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by David P. Greisman - Barring the occasional opponent whose primary motivation is to pick up a paycheck, every fighter steps into the ring intent on winning. Every fighter, then, has something to prove — that he’s better than the man standing against him.
But sometimes there’s more to a fight than that basic premise. Sometimes the conflict isn’t just against an outward force, but an inward one, too.
That Carl Froch and Lucian Bute both came to a small ring in Nottingham, England, with similar motivations wouldn’t be readily apparent by the most cursory of glances at their respective records. Froch was coming off a loss, the second of his career. Bute, meanwhile, was undefeated. Yet a more careful examination of their records revealed a pair of greater truths.
Each needed to prove that he was better than his recent performances.
Each needed to prove that he belonged.
Froch need not have felt any shame in his last loss, a unanimous decision defeat against the best boxer in the super middleweight division, Andre Ward. Froch found himself outclassed, in against a style with which his did not mesh. As the maxim goes, styles make fights. Ward’s style negated Froch, rendered him ineffective and made him look limited despite the evidence to the contrary.
For three years, Froch faced nothing but top opposition, out-pointing Jean Pascal before people knew how much that meant; coming back from behind to stop Jermain Taylor back when that still meant something; winning an ugly and controversial split decision against an undefeated, talented prospect in Andre Dirrell; standing toe to toe with Mikkel Kessler in a competitive loss; out-boxing Arthur Abraham to show another facet of his fight game; winning a decision over a former champion and still-capable veteran in Glen Johnson; and then meeting Ward. [Click Here To Read More]
But sometimes there’s more to a fight than that basic premise. Sometimes the conflict isn’t just against an outward force, but an inward one, too.
That Carl Froch and Lucian Bute both came to a small ring in Nottingham, England, with similar motivations wouldn’t be readily apparent by the most cursory of glances at their respective records. Froch was coming off a loss, the second of his career. Bute, meanwhile, was undefeated. Yet a more careful examination of their records revealed a pair of greater truths.
Each needed to prove that he was better than his recent performances.
Each needed to prove that he belonged.
Froch need not have felt any shame in his last loss, a unanimous decision defeat against the best boxer in the super middleweight division, Andre Ward. Froch found himself outclassed, in against a style with which his did not mesh. As the maxim goes, styles make fights. Ward’s style negated Froch, rendered him ineffective and made him look limited despite the evidence to the contrary.
For three years, Froch faced nothing but top opposition, out-pointing Jean Pascal before people knew how much that meant; coming back from behind to stop Jermain Taylor back when that still meant something; winning an ugly and controversial split decision against an undefeated, talented prospect in Andre Dirrell; standing toe to toe with Mikkel Kessler in a competitive loss; out-boxing Arthur Abraham to show another facet of his fight game; winning a decision over a former champion and still-capable veteran in Glen Johnson; and then meeting Ward. [Click Here To Read More]
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