The path to the summit is clearly mapped out for Carl Froch, the future face of world boxing. The Nottingham ‘Cobra’ has three Championship fights in the pipeline, including a challenge for the WBC Title currently held by Mikkel Kessler.
First up for the 29-year-old is a mandatory defence of the British Title he has already won outright, against former WBC champion Robin Reid. A purse bid for the Championship had been scheduled for today, but has been delayed in light of the recent surgery Froch has undergone on the Anterior Cruciate Ligament in his right knee.
Whilst the Hennessy Sports boxer is making faster than expected progress, the recovery period he requires has also prompted him to vacate the Commonwealth Title he has held for over three years and defended six times.
Given his operation, Froch could have applied for a postponement of his upcoming Commonwealth defence against Charles Adamu, initially scheduled for September 22nd.
This, however, could have caused a potential fixture pile up given the Reid clash and it was clear to the former history making amateur that his fans would prefer to see him move forwards rather than backwards, having already beaten Adamu in March 2004 in just his 12th fight.
Other opportunities also await Froch, including a challenge for the European Title. The standout undefeated puncher now has the opportunity to complete the traditional route to genuine world honours following the EBU’s decision to install him as their mandatory contender to current champion Cristian Sanavia at their convention in Kiev at the weekend.
Courtesy of his standout rankings, (WBC #1, WBO #3 and IBF #4), a direct move to world honours was a possibility given that the European title has been congested, but the path is now clear for Froch to fulfil a long-standing ambition after Hennessy Sports’ latest requests for their charge to be given his entitlement were met.
“I have said from day one that I want to do things the proper way,” said Froch. “That means winning English, British, Commonwealth and European titles before moving on to win genuine world honours.
“Now the way is clear for me to achieve that. What other fighter coming through has done it? It’s excellent news. I want to thank my promoter Mick Hennessy for continually fighting my corner, the British Boxing Board of Control for supporting my case and the EBU for recognising it.
“I would have gone straight into a world title fight if it came to it, but it has always been important for me to go into the ring to challenge for a world title having won all three of the traditional titles on this side of the pond. I have always done things the old-school way. Now I can continue that by knocking Sanavia out.”
Defeating the Italian will only assist Froch in his world title assault, particularly as the clock is ticking on another champion – WBC kingpin Mikkel Kessler.
“Kessler’s last mandatory defence was in March,” Froch explained. “That means he should have until next March to make another - which will tie in nicely. It seems everything has fallen just right for me; everything is mapped out.
“By the time Kessler’s mandatory should be due, I will have had the time to KO the only other fighter with a reasonable claim to my British Title and to take out Sanavia. I can walk to the ring against Kessler as a European champion having cleared up business in the old-fashioned manner. Then I can take care of him.
“Should this mooted fight between Kessler and Calzaghe actually come off and Calzaghe manages to somehow win, I will happily knock him out instead.
“When I am the champion, you won’t see me hanging around for 10 years and having only one defining fight like I think Calzaghe has. I’m going to prove to fight fans that some fighters still want to do things the proper way. Other fighters talk the talk, but people are starting to realise that I actually walk the walk as well.”
