BoxRec

"by James Slater - 31-year-old WBC super-middleweight champion Carl Froch is proving to be as good as his word when it comes to going after the best possible opposition to face. Since winning the title with a superb showing in a great fight against the then unbeaten Jean Pascal, Froch has shown he is willing to travel to America to get it on with the best fighters out there. Now, following his dramatic, last-round stoppage of former middleweight king Jermain Taylor, Froch has narrowed things down to just two men with regards to his next fight. And the date for his next action will very likely be September 5th..

Talking to BBC, "The Cobra" made it clear he is willing to travel to the States once again, while a fight in his native Nottingham is also a possibility. In a nutshell, Froch will either face the legendary Bernard Hopkins next, or he will face IBF 168-pound champion Lucian Bute. If it's Hopkins, the fight will take place in Las Vegas; if it's Bute, the fight will take place in the UK. Either way, and whichever bout Froch takes, the fans are sure to be interested.

"We're looking for September the 5th and it will be Lucian Bute or Bernard Hopkins - probably Bute," Froch told BBC East Midlands. "If that's a fight that can be made then that's the one I'll go for because that would be very good financially and it would get my name in the headlines in Las Vegas."

It's not clear if Froch, when he says the fight "would get his name in the headlines in Vegas", is referring to the Hopkins fight. However, Froch has said in the past that a Hopkins fight does interest him, and B-Hop himself has reportedly looked at the fight seriously.

The WBC champion also spoke of his desire to have a big fight in his local Nottingham Trent Arena, but that a potential fight between he and Bute would be too big for that arena.

"If it's Bute it will be in England," Froch confirmed. "Whether it will be in The Nottingham Trent Arena I don't know - it might not have the capacity. I'd love to have it in the [Nottingham Forrest] City ground but in September with the British weather, you've got no chance.
"If it's England it will be The O2 Arena in London, if it's Hopkins it will be Las Vegas."

Both fights are very much intriguing match-ups and a win over either man would be great for Froch. If he were to beat Bute, he would have two world titles around his waist. While if Carl were to defeat Hopkins, he would very likely have ended the Philly great's career.

Either way, Britain's only reigning world champion will have no trouble whatsoever in getting sufficiently motivated for his next fight!"

I would prefer Hopkins as he is a bigger name, both hard fights though.

Hopkins at Catchweight for no titles and Bute for the titles, he could realistically do both over the next year or so. And if he were to win both that would help cement his legacy!

I would prefer Froch to fight Bute first. If Carl does beat the Canadian does that make it equally as impressive as the Lacy win on Calzaghes resume (dependent on the manner of victory ofcourse)? And then I would love for him to take on Kessler for all the marbles at 168.

I would steer away from a Hopkins fight if I were Carl, can't see him winning that one. He was getting soundly outboxed by Taylor and Hopkins would be even worse, with probably no chance of a late stoppage as with Taylor.

I would pick him to knock Bute out though! Go for it

Personally I can't see him beating Hopkins, but from his point of view he's obviously gonna feel he can beat both guy's, so either fight would be a good one. Froch/Bute will probably be more exciting, but Hopkins has the bigger name and will give Carl more respect if he wins. I'll be happy if either fight gets made.

I also can't help but think that by fighting BHop, Froch is setting himself up to look like a right tit if he loses, after saying Joe has only beaten 2 aging legends at the end of his career, then he loses to one of them.

I hope he fights hopkins, cos I love the 'nard masterclasses a-la Pavlik and Tarver. however, theres always a chance Hopkins gets old, he has to at some time.

hopkins should fight carl over here for the fun of it

im a huge carl froch fan but he wouldnt beat hopkins in a million years.He would make huge money but his career would suffer .Like you guys mentioned if b-hop schoolled him which is likely all that calzaghe talk would appear very foolish.Can you imagine the state enzo would get in lol!! hed die a very happy man.

bute however is a very winnable match for carl who is both fitter,stronger,more solid and hits harder than the canadian.Id fancy pascal to beat bute actually.

froch v bute in england for the unified title i say with the winner facing kessler.

Would bute s people have any chance of taking the fight to canada?

How's Froch going to get a Hopkin fight?

He hasn't even got any British TV backing.

Both are massive fights, but I'm hoping it's Bute

I think B-Hop beats Froch pretty handily. and I am a HUGE Froch fan.

can showtime and ITV realistically come up with enough "armoured trucks full of money" that Hopkins requires, in order to step in the ring again?

froch owes showtime a fight, right?

Think Froch beats Bute late by KO and then gets totally schooled for 12 rounds by Hopkins whose far to clever for him and Hopkins is miles out of his league

Froch actually wants to fight Hopkins in Philly.

Which personally i think is nuts !

Not a Froch fan at all just don't like him, But I applaud him for what he has been doing career wise recently!

IMO Bute is a very good fight and one I would be interested in, Think Froch might just take this one but a good fight all the same whereas I think he should steer well clear of Hopkin's!

Taylor was outboxing Froch easily in their fight and Hopkin's would do an even better job IMO and make Froch look stupid......

Interesting time's hey.

I think that Hopkins would outbox Froch the way Taylor did, only win on points or even stop Froch late. Bute is a good boxer and let's not forget he was boxing the ears off Andrade before his stamina died and he imploded, only for Marlon Wright's disgraceful antics to bail him out. It's conceivable that Bute outboxes Froch for periods but Carl's power might just be the deciding factor.