Promoter Eddie Hearn has openly expressed his reservations about the prospect of his former boxer, Carl Froch, defeating rival Andre Ward in the boxing ring.
During his appearance on a Matchroom Boxing retrospective video covering the Carl Froch vs George Groves grudge matches, the head of the promotion voiced his concerns about Froch’s chances against the ‘Son of God’.
“As a team, we felt that the Andre Ward style was bad for Carl Froch,” Hearn revealed. “Carl Froch would have wanted revenge against Andre Ward, (but) I’m not sure he would have beaten him.
“Ward was almost unbeatable at that time at 168lbs, and we had a mandatory (fight against George Groves).”
Carl Froch, a four-time super-middleweight champion, was a beloved figure of British Boxing during the early 2010’s. The Nottingham fighter ranked as the top active British boxer in the BBC’s pound-for-pound rankings in 2013.
Upon reaching the Super Six tournament final in 2011, following victories over elite super middleweight contenders in Andre Dirrell, Mikel Kessler, Arthur Abraham and Glen Johnson, Froch faced Andre Ward.
The undefeated American produced a twelve-round masterclass at Boardwalk Hall, neutralising Froch’s aggression with an educated gameplan.
Following the defeat, ‘The Cobra’ immediately rebounded, securing the IBF super middleweight title against Lucian Bute before stripping Mikel Kessler of his WBA belt at The 02 Arena in 2013.
What followed next was a legendary series of grudge matches against British challenger George Groves, the mandatory challenger to the IBF title. After a controversial ninth-round stoppage in Froch’s favour in their first bout, he conclusively settled the rivalry three months later via an eighth-round knockout at a sold-out Wembley Stadium.
Although the Hall of Fame boxer retired in 2014, having cemented his spot as one of the greatest British boxers of all time, Froch has continued to call-out Ward in a bid to settle their score.
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