Boxing Perspective: Carl Froch

Will “The Cobra” Be Ready If He Beats Reid?

With 21 wins, 17 by knockout, no losses and constantly calling out Joe Calzaghe, it is no surprise that British Super Middleweight Champion Carl Froch is gaining the boxing media attention that so many other boxers could only dream of. On ninth of November, the WBC number 1 challenger will fight former world titlist Robin Reid in what he sees as a stepping stone to a world title fight.

“The Cobra” as Froch is known, impressed during his last outing in the ring beating quality opponent Sergey Tatevosyan in two rounds. Tatevosyan had never previously been knocked out.

Froch’s other majorly publicized outing was against Belfast man Brian Magee whom he knocked out in 11 rounds in a fight that was close on the scorecards.

His opponent for November 9, Robin Reid, has a record of 39 wins and 5 losses with 27 wins coming by knockout. The common opponent between the two is Brian Magee, who Reid also beat by a unanimous decision, knocking down Magee no less than four times.

The question many will ask is, if Froch beats Reid, as is widely expected, what will this tell us? Reid was overpowered by Jeff Lacy in eight rounds, the only times in his career he has been knocked down. Lacy then went on to fight Joe Calzaghe, the main man at 168 lb and was totally outclassed. So again the question begs, what does beating the Grim Reaper prove about Froch?

Unless the Cobra produces a knockout, the answer will be not much. Even if he does, unless it is before the late rounds, it may not mean much to people. The fight however should be a good learning experience and will prepare the Nottingham man for the winner of Calzaghe- Kessler, which to him and the public would be his defining fight, in terms of his legacy.

Would Froch be too “green” to fight the winner of the super middleweight unification? He will certainly be the underdog whatever the outcome of his next fight. The pair of Calzaghe and Kessler boast a combined record of 82 wins with 0 losses with over 60 knockouts. Facing the winner would be the hardest fight of Froch’s life.

However what about newly minted IBF Champion Lucian Bute, another fighter with a record of 21 wins and 17 knockouts? The common opponent being Sergey Tatevosyan with Bute winning every round of 12 when they fought. This may be the best fight for Carl if he gets past Reid, however is unlikely to happen with Froch’s belief that he can beat Calzaghe or Kessler and his status as WBC number one challenger.

Froch’s style allows him media exposure and opportunities that other boxers of a more cautious nature may not be given. A fight against Jeff Lacy for a shot at a world title would be a great chance for both boxers to show they are capable of being world champions. Or even against Kessler’s recent foe, Librado Andrade, again this would be a good gauge of Froch’s power and chin.

In conclusion, Carl Froch needs more than just this fight against Robin Reid to prepare himself for a shot at the unified world champion, or he is in danger of doing something similar to Ray “Boom Boom” Batista against Daniel Ponce De Leon last month. 22 fights with no scares is not enough against a fighter such as Kessler.

Despite this, Froch’s confidence may well push him into a fight with the winner of Calzaghe vs. Kessler, and if this is the case, good luck to him.