Super-Middleweight Super Fight: Carl Froch vs Joe Calzaghe

Some things and some people never change no matter how many years roll by or how much they achieve. A fighter that perpetuates this phrase is Carl ‘The Cobra’ Froch. 

Despite having a hugely successful career spanning over a decade, winning multiple world championship titles including the green and gold WBC title twice, there is still a rival that gets under his skin. 

As ‘Super’ Joe Calzaghe puts it “It’s mad, I’m still living in his head after all these years”.

The resurgence of this 13-year-old, one-sided dispute came about last week when promoter Eddie Hearn invited Froch to attend a virtual press conference between himself and Calzaghe. 

The purpose of which would be to create a virtual build-up and fight to keep fans entertained during the lockdown. Froch went a step further after Hearn’s invitation and stated that he’d come out of retirement to face the Welshman if he could be brought out. 

He also went on to blast Calzaghe on the size of his head; “Look at the state of him…Have you seen the size of his head? I don’t know why it’s swollen up so badly.” 

Calzaghe laughed off the verbals by saying “I don’t take much notice of what he says. I’m 48 and I’ve been retired for 10 years.” Although he did enforce the point that if the pair had met in their primes he would have been too fast and too sharp for the Nottingham great.

In truth, we will never know what would have happened if they’d squared off in 2007, the most realistic time a fight could have happened. 

I have my opinion, perhaps slightly biased because I am a Welshman, but I believe Calzaghe would have schooled and frustrated Froch over 12 rounds to win on points. 

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What would a Carl Froch vs Joe Calzaghe matchup look like?

As we saw in his unification fights against Jeff Lacy and Mikkel Kessler, Calzaghe could adapt during the fight and always rose to the occasion. His speed and slick southpaw style would have caused big problems for Froch who could be one-paced at times. 

Froch has always struggled with opponents who have a slick, boxer-mover style. He lost every round of the Jermaine Taylor fight before Taylor gassed and Froch was able to KO him in the final minute of the twelfth round. 

If Calzaghe and Froch ever met in the ring I would have predicted a similar contest except Calzaghe had exceptional stamina and could almost certainly stay on his toes even if he was tagged late on.

As for if the pair were to meet in the ring today?

If by some miracle Calzaghe could make the weight and we ever got a Carl Froch vs Joe Calzaghe fight, then I think Froch would end it very early. It’s no secret that Calzaghe has struggled with various issues since retirement. 

And with the recent passing of his parents, it’s fair to say that the lonely world of the boxing ring is probably the last place he’d want to be. Unfortunately for Froch, this fight will always be a ‘what if’.

Both men achieved greatness and they should be able to live with that!  

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