DiBella: Jermain Taylor wants Carl Froch

by Scott Christ on Dec 9, 2008 11:15 PM EST in Boxing News Analysis

Even though newly-crowned WBC super middleweight titleholder Carl Froch's promoter, Mick Hennessy, says that Jermain Taylor is trying to avoid his fighter and make a scrap with IBF titlist Lucian Bute, that doesn't appear to be the case. Lou DiBella, Taylor's promoter, says Taylor told him to make the fight with Froch:

"We are absolutely interested in fighting Carl Froch. If Froch is willing to come to North America, we are willing to make the fight. After watching Froch's fight with Pascal, I will no longer say, 'Who the Froch is Froch?' I saw who he is and he's a pretty damn good fighter. I think him and Jermain would make for a very good fight. Jermain told me that he wants the WBC title."

I totally understand why Taylor and DiBella want to do the fight in the States, what with the lingering idea that "going on the road" will still lead to screwjob judging and home cooking. But still, Froch is the guy with the title and the guy who can draw the bigger crowd on his turf. I hope some of this stuff goes away sometime.

I figure chances are this thing'll go to a purse bid and DiBella will put in a big bid to win the rights. I do hope the fight comes off -- now that they've both talked it up and after watching Froch's cracking win over Jean Pascal, I'm very interested in seeing it. Froch can go, and Taylor has bent to the will of aggressive fighters recently. Still, Taylor has the better natural athletic gifts and faster hands.

It's a good fight. It's a really interesting fight. And Froch has earned this big one.

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Froch is the guy...who can draw the bigger crowd on his turf

I’m not so sure that’s the case.

Taylor has a lot more options of guys to fight for decent money than does Froch, and therefore he has a fair amount of leverage. He’s Froch’s mandatory anyway, so worst case scenario is that eventually they get a fight that goes to purse bid, and the promoters can then see who really is able to pull more money. If Hennessy outbids DiBella, there’s little Jermain can do about it, unless he can make a Bute fight (which I’ve heard is also an option).

Vogt early, Vogt often.

by Brickhaus on Dec 10, 2008 2:03 AM EST reply actions

I think the fight absolutely does a bigger live gate in Nottingham (Trent FM Arena has a capacity of 10,000) than it does anywhere in the States, where Froch is completely nameless. But it’s not like we’ve heard anything about Froch being against coming over, either.

"Yesterday I was lying, today I am telling the truth." -- Bob Arum

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by Scott Christ on Dec 10, 2008 4:10 AM EST up reply actions

Whilst I believe a larger gate can be achieved in the UK I think it’s in Froch’s interest to start building up his name in the US even if it means less income in the short term. A win over Taylor at MSG wouldn’t be a bad way to put yourself on the map.

by strike4A on Dec 10, 2008 9:45 AM EST up reply actions