Carl Froch Leads the New British Invasion

Bleacherreport.com Joe Oniell4th February, 2010

Ricky Hatton and Joe Calzaghe are two of my favorite fighters from the past five years, for very different reasons.

Hatton was the everyman. A blue-collar bloke from Manchester who lived near his parents, drank at the local pub, followed Manchester City, and, until his last fight, stuck with the same trainer that had brought him up from a young pup.

Ricky Hatton might be the biggest character to hit boxing for some time.

From his self parody of 'Ricky Fatton' to wearing a thong to a boxing workout.

Best of all, were the crowds that followed him from fight to fight. Tens of thousands of drunk, singing Brits who would own any venue Hatton was fighting.

A good fighter, but not one of the world's best, Hatton always put on a good show and was extremely aggressive.

I liked Calzaghe for another reason.

He was, without a doubt, the most active fighter I've ever seen at any weight class. Once the bell rung, he a glove, or two, in his opponent's face for every second of every round.

I mean, I've never seen a Super Middleweight with that level of stamina.

The only boxer I've seen with better ring generalship that Joe Calzaghe was Sugar Ray Leonard. Calzaghe could immediately gauge an opponent's weaknesses and distance, then make them miss by centimeters with every punch thrown.

Alas, both fighters are, for the most part, out of the public eye.

Calzaghe retired last year with an undefeated record. Hatton was dismantled by Manny Pacquiao and we haven't heard from him since.

Fear not lads, there's a new wave of British boxers coming over the pond.

And they're led by Carl 'The Cobra' Froch.

'Who the hell is that?" You're probably asking yourself.

Don't worry, most people in Britain, except for the boxing faithful, have never heard of Carl Froch either.

If you've watched the Showtime Super Six Tournament, then you might have seen Froch win a split decision against Andre Dirrell.

Or, watch him score an impressive 12th-round knockout over Jermaine Taylor when he was behind on two judge's scorecards.

He's not the prettiest fighter. He's not the most talented. He'll probably never be on anyone's pound-for-pound list.

What he is, is a true blood and guts fighter in the same vein as Micky Ward or Diego Corrales.

He's just a guy that loves to fight and won't back down from anyone.

Yes, he's undefeated at 26-0. With the exception of Taylor and Dirrell, I haven't heard of anyone he's fought.

But those two victories alone tell me he's one of the best Super Middleweights in the world.

At 32, he's no spring chicken. He didn't turn pro until he was 25 after winning two Amateur Boxing Association titles in 1999 and 2001.

He's a seasoned fighter who's risen through the ranks to finally get the adulation and respect he so deserves.

From what I've heard, the British boxing public is still a little leery of Froch. He tends to come across as a bit cocky with a chip on his shoulder.

The same complaint was made of Calzaghe.

I don't mind a little cockiness in a fighter, as long as they can back it up.

And Froch can definitely back it up.

I think, however, he's faced the lightest competition in the Showtime tournament.

His next fight is against Mikel Kessler on Apr. 17. I like him in that fight. He has very good footwork and goes to the body quite well. I think he can deal with the taller, stronger Kessler.

But, after that fight, I think he'll have a tough time getting through Arthur Abraham or Andre Ward.

I would love to see him square up against Kelly Pavlik or Lucien Bute. Those are two fights I would pay to watch.

In the meantime, watch for him on Showtime (somebody please explain to me why the Super Six isn't on in Britain?)

He's definitely a fighter who won't disappoint.

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