By Mark Vester
Joe Calzaghe has not made and official decision on the future of his career, but his countryman, WBC super middleweight champ Carl Froch, wants him to get in the ring like a man. Froch is not putting his hopes in such a fight. He called out Calzaghe for the better part of two years and doesn't believe the Welshman will continue fighting.
"A fight with Calzaghe would be good but to be honest he’s past his best. Joe’s been offered it before and turned it down, he doesn’t want to get bashed-up and that’s fair enough. But he’s mugging himself off by not taking the fight. He doesn’t talk straight or make sense. Calzaghe won’t fight a man in his prime who has just become champion," Froch told The Daily Post.
Recently, Calzaghe made comments that boxing is a "dying sport." Froch takes offense and feels Joe is part of the problem that is hurting the sport. He says Calzaghe should be fighting young, unbeaten fighters - and instead chooses to fight old men.
"I can’t believe he’s said that when he’s ducking me and fighting old men instead," Froch said. "It’s a very bitter comment because the fight game, especially in Britain, is in the best shape it has been for years. Just look at me and David Haye. We’re both fighting the best and love a challenge – it’s what the public want."
Froch won the title last month with a tough decision win over previously unbeaten Jean Pascal. The fight was a sure contender for "fight of the year" honors. Froch himself has watched the fight several times.
"I have watched the fight back five or six times, which is unusual for me as I can only watch it once usually, or just fast forward to the knockout," laughs Froch. "It was a great fight but not the kind of tear-up I want to be involved in. I made a decision a week or so before the fight that I would do it that way, that I’d go toe to toe with him.
"I wanted to put everything on the line, and I did that. Either I was going to get knocked out or he was, but in the end it went the distance, and I did take some hard shots. I didn’t have a mark on me at the end but he did catch me a few times. I’ve shown what a good chin I have but the best chins are the ones that don’t get hit. It’s not ideal to do it that way but it worked, and I had several more gears left at the end."
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