Froch vs Pascal ...What they are saying

[Chambers2]

Anyway:

What were many posters saying last week?

Froch beating Pascal makes no difference to his standing in America? Taylor will be interested in neither the fight nor the title? As it turns out, beating Pascal for the vacant WBC title seems to have opened a lot of things up.

Or could it be that they watched the fight, saw how open both men were and thought, "May as well squeeze it in".

Perhaps we should crow about Froch taking over the world consciousness when the next fight gets announced. Great if it is Taylor in the US on HBO, not so great if it is some guy in Nottingham so that Carl can grow into his title, which he has a right to do.

Doesn't Taylor have to be Carls next fight providing Taylor wants the fight? Which it looks as though he does, with the winner of that to fight the winner of Murat-Johson. I'm sure I read on here last week or so that the winner of a vacant WBC title has to have 2 mandatroy fights straight from the off, which is abit of a bonus for Carl if it helps him get the fight with Taylor.

I'm still hoping that Calzaghe is gonna be lured into the ring with Froch, but that causes a whole host of problems in itself with regards to the WBC title because I'd be surprised if JC would drop back down to 168, so it'd have to be done at a catchweight of 172, but would the WBC strip him for not meeting their mandatory obligations of fightinmg Taylor?

[Poncey]

Yep, win the WBC belt without an existing "champion" and you have 2 mandatories before a voluntary.

[Chambers2]

Call me jadefd but Froch can say, "I want to fight Taylor in the USA". Taylor can say, "I want Froch to come over here so I can contest his WBC title". Both promotional teams can say, "We want to make this fight as quickly as possible", and I still would not believe it until I see it.

My point last week was that Taylor will not be scared of Froch and a win for Carl, or Jean, would not erase the higher standing, in the US, of Taylor.

If Taylor wants the fight he can have it, if Carl wants the fight he has to hope Taylor really wants it, and that US-TV can work out the money required.

I really do like Froch, he is great for boxing in the UK, but let us not go overboard. British fans are mental, we grab at anything. Witter loses to Bradley because he cannot counter a 1-2 to the body and right over the top and guess what? Some are ready to say Bradley will go onto to have a top-level career. Pascal takes Froch's shots and he is suddenly the SMW version of Jake La Motta. The reality is that when a Brit gets a good win we go mental.

I am sure Team Froch are saying, "Well, it is all gravy after that win". The WBC belt is great, but you need to work it, as Witter showed it does not guarantee you a thing. Taylor still holds the high ground, despite Carl holding the title, the general US fan probably did not wake up on Sunday morning thinking, "If Froch-Taylor is not made I will f-ing kill myself (and most of my school mates)."

In short I am pleased for Froch, but it looks like he may be railroaded into the fight with Taylor.

Terry you are so jaded

Froch won't need railroading into any fight. I agree the WBC title doesn't guarentee you anything, but if you accompany the title with the fact that he clearly wants the BIG fights, he's willing to travel and he's exciting to watch, then his chances of getting the BIG fights will dramatically increase.

Froch just needs a BIG fight in the US on US TV to raise his profile stateside (especially when he spanks all the BADNESS out of Taylors intentions) which will give him more bargaining power and strengthen his case for unification bouts, if the worst comes to the worst and JT does beat him then the US exposure won't have done him any harm at all providing Carl was his usual exciting self.

The world will be Carls oyster after the Taylor/Calzaghe fight.

I'm sure I don't need to point out the differences between Junior Witter and Carl Froch, but I will, Froch is an entertaining banger with a good following and Junior isn't.

[nobby_nobbins]

I hope Froch travels to the States and beats Taylor in his own backyard - it'll be so much sweeter than beating him in Nottingham. Fighting over there at the big venues will make him much more bankable and like Hatton, he can still have his homecoming fights.

[Autobarn]

I agree with Terry that maybe Froch and Hennessy should try to get the fight in the UK. I feel almost ominous if the fight wins up in New York, where DiBella is based, and going by the # of close decisions that Taylor has sometimes benefited.

Taylor's options aren't exactly unlimited right now, times are leaner and some of the easy money fights won't be there any more. Is Bute such an attractive option, and he does appear to be all tied up for the moment, etc etc.

As the Pascal fight showed, fights are not exactly easy when you get to this level. Taylor in Nottingham would be perfect - the biggest fight is getting them there. Let's see if they will enter purse bids. One thing is certain, I would rather see Froch is 3 or 4 really good fights, than, say, milking a title and going for the easiest fights as many can get away with (i.e Wonjongkam with his WBC belt in Thailand).

If Taylor and DiBella won't play ball, why not fight Stieglitz or the winner of the mooted fight between Murat and Marcus Johnson, and build anticipation for a Taylor fight in the states by the end of 2009?

Or maybe just take the fight, get the exposure, and deliver the goods away from home ala Haye v Mormeck.

[Maxime]

I still have doubts this fight will happen.

Taylor won't go in England and Dibella won't let this fight go to the purse bid. (They would only get 25% of the money)

It will either happen in the USA or it won't happen at all.

[Hounddawg]

If Calzaghe was in two minds about whether to fight Froch, I think Saturday nights stunning display from Carl will convince Joe to do a "Steve Collins" and retire rather than face the obvious choice (Froch).

Why is he the obvious choice, Froch beat a guy thats beaten noone and he gets a shot at a P4P fighter, that makes sense, he'll get smashed.

How about Froch fighting his Mandatory Taylor, i'm sure Taylor hasn't even heard of this slow boxer, and he'll take the fight.

Unbelievable, guy has his first career highlight and you English are already claiming he's the best.

[forcefraser]

Taylor was exposed twice by a one punch banger in Pavlik. Froch would do the same thing, only quicker.

[THEBUTCH]

Good point my Nordic friend!

[Chambers2]

That I am. Plus I am not making much of a point in this thread. Tiredness is kicking in today. Froch-Taylor is a great little fight. I know that Froch is a man and will take it in a heartbeat, I know that Taylor would take the fight. It should be easy to make so on that front I am feeling good about it.

I would like to see Froch play hard-ball in this fight, he did a lot of work to become title holder and in an ideal world he would take on a voluntary before his home crowd, before then going to the US to fight Taylor. If Taylor is first up it would be nice to see the fight over here, purely for selfish reasons, I want to see this fight, hopefully Froch can get himself in the driving seat, I just feel that Taylor has the backing and can dictate terms in the negotiations. Which is the way things were prior to Saturday night.

Froch is so tough he may just go over to the USA straight-off-the-bat, and win to boot.

They mentioned on Bunceys show that Kessler Vs Taylor looks likely. Froch-Pavlik also seems likely at some point, hopefully sooner rather than later.

[Crease]

I can't see a Calzaghe/Taylor fight EVER happening now... Joe doesn't want to fight guys younger and fresher than him...

Joe may have lost KO power in his fists, but the likes of Jermain Taylor, Kelly Pavlik and Carl Froch still veyr much have it...

[Chambers2]

Yay, Kessler-Taylor will do, I hope it is in Germany, can nip over for that one. Froch-Pavlik would be another nice semi-final. The winners meet and then we will have a SMW title holder who has done what Joe did in less time, then Bute takes on the winner, everyone is happy. I can really see it happening.

Have you slipped an E into my coffee Stu.

This matchmaking process is a piece of cake innit Tel? These boxing promoters don't half make hardwork of it