Froch Puts Macks Away

Carl Froch retained his IBF super-middleweight title in style in his hometown of Nottingham, stopping Yusaf Mack in the third round.

'The Cobra' was at his venomous best at the CapitalFM Arena, knocking his American opponent down in the very first round to suggest it would be an early night.

After a quiet second round Froch found a way to put Mack away in the closing stages of the next, juddering body shots sending his rival to the canvas.

Mack - who had boiled down from light-heavyweight for the chance to become a world champion - did briefly attempt to rise to his feet again, only for the pain to become too much. He sunk back down to the floor to be counted out with 30 seconds remaining in the round.

It was another successful night in his own back yard for Froch, who was back at the scene of his superb demolition job on Lucian Bute in May.

Unlike his last outing the 35-year-old was a heavy favourite against Mack, a fighter who had a decent 31-4-2 record and was always thought to be somewhat dangerous considering his Philadelphia roots.

However, Froch simply took his opponent apart. Not worried by anything coming back, he recorded an early knockdown with one of several left hooks that landed in the opening round.

From then on, it became a matter of when, not if, Froch would triumph. The shot that hastened the end was a lunging right that hit right under the ribs. It was followed by a left to the opposite side of the body, while two glancing blows to the head put Mack almost on his back.

The challenger desperately tried to suck in enough air to continue, but the wind had been taken completely from him.

A rematch with Bute is set to be next for Froch, although on this evidence the Canadian-based Romanian might not be so keen to stick to the contract. Instead, a second shot at Mikkel Kessler or Andre Ward - the only two to administer defeats to the Brit in his career - could be scheduled for 2013.

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Hometown Froch is Mack Ready

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Carl Froch tipped the scales just below the 168lb limit for his world super-middleweight title defence against Yusuf Mack on Saturday.

The Nottingham fighter said his preparations for the meeting in his hometown with the American could not have gone better.

"I woke up this morning right on the weight and I was pleased about that as I was able to have a small bit of fruit and a few drinks," said Froch, who is hoping a victory against Mack will earn him a rematch with Andre Ward.

"I am feeling good, confident, strong. Everything has gone well, there's no need for any needle or animosity. He has not said much but is coming here to do a job. It is a title shot for him and he will come and give it a go.

"I am on the money and I am ready. As far as I am concerned, he does not have a chance."

Mack has stepped down a division from light-heavyweight to take on Froch.

And he only just made the weight, having to mount the scales a second time minus his shorts after he weighed four ounces over the limit at the first attempt.

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Froch in Bute Montreal March Rematch

Carl Froch has confirmed he will fight Lucian Bute in a rematch next March in Montreal but will meet an unnamed opponent in Nottingham before that.

Froch, 34, became a three-time world champion with an impressive fifth-round stoppage of Bute in May.

“That was not the real Lucian Bute in that Nottingham ring on 26 May”Lucian ButeBeaten champion

Bute, who suffered his first career defeat against Froch, had not been expected to trigger his rematch clause after suffering a sustained beating.

Both fights will be for Froch's newly acquired IBF super-middleweight title.

Despite being the underdog in his home city of Nottingham Froch stunned Bute with a relentless onslaught.

Bute was saved by the bell in rounds three and four, before his corner called a halt in the fifth as he was receiving a standing count.

Bute insisted: "That was not the real Lucian Bute in that Nottingham ring on 26 May.

"I spent the last few weeks reflecting about what went wrong, what happened, and the only thing that is crystal clear in my mind is that I want my rematch with Carl Froch as soon as possible."

Froch said before their first meeting that the Nottingham crowd would intimidate Bute and he will have to deal with the same situation in the rematch, with the fight scheduled for Bute's adopted home city.

Bute, 32, was born in Pechea, Romania, but now fights out of Montreal in Canada.

Froch is keen on a rematch with Mikkel Kessler this autumnaccording to promoter Eddie Hearn - in 2010 the Dane inflicted the Briton's first defeat with a unanimous points victory in Herning.

Hometown Froch Stops Bute Early

Carl Froch stopped Lucian Bute in the fifth round in his hometown Saturday night to claim the IBF super-middleweight title.

The popular Nottingham resident, a two-time former WBC champion, was regarded as the underdog heading into the contest against the unbeaten Bute, the Romanian-born Canadian who was making his 10th title defense.

The 34-year-old Froch improved to 29-2 with his 20th knockout. He lost his WBC title to Andre Ward at the Super Six World Boxing Classic in December.

"After the Andre Ward defeat, I was very deflated. I was here tonight to put right a wrong," Froch said. "I came here more determined than I've ever been before. ... I've been guilty of switching off in the past but tonight I've been very focused."

The 32-year-old Bute (30-1) had held the IBF title since beating Colombia's Alejandro Berrio in 2007.

Froch was the aggressor early on in his first home bout in three years, striking first in the opening round and finishing the second emphatically with a right-hand, left-hook combination.

Bute landed two counter lefts in the third round but looked wobbly as Froch continued his attack.

Both fighters traded jabs in the fourth round before Froch delivered a powerful right and followed with a flurry of punches. Bute was saved by the bell as Froch landed a fierce left hook to end the round.

The Canadian looked timid and unsteady as the fifth round got under way. Froch then connected with a right that rocked Bute's head back and several more punches that pushed Bute against the ropes, prompting referee Earl Brown to deliver the count.

Froch's WBC Bid Fails in Atlantic City

Carl Froch lost his WBC super-middleweight belt ending the bid to become Super Six champion after Andre Ward was awarded a unanimous points decision in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

For Froch it was always going to be a tough task against Ward, a former Olympian, with no defeats in his professional career. It was important for the Nottingham fighter to start quickly but it was the Oakland man who was fastest out of the blocks establishing his jab early on. Ward caught Froch with a left hook as he punched out of a break then barely took a backwards step as his faster hands punished gaps in the Cobra's defence.

Froch was still struggling to warm up in the second round as Ward skipped in and out of range with dainty footwork. The British fighter failed to close the distance until the last minute of the session when he finally upped his work rate. He forced Ward to the ropes where he was able to land his trademark hooks.

That seemed to give Froch the encouragement he needed as he started the third with more urgency. But his lack of head movement was proving his undoing, time and again Ward racked up points behind his jab and as his confidence grew he planted his feet and landed more hurtful punches. Froch badly needed to change his tactics as he was becoming predictable and struggling to pin down his wily opponent.

He did at least get in range in the fourth as referee Steve Smoger allowed the fighters to punch out of a break. The Cobra wrestled Ward to the ropes where he showed his impressive in-fighting skills and finally had a chance to punish the WBA champion. That seemed to finally swing the fight in Froch's favour and he had a much better fifth round.

Aggressor

For once Froch was the aggressor pushing Ward on the retreat and landing with greater accuracy. It was now the British fighter's chance to show his slick moves as he made Ward punch at air for once. But unfortunately it was to be only a brief respite. In the sixth and seventh the self-proclaimed 'Son of God' was back in control and racking up the points with a left hook that couldn't miss. Froch's reluctance to keep his hands high has followed him throughout his career but previously he had never met a man like Ward who could outspeed his snake-like reflexes.

More alarming for Froch was the fact that he was not able to impose his strength on Ward and bully him at any point. If anything it was the American who had the upper-hand in the clinches and was forcing the Cobra backwards. By the eighth it was looking like a real uphill challenge as Froch had lost the majority of the rounds to the come forward counter-puncher.

By the ninth Froch appeared to have realised this and that only a stoppage could lead to his hand being raised at the end of the fight. He tucked in his chin and marauded forwards hoping to land anything he could on the evasive Ward. He had some success but still had to absorb some painful looking body shots as the former Olympic gold medallist switched the target of his attacks.

The one big shot that had got Froch out of trouble against Jermaine Taylor just wasn't there and as he loaded up he played into the Ward's speedy hands. Punches thrown from unconventional angles kept catching Froch at will but to the Cobra's credit he never showed signs of losing heart. He attempted to walk through Ward's jab but just couldn't find a telling punch that would finally hurt his fellow finalist.

Froch's unbreakable spirit was summed up in the final round, which was actually his best of the fight. He raised his workrate further still and Ward's feet finally slowed as he sensed the finishing line was in sight. But even then he still had too many defensive skills to allow Froch to land cleanly.

Twelve rounds of frustration for the Nottingham man were brought to an end by the final bell and it was no surprise that the verdict was unanimous. Judges Craig Metcalfe and John Stewart seemed at least impressed by Froch's aggression but scored it to Ward by just 115-113. 

The English judge John Keane was less charitable and gave it to the Oakland fighter by 118-110.

Courtesy Sky Sports

Froch Aiming to Restore Boxing Pride

Carl Froch is aiming to restore British pride when he fights American Andre Ward in the final of the Super Six tournament in Atlantic City.

In the past 12 months, British boxers have lost nine world title fights and won only two.

"We're due a win, aren't we?" Froch, 34, said. "If you're a roulette table, eventually a red will come in. We've had eight blacks on the spin.

"I want to put us back on the world map. We can't be a nation of losers."

He added: "I have to bite down on to my gum-shield even harder because I've got to restore Britain's pride."

Amir Khan, Matthew Hatton, Ryan Rhodes, John Murray, Brian Magee, Matthew Macklin, David Haye and Darren Barker have all lost fights abroad this year.

I'm a regular fighter. When I fight inside, things happen. I don't have a malicious bone in my bodyAndre Ward

Ward, 27, who is unbeaten in 24 fights, is favourite heading into the bout in New Jersey where Froch's WBC title and Ward's WBA belt are on the line.

However, Froch is aiming to prove people wrong and hopes improvements in his technical boxing skills will give him the extra dimension his opponent may be lacking.

"I'm not really surprised to be rated as the underdog," said the Nottingham boxer. "I was the underdog when I went into the Arthur Abraham fight last year, a massive underdog, and I produced such a landslide winning performance."

Froch dismissed the suggestion that Ward will benefit from fighting in his own country as Ward, who is based in California, rarely fights on the east coast of the United States.

"It's like a neutral venue because he's used to fighting on the west coast," he added. "It's levelled the playing field quite a lot because he's got to come over to Atlantic City."

The super-middleweight bout was due to take place in October but Ward suffered a cut over his right eye in sparring.

"It might slow down his use of the head because of scar tissue above his eye that could open up," Froch commented.

However, Ward insists the injury is now fully healed, meaning Nottingham's Froch is braced to fight fire with fire.

"It's obviously a concern in that you don't want to be getting headbutted in the face or eyes because you can get cut and, if you get blood in your eye, then it can be a very big hindrance," said Froch.

"This is a fight of such magnitude it's all going to be fair and above board. I'm looking forward to a great, clean fight."

Froch weighed-in half a pound under the 168lb limit on Friday while Ward was bang on.

Ward won the WBA title with a technical decision win against Kessler,when the Dane suffered a nasty cut, and there were accusations of headbutting levelled at the American.

But Ward, an Olympic gold medallist in 2004, countered: "I'm a regular fighter. When I fight inside, things happen. I don't have a malicious bone in my body. People try to tag me with being a dirty fighter."