Boxing – way to go

Carl Froch, like so many others, had a rough start to life. Then, like so many others, he boxed his way to a better life.

“My parents had it tough. I had it tough, but I always believed I could make something of my life,” he once said.

He certainly did make something of his life. He won British and Commonwealth titles and won the WBC super-middleweight title twice.

At the end of last year he put up a courageous performance against Andre Ward when they met in the final of the Super Six series. He suffered only his second loss as a professional when the American beat him.

It was not easy getting there, as he tells in a book about his career – Carl Froch, The Cobra. My Story, written in conjunction with Nial Hickman.

As a youngster, he mixed with the wrong crowd. He was involved in pub fights and held a series of dead-end jobs.

But boxing helped Froch, who was born in Nottingham, England, on July 2, 1977, turn his life around.

He was nine years old when his father took him to join the Phoenix Amateur Boxing Club in Gelding, Nottingham. He did rather well at first but lost interest until his family convinced him to return to the gym.

It was a good move. He won a bronze medal at the 2001 world amateur championships, turned professional and picked up four titles as he established himself as a leading super-middleweight.

Froch made his professional debut in March 2002, winning on a fourth-round stoppage against Michael Pinnock at the famous York Hall in London.

Two years later he won his first major title when he outpointed the tough Charles Adamu to take the Commonwealth super-middleweight title.

In September 2004 he added the British belt in the same division to his collection, beating Damon Hague in the first round.

And in December 2008 Froch won the vacant WBC super-middleweight title in a clash with Jean Pascal.

After the bout he was so dehydrated that he still cannot remember the post-fight interviews and the walk back to the dressing rooms.

He lost the belt when Mikkel Kessler beat him on a split decision but he regained it when he beat Arthur Abraham in a clash for the vacant title. And now Ward was taken it over.

FIGHTING RUBEN GROENEWALD

In the 330-page hard-cover book, published by Ebury Press, Froch tells of the feelings between him and South African Ruben Groenewald, whom he stopped the fifth round to retain his Commonwealth title in Nottingham in December 2005.

“There was a bit of needle as I sparred with Groenewald in London a few times. I don’t think he liked me, because in sparring I nearly dislocated his head off his shoulders a few times, but he didn’t stretch me.

“The fact that we sparred helped to sell the fight. I told everybody who would listen that Groenewald would go down in round five.”

Froch says he would like to see the return of 15-round bouts as it would separate the men from the boys.

He also holds strong feelings about the many organisations that hand out titles.

“The confusion that surrounds boxing over the stack of different world title belts has gone beyond a joke. Not only do we have the so-called ‘big four’ – WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO – we have loads of others, like WBF and WBU. I am expecting a KFC any day soon!”

The Englishman has invested much of his income in property and does not have to stretch his career beyond the limit.

His book is an interesting, easy read but one that, maybe, should have been published only after his retirement.