Wednesday 2 March 2011

Froch: bring on Pavlik, Johnson, Ward, Pascal...

Carl Froch says he has no fear of taking on Kelly Pavlik - or any other fighter at 12st or 12st 7lbs for that matter.

The WBC world super-middleweight champion from Nottingham meets Miami-based Jamaican Glen Johnson, a former world number one at light-heavyweight, in the Super Six semi-final in May with the news that Pavilk has been installed as his number one contender.

Pavlik, who once reigned as the undisputed champion at middleweight before running into Argentine Sergio Martinez in his last outing, is known as a tough, uncompromising puncher who has knocked out 32 men in compiling a stellar 36-2 professional ledger.

However, the 28-year-old American was humbled by Bernard Hopkins two years ago in his only fight at super-middle, and rock-fisted Froch - a career-long campaigner at this weight - believes his strength and power would be too much.

"He [Pavlik] was big and strong at his weight but he would be massively out of his depth at super-middle," began the two-time WBC boss from the East Midlands. "He got handed a massive whooping when he took on [Bernard] Hopkins a couple of years ago.

"To be honest, i'm not worried at all. He would be easy to beat."

And Froch's confidence is sky-high after a career-best performance in his last fight.

'The Cobra' traveled to Finland in November to out-box dangerous ex-IBF champion Arthur Abraham, who was the pre-fight favourite entering, over 12 rounds - shutting him out on two of the three scorecards (dropping only one round on the other) and regaining the World Boxing Council belt he'd lost closely to Mikkel Kessler earlier in the year.

"I pierced 'King Arthur' with the jab and rocked him with clubbing shots, and I could tell that he was surprised with my strength when I put the punches together," continued a man who is arguably Britain's pound-for-pound number one.
"Let me tell you this, Abraham can really punch," he candidly admitted. "But I took away his tools and broke his heart with my range and movement.
"Many were concerned about my mental game ahead of the fight but I was supremely confident in what I had in my bag.
"I knew from the outset I would be his worst nightmare and everyone will agree that I was."
Now Froch, 27-1 (20), has turned his attention to another former IBF champion, 67-fight (51 wins, two draws - 35 stoppages) Johnson, who once knocked out all-time great Roy Jones Jr and who went 1-1-1 with Sheffield's Clinton Woods in world title fights.  
The 33-year-old Englishman acknowledges that his veteran opponent, stopped only by Bernard Hopkins in a stellar 18-year paid career that has seen him cross swords with the elite, is getting better with every year that passes.

"Like a fine wine, this guy just gets better with age. He is now into his 40s [42] and as game as anyone can be.
"If anything, he is a better fighter today than he was ten years ago," said the Nottingham Forest fan of a fight that is set for May 21 but is still without a confirmed venue. "And his KO victory over Allan Green last year proved he is no push over.
"People assume I will be taking this man lightly but that would be unprofessional as he also knocked out a Roy Jones and was very close to giving [former WBC 12st 7lbs king, Chad] Dawson his first defeat.
"I've got a hit list: Johnson, [WBA 12st champ, Andre] Ward in the Super Six final, [the only man to beat Froch, Mikkel] Kessler and [ex-victim and current WBC light-heavyweight monarch, Jean] Pascal. Then i can retire knowing i cleaned up." 

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