I know I don’t cut corners in training. You compare that to any other boxer in the world, you know what I mean, who’s gonna beat me?

SB: Do you think Joe Calzaghe has been protected or do you think he, personally, is quite content with what he’s got?

CF: He’s probably content with what he’s got. He’s probably got a few quid in the bank. He’s got his new girlfriend, he’s splitting up with his wife. I don’t know if he wants it so much anymore. His last couple of fights he seems to have mentally switched off. He’s struggled with his opponents as well. I mean, that last guy, he just stood and fought and he got nailed, didn’t he. He didn’t need to do that. He should have just boxed and moved and got out of the guy’s way. I mean, the guy tried to hold and head butt and try and get a cut. Calzaghe should be more experienced than to get involved in that. I mean, I’d like to fight the guy he fought, just to show people what I’d do against him.

SB: You’re a part of Hennessy Sports. Did you have the option of joining Frank Warren’s Sports Network?

CF: I did do, yeah, when I first turned pro.

SB: What do you see as the difference between the two?

CF: Well, I wanted to be on terrestrial television and I know Frank Warren’s got the Sky deal. I’ve just got this thing about terrestrial television and being viewed by millions, rather than just thousands. That was a big factor for me. Other than that, I got to know Mick Hennessy and Robert McCracken and I really did put a lot of trust in them. I built a relationship with them and I trusted them and that was a massive factor as well, television and the trust that I built with them as well. Not taking anything away from Frank Warren, I’m not giving him any stick or anything, but at the time the right move for me mentally, and to be confident when I turned pro, was with Mick and Rob because I did a lot of training with Rob. I felt he could bring me on as a fighter, which he has done. But a big factor, like I say, was terrestrial television. I’ve always wanted to box when people like, you know, your next door neighbor could sit and watch it, as opposed to being on Sky, where you don’t get that many viewers. But obviously we don’t know what’s happening now with the TV. The BBC don’t know what they’re doing.

SB: Aren’t the BBC showing the boxing quite frequently?

CF: They have been showing it but they’ve been pulling out and not been giving anyone any definites on what they’re doing, messing everyone around.

SB: How many fights do you think you would need to get yourself ready for a fighter like Jeff Lacy?

CF: Jeff Lacy…probably about three or four. If I’m realistic, that’s about a year and a half down road. He’s had about eighteen, nineteen fights and he’s mixing it up with world class contenders, like Omar Sheika, who he boxed the other day. I wasn’t very impressed with that performance either. I mean, it was ok, but Calzaghe put him away in five rounds a few years ago.

SB: Yeah, Sheika looked like he had him in a bit of trouble at some points in the fight, especially the early part.

CF: He did, yeah, he did. I mean, I wasn’t particularly over-impressed by that. Although, he got through it and he won. But, I mean, I’d fight Jeff lacy, realistically…well, if it was up to me, I’d fight him next week, but that’s not gonna happen. Realistically, I’d have a couple of fights, build myself up, probably take the European title and take the step up. That would be a massive fight, because he’s the IBF champion. I’m gonna have to build my ranking up to even get a shot anyway, so a couple of fights, a European title fight and then have a look at the world scene. That’s what I wanna be doing. I mean, realistically, what I wanted to do was defend my British title and Commonwealth title a couple of times on home soil, in front of a Nottingham crowd. I won that British title in September against Hague and I’d have liked to fight before Christmas, to keep my heart going and keep the interest going because people are quick to forget you. And then maybe defend a couple of times in the New Year and then move onto the European and the world. But with the lack of challenges…Tony Dodson, he could have been a decent challenge. And Mathew Barnett looks a bit of a challenge, but he’s not realistic when he talks. He talks garbage as well, like most of them. They lay down these challenges and they’re asking for fifty-grand on eight weeks notice, which is just ridiculous. If anybody realistic wants to fight somebody like myself, then they know where I am. The fight can be done. The facts are, no one wants to fight me. The likes of Magee, Dodson and Mathew Barnett, who I shouldn’t even mention in the same breath really because he’s absolutely useless…He doesn’t even come to fight. He’s just a coward. I don’t know if you’ve seen him fight. I have absolutely no respect for Mathew Barnett, whatsoever. I just think he can’t fight. I’d just get hold of him and smash him. I know what he’s like: he’d just run, and jab.

SB: You’re six-foot-four, which is probably bigger than your average heavyweight. Do you plan on moving up?

CF: I would do, yeah. I would like to be at light heavyweight because I like to do a few weights and get a bit of size on me. But, I mean, I do super middleweight that easy, I’ve not been in the gym seriously now for a couple of months…I’ve did a few runs, been keeping myself in shape as I always do, but I’m walking around at twelve-stone-four. And that’s pretty much eating when I want, eating what I want and not really training that hard. I’m not a light heavyweight. It’s pointless me even thinking about moving up to light heavyweight at the minute, but it is something I’d love to do in the future.

SB: You have good physical advantages for a super middleweight, because you’re taller than most of your opponents.

CF: I’m tall, I’ve got a long reach, I’m very lean and I’m strong, I punch hard. So I’ve got massive advantages at super middleweight. I think I could take the world on at super middle, I really do. I’m not just blowing hot air, or being the cheeky, cocky boxer. I do genuinely believe that I can go in with anyone at super middleweight and give them trouble and take them out. I just need to get the fights. I need to be busy, like anyone does.

SB: Would you have preferred to have turned pro earlier? I know you had a good amateur career, to say the least.

CF: No, I wouldn’t have turned pro earlier. When I turned pro, I was ready to turn pro. I shot up quite late. I was quite a late developer. I wasn’t as big and as strong as a middleweight, as an amateur. I developed quite late and got my strength at about twenty-four, twenty-five, and that’s when I turned pro. The timing was perfect. I’m twenty-seven now, but I’m really fresh. I don’t get hit much. I mean, Fernando Vargas, he was finished at twenty-five, twenty-six. He was shot to pieces. I’m twenty-seven and I’m as fresh as a daisy. You’ve only got so many punches your head can take. As soon as your punch resistance drops, you’ve got to turn it in. Some people go on too long, they take too many fights. The only people that can get away with it are probably the heavyweights. But at my weight and the other weights, once your time is up you’ve got to look to retire. I’m just starting out. I’m fresh as anything. I’m twenty-seven and I’ve got the best years of my life ahead of me. I feel very strong and fit and ready to fight for the titles. But like I said, I don’t wanna be sat around when I could be in there fighting.

SB: Ideally, what would you like to achieve by this time next year?

CF: This time next year, I’d at least want the European title around my waist. I’d like to be in the top-ten this time next year, and in the driving seat for a world title fight. I’m probably gonna have to get the idea of owning the Lonsdale belt outright out of my head, because no one in Britain wants to fight me, and just move onto the European.

SB: Is there anything you’d like to say to your fans, just to finish up?

CF:Basically, like I said to you earlier, I’m not blowing hot air when I say I can take the best in the world and I genuinely believe I can win world titles. My fans probably know that anyway. The fans I’ve got believe in me themselves. Stick with me and we’ll get there and I’ll hopefully be bringing those titles back to Nottingham as well.

SB: Good stuff. Thanks very much for your time, Carl.

CF: Take care and have a good Christmas.

SB: You too.

CF: Bye.

James MacDonald can be reached at ac009b5460@blueyonder.co.uk