The morning after the fight I posted this on the fight sticky thread

"In the early hours of Sunday morning, Carl Froch was comprehensively beaten by Andre Ward. His bravery and durability in withstanding a 12 round onslaught by a former Olympic gold medallist 7 years his junior can not be questioned. The Cobra was made to look sluggish, almost pedestrian at times by the slick American, a boxer whose greatest asset seems to be the ease with which he makes himself unhittable. The elusiveness of Ward was not the surprise on the night, it was his willingness and ability to stand and trade with Froch, forcing the old school warrior from Nottingham back against the ropes, turning his own vicious long game back on to the older man. Carl rallied late on and over a vintage 15 rounds he may well have caught up with a fading Ward, but it is 2011 and over a championship distance of 12 rounds the venom was drawn from the cobra's bite. The snap usually present in his punches, was nullified by Ward's excellent reflexes, and as a counter puncher relentlessly marching forward, it is the Californian man whose name will go down in the record books as holder of 3 belts and winner of the super 6 tournament. Pound for pound Ward has made a case to crash into the top 5, and if he continues to fight like he did against Froch it will just be a matter of time before his name is mentioned in tandem with greatness."

On reflection

He is a great fighter but not yet A Great. I find it difficult to call myself a fan because of his style and personality, but I cannot deny his technical ability, determination and heart. His problem maybe finding opposition against whom his greatness can be defined. After Bute, if and when that happens, who is really going to take him into the trenches without going up a division? He does bulldoze forward with his head, and due to a virtually non-existent personality outside the ring I can see him having problems building a fanbase on a par with his not inconsiderable achievements. I called him a chump before the fight and his comments "thanking the saints" who prayed for him really didn't do him any favours, but as a fighter he has shut my mouth. Being allowed to fight at home so much until Sunday raised a few doubts, but I think if he is to avoid a stalemate with Bute, they will both have to fight somewhere unfamiliar and that will answer a few more questions about each fighter.