Carl Froch Announces November 17 Date, But No Opponent Named

Carl Froch and Matchroom Boxing promised an announcement for today, and they made one. But they didn't name an opponent for the IBF super middleweight titlist's next bout, only the date and location. Froch will return on November 17 at the Capital FM Arena in Nottingham, and is expected to be in what would amount to a tune-up fight.

Previously discussed opponents have included Mikkel Kessler (not happening), Thomas Oosthuizen (not happening), and Kelly Pavlik (most likely not happening). We ran down a list of some possible opponents a couple of days ago, but two who can be counted out now are Adonis Stevenson and Don George, who are headed toward an October 13 fight in Montreal against one another.

Froch is now going to announce an opponent on Tuesday, August 28, with tickets for the fight going on sale that day.

Sky Sports is reporting that, as we know now, Froch is already penciled in for a spring 2013 rematch against Lucian Bute in Montreal, and that a rematch with Kessler is also expected next summer, if all goes well for both of them.

But we'll have to wait and see who Froch will fight in November. There are still good opponents out there -- Sakio Bika was a favorite potential opponent among our readers here, on Twitter, and on Facebook -- but Froch might be taking something flat-out easy with this one. There's a money fight on the table next spring, after all, and that could be undone with one wrong move.

After years of high-level fights against the top opponents at 168 pounds, I will agree that Carl Froch has earned the right to take a victory lap night at home.