Now’s the Time for a Rematch Between Andre Ward & Carl Froch:
The outcome of the Carl Froch vs. George Groves rematch was as thrilling as it was earthshaking, as Froch imposed his will on his fellow Briton and put him down with a thunderous, one-punch kayo in the 8th Round. In so doing, Froch not only gave 80,000 roaring fight fans plus millions watching on TV a classic boxing show; he not only established his bona fides as the UK’s top pugilist; he not only erased the stigma of the first fight’s controversial ending; the Cobra also set the table for a rematch with Andre Ward. From the point of view of fight fans and Froch’s camp, the timing will never be better.
That assertion might sound strange, given how easily “Son of God” Ward defeated Froch the last time around. Indeed, I fully expect Ward to remain the favorite in a rematch with Froch, and for good reason. However, in his TKO 8 win over Groves, Froch accomplished three things that make a Ward fight very intriguing indeed.
1. The Cobra Bit The Boxer: Carl Froch might have a serviceable jab, but he has never been a boxer-puncher, and as a rule he has only boxed opponents who were less skillful than himself. Against truly world class opposition, Froch always plays the role of rough and tumble puncher. Consequently, he has always struggled against more skillful opponents: Jermain Taylor, Andre Dirrell, Mikkel Kessler, and George Groves in the first fight. Even in the instances where Froch won, he had major difficulties getting there.
Until this weekend, that is, when Froch walked and battered down Groves. Froch finally has a decisive (if not exactly clean) win over a guy with skills and speed. That potentially means an improved performance against Ward.
2. Froch Hasn’t Lost Anything: The troubled performance against Groves in the first fight led croakers to whisper that maybe Carl Froch was getting old. In fact, it turns out that Froch simply got his bell run early and never fully recovered, but despite that was able to stay in the fight and wear down Groves anyway. By defeating Groves in such crushing fashion, Froch has proven he has not lost a step, and reestablished himself in the same place he occupied after his brutal stoppage of Lucian Bute: the toughest, biggest banger in the super middleweight division.
3. Froch Has The Buzz: Exciting knockout victories count for something in this business, and the buzz is unquestionably with Carl Froch now. A fight with Froch is unquestionably the most lucrative option for anyone within striking distance of the super middleweight limit, whether that person be Ward or Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr., Adonis Stevenson, or Sergey Kovalev.
Add to this the injury troubles Ward has had, and the phenom’s low activity schedule of fighting once a year for the last couple of years, and one can reasonably wonder if Froch might not do better, and perhaps even hurt and beat Ward in a rematch. One good punch could change the whole dynamic of a fight, and now more than ever it seems as if Froch could land that punch.
Froch’s buzz plus new circumstances that raise intriguing possibilities mean the time for a Ward vs. Froch rematch is now. Let JCC Jr. and James DeGale wait fellas, and make Ward vs. Froch II happen latter this year.
