By John J. Raspanti, Doghouse Boxing: “I'm tough and strong; I'm like a caveman ready to tear someone apart.
I'm going to walk forward, hit him hard and often, and I just feel with
his lack of punching power he'll struggle to hold me off.” Carl Froch, WBC super middleweight champion
"I like to be a chameleon. Whatever Froch brings, I need to have an answer. I will do whatever has to be done to win." Andre Ward, WBA super middleweight champion
On December 17, the Super Six Boxing Tournament concludes when
undefeated WBA champion Andre Ward, and once-beaten WBC champion Carl
Froch meet in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Ward and Froch are as different inside the ring as out. Ward’s
Christianity rules Ward's life. Froch is a regular guy from Nottingham,
England the son of a carpenter. Ward found boxing through his late
father while Froch quit the sport in his teens. Ward was 20 years-old
when he won a gold medal at the 2004 Olympic Games. Froch was 24 when he
turned professional in 2002. Ward grew up watching Sugar Ray Leonard,
Roy Jones and Bernard Hopkins. Froch admired Thomas Hearn’s and Roberto
Duran. Ward resists bragging as much as Froch embraces it.
Both fighters traveled a bumpy road to the finals. Ward drew tournament
favorite Mikkel Kessler in the first round. Many experts predicted Ward
would lose to the much more experienced Kessler. Froch tangled with
former middleweight champion Jermaine Taylor. Ward decisively defeated
Kessler, as well as Allan Green, Sakio Bika and Arthur Abraham while
Froch stopped Taylor and won decisions over Andre Dirrell and Abraham.
Each has had a fight delayed due to injuries in training.
Ward (24-0, 13 KOs) might look and sound like a choirboy, but he fights
like a pit bull. He’s slick and smooth, with an uncanny ability to
adapt. The 27-year-old was schooled in the art of self-defense. His ring
generalship is easily the best in the division. Ward usually takes a
round or two to figure out his opponent and then he attacks. His game is
staying on the outside, but truth be told, Ward prefers to get inside
and rumble.
Froch (28-1, 20 KOs) learned the ropes by fighting almost everybody in
his division. He holds victories over Robin Reid and former champion
Jean Pascal. Froch's jab is long and causes problems. His money punch is
his big right hand. In the past he’s utilized an effective uppercut.
Froch is physically strong and moves pretty well in the ring. He prefers
to brawl, but as he showed in his victories over Arthur Abraham and,
most recently, Glen Johnson, he can box when needed.
Froch,34, is an inch taller then Ward's 6’0. His long arms give him a
reach advantage of four inches over Ward who punches relatively hard.
But not hard enough, according to Froch.
“I’m not worried about Ward. He has no power whatsoever, said Froch.
““And his hand speed, sure it's fast, but even he'll tell you it's not
as fast as Andre Dirrell's. And I handled Dirrell quite easily."
Ward and trainer Vigil Hunter have been studying Froch since the
tournament began. Hunter even predicted that Froch would make it to the
finals. Asked to pick a word that best describes Froch the wily trainer
paused and said "Bravado."
When told of Hunter's answer, Ward nodded and smiled.
"Brash," he added.
Arrogant, brash or full of bravado Froch has an iron will to win. His
confidence has helped spur him to overachieve. Froch brings the heavier
artillery into the fight. The Nottingham slugger has also faced the
stiffer competition. Froch thinks of himself as a graduate of the school
of hard knocks. He respects Ward but didn’t particularly like the
Kessler fight, labeling it as “boring” and “unsettling.”
Froch has also said on more then one occasion that he will stop Ward.
“I’m going to knock him [Ward] out ,"he boasted. He’s not a big puncher.
"I’m a guy to put him on his back foot. It’s going to shock the world."
Seemingly irritated, Ward fired back during a discussion with Yahoo Sports.
“The guy [Froch] I’m fighting is doing a little bit too much talking.
He’s a very arrogant guy and really needs to be humbled,” replied Ward.
A few weeks ago, Froch took a poke at Ward's humility, taking issue with Ward's nickname, "Son of God.”
Ward won’t predict a knockout. Trainer Virgil Hunter will. He told this writer last July that, Andre will stop Froch.
Froch finds Hunter “laughable” and “comical.” However, let’s not carried
away here. Ward and Froch are not Cotto and Margarito who’s recent
fight was a grudge match in the truest sense. Ward and Froch like and
respect each other. Apparently their upcoming battle in the ring is
strictly business.
“I'm here to defend my title and take away his, replied Froch. “Andre
Ward deserves the respect of a champion. Ward is a great fighter and a
great champion. But I have a job to do.”
“I take nothing away from him, he's a good fighter, and I have nothing
negative to say about him," said Ward. “Froch is going to be Froch, and
I'm going be me. I'm going to go in there and do what I got to do.”
Trying to hit Ward solidly can be pose a challenge for Froch. His
cat-like reflexes and top-notch technique make him an elusive target.
Froch likes to drop his hands, but generally, when he’s not feeling
threatened. Ward’s erstwhile trainer not withstanding, not many feel
that Ward can stop the iron- chinned Froch. Still, it’s interesting to
ponder why Hunter would state so confidently that his man will win by a
knockout.
Jermaine Taylor floored Froch while both Andre Dirrell and Mikkel
Kessler buzzed him. Was Hunter trying to remove some of the steel façade
around Froch’s whiskers? Or perhaps he was only attempting to remind
everyone that Froch is human and can be hurt. For a time, many
questioned the strength of Ward’s chin. Ward kissed the canvas in 2005,
courtesy of a Darnell Boone uppercut. Edison Miranda cracked him with a
big right hand, and just last June, Arthur Abraham connected with a left
hand that knocked him back.
Can his chin withstand the power of Carl Froch's right?
Froch’s tough guy routine is no act. His defense may be limited but his
determination seems endless. His trainer Robert McCraken is convinced
that his man can defeat Ward.
“We’d worked 10 weeks before the cut, but then took a three-week break,"
he said. “So, we will have had nine more solid weeks of camp going in. A
similar thing happened when we fought Arthur Abraham, and Carl came
back sharper than ever.”
Ok so, lets let's get inside the ring and discuss what will likely happen on December 17.
The respect will be evident in the early going as both champions feel
each out. Ward will use the ring and jab Froch from the outside. Froch
will follow Ward, looking to roughhouse and land his big right. Ward
will counter with short hooks and some body shots. The action will
pick-up as the fight moves into the later rounds. Froch will apply more
pressure and cut off the ring, making Ward work. Ward will use his
inside ability to keep Froch honest. Ward will continue to outbox Froch
down the stretch. Froch will eat some stinging punches as he looks to
land a bomb.
The bottom line is this. Carl Froch is a better fighter since the Super
Six Boxing Classic began, but so is Andre Ward. An improved Ward will
always defeat an enhanced Froch.
Prediction: Andre Ward will win by unanimous decision over Carl Froch in
a hard fought battle. Froch will demand a rematch while Ward looks to
Canada and Lucian Bute.
