World Boxing News 2010-2013

Picture by Team Sauerland Matchroom Sport and Sauerland Promotion are delighted to announce that Carl Froch and Mikkel Kessler will fight in Britain. The huge super middleweight rematch is the fight of the year in boxing and the two sides are delighted that terms have been agreed on the biggest fight on British soil in many years. Full details on the fight will be announced at a press conference soon, and both fighters have expressed their delight that they will once again lock horns. "First and foremost, I'm really pleased the fight has finally been arranged,” said Froch. “I feared that Kessler had second thoughts about his promise - but the man has come good on his word. "Our first fight was pure warfare. We went at each other for every minute of every round and the rematch promises to be even more fiercely contested. I seriously wish I was ringside myself for this fight, because I'm gunning for revenge at all costs and the fight fans are in for a ...

Finally, after much speculation about his next opponent, International Boxing Federation (IBF) super middleweight Carl "The Cobra" Froch (30-2-0, 22 KOs), of Great Britain, is forced to defend his belt against mandatory contender Adonis "Superman" Stevenson (19-1-0, 16 KOs). In a letter from IBF representative Lindsey Tucker, dated January 2, 2013, sent to the promoters of Froch and Stevenson, both parties were invited to negotiate and Jan. 15 was imposed as the deadline. If at that time the parties were unable to reach an agreement a purse bid would be held in the IBF offices in New Jersey. If Froch, for whatever reason, decided to withdraw from this process then it would he removed as champion and Stevenson would be invited to fight for the vacant title against the next highest-ranking available IBF challenger. If Stevenson withdrew he would be excluded from the IBF's top 10 contenders for six months and the highest-ranked available contender would rep...

Phil D. Jay  WBN Editor Unification overshadows mandatory Despite recent reports to the contrary, world super-middleweight champion Carl Froch can take up one of many options for his next bout, according to chief IBF spokesperson and friend of WBN Jeanette Salazar. The 35 year-old, who was recently named WBN Reader’s Fighter of the Year for 2012, has been constantly linked with a unification clash with WBA title holder Mikkel Kessler and more recently - a mandatory defence against Canadian Adonis Stevenson. Although speculation is rife that Froch will be forced to fight Stevenson, the IBF have assured WBN that the Nottingham fighter can pick or choose from any of the current 168lb belt holders before he has to fulfil his obligations to the organisation. “Froch will not be bypassing Stevenson,” explained Salazar, who assured WBN that ‘Superman’ remains next in line. “Despite this, Froch can fight Kessler because it would be a unification bout and unifications take prece...

Phil D. Jay  WBN Editor Picture by Lawrence Lustig ‘Cobra’ claims accolade for regaining world title IBF super-middleweight champion Carl ‘The Cobra’ Froch has taken over the mantle of WBN Fighter of the Year from rival Andre Ward for 2012 after WBN readers voted the Britain as their winner over the past month. The 35 year-old became a world title holder for the third time in May of last year after a five round demolition job on the once-revered Lucian Bute and has since built on that with a stoppage of Yusaf Mack. The sheer determination of the man to get back on top after a disappointing loss to Andre Ward in the Super-Six at the back end of 2011 seems to have registered with fans, who voted him as the victor with over 20% of the vote. Nonito Donaire, who bulldozed his way to four victories in 2012, came in second place with 17% as last year's winner Ward and Mexican legend Juan Manuel Marquez came in third and fourth place respectively. My choice for...

Phil D. Jay  WBN Editor Picture by Lawrence Lustig ‘Cobra’ weighs up mandatory title bout IBF super-middleweight champion Carl Froch is ready to negotiate a deal to face mandatory challenger Adonis ‘Superman’ Stevenson before the Nottingham fighter aims for a Mikkel Kessler return in the summer. The 35 year-old has just a few weeks to confirm his next step to the IBF or risk losing his belt and could give Stevenson a spring title shot, according to promoter Eddie Hearn, who spoke to WBN to confirm the news. If we can't agree terms for a unification fight with Kessler we would be happy to face our mandatory challenger in Stevenson,” Hearn told World Boxing News. Kessler is certainly first choice for Froch, who had hoped to tie up a deal for May in his hometown, although Stevenson has now emerged as a stop-gap measure for the three-time world champion as bigger fights loom on the horizon. A rematch with Lucian Bute is also a possibility for Froch long-term, but for...

Phil D. Jay  WBN Editor Champ eyes unification rematch WBC and WBA super-middleweight champion Andre Ward is open to a possible rematch with new IBF title holder Carl Froch after witnessing the ‘Cobra’ demolish Lucian Bute at the back end of last month. The 28 year-old, who has admitted to fighting Froch in the Super-Six final last October with a fractured hand, battles WBC 175lb champion Chad Dawson on September 8th and is willing to open negotiations with the Briton after his all-American clash. "I'm ready and willing to do a re-match any time, any place. I would love to fight Carl Froch totally healthy,” Ward told thisisnottingham.co.uk. "If he had a bad night against me, I had a bad week. I fractured my hand and had to deal with a grotesque swelling, trying to hide it from the media and the Froch camp. "I won that fight with virtually one hand. Froch talks about his devastating punches. Well, he hit me with his best shot. I ate everything...

Lucian Bute v Carl Froch ( IBF super-middleweight title ) Capital FM Arena, Nottingham, UK 12x3                                                      Bute                           Froch              -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------                  Round 1                          9                                 10              -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------               ...

Phil D. Jay  WBN Editor Former world champion makes bet admission Super-Six super-middleweight finalist Carl Froch has openly admitted to ‘prolonging’ some of his fights so that his friends and family could make money from round betting. The 34 year-old told how he could have knocked out and opponent in the fourth round of a bout, but allowed him to carry on so people he knew could make money. The Nottingham fighter may now face repercussions for his statement made to the BBC and the British Board of Boxing Control are sure to get involved in the matter. "I've done it more than one occasion and it was round five but that's not illegal,” Froch explained to BBC Sport. "I can say, 'right, I'll stop this kid in round five'. If I'm good enough to do that then fair enough. I don't gamble but my brothers and my friends, they did quite well off it. "I can openly say that because if I'm good enough to step on the gas in rou...

Andre Ward v Carl Froch ( WBA and WBC super-middleweight titles ) Super-Six Final Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, USA 12x3                                                     Ward                          Froch                    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------                  Round 1                          10                                9              ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ...