Scene it Basically said he started to slow, that he was tentative as he was wary of starting fast throwing shots and being tagged with counters. If you watch the first minute he backed Ward into corner and didn't unload and that's the moment i knew he was fighting with a different mentality. Remember Pascal? he just unloaded shots. He knew Ward counters better then Pascal obviously. he said the following... Nothing amazing said there but would of liked him to say i'm going to work on my game rather then i'd have to work on things which sounds to me like he only bothered to do that if he faces a fighter like Ward. :good
Its what fighters are like now. They focus too much on their next opponent rather than getting a full skill set.
Nowadays it's all about preparing for your opponent. Back in the day it was up to the fighter simply being more versatile.
I think somebody like Froch has to believe they are the best in the world to get the best of themselves. He has to believe he can beat Ward. As soon as he stops believing, he is done.
Agreed. However, only losing 115-113 on TWO cards will give him that belief. In fairness, he did win the last two rounds, which was an amazing feat considering. I think all of the inside mauling stuff (and it was all Ward leaning/pushing Froch) actually took a lot out of Ward and tired him out towards the end. If Froch won the last two rounds, he only has to win 4 of the first 10 to get a draw. Obviously he didn't but cases can be made for him winning at least 2 of them. So it was close in rounds but Ward was clearly superior. I thought it was a great performance from Carl though. He did better than anyone else did vs Ward imo, which is something to be proud of. Carl is a much better fighter than he gets credit for. Could he ever beat Ward? I would say No based on what we saw at the weekend and the main reason is SPEED and Wards defense.
Froch has ALOT of work to do. The way he has looked after himself suggests he has many years left to give. Unfortunately the 2 cards that were close will ensure Froch maintains his delusional streak.
Achilles i think it was yourself who said a long time ago one of Carl's strength's is his belief he's that good. I agreed and in a way it's took him so far but as you say he kinda deludes himself into believing his style isn't as bad as people say which makes that a negative in times like this.
he was never going to beat ward inside with those long arms, his punch lacks power because he cant twist his body and he wasnt going to outbox ward on the outside especially with a low guard and slower hand speed.
No doubt about it. His delusion has taken him to the very top of the division which is absolutely incredible but sadly his delusion is what is stopping him from beating Ward and Kessler (which I think was very competative but a clear victory for Mikkel). It is very much like the warrior that made Holyfield and saw him take only the biggest fights is what is ruining his legacy and his health as he continues to fight well past his sell by date. Without his delusion Froch loses to Dirrell and Taylor for sure on the world stage. Maybe even Pascal because that delusion is what gives him the believe to go into wars while confident in his abilities. When Adamu and Magee put him in tough situations that belief got him the victories. That delusion may have even landed a big one on Ward. Most fighters just fold mentally. Allan Green fell apart when poised with a similar fight. I'm a big Froch fan but I hate on him technically because as big as a fan as you can get when it comes to the sweet science.
I think you're confusing delusion with self belief. Saying a fighter won the WBC belt twice because he was 'deluded' is just a ridiculous statement.
At least he's willing to say "I will learn from it". Some people seem determined to admit no fault and no mistakes over their losses. And therefore never try to correct those faults and mistakes.
If I take up a course of self hypnosis and delude myself into believing im the best Lightwaight on the planet will this make me become world champion, of course it won't, I'd also have to train EXTREMELY hard, which is what won carl the WBC belt twice not 'delusion'. pff lol
:good Exactly, what makes it strange is from what i hear and see he's a real gent who has time for fans and is humble guy. I think he likes being a entertainer. A Gatti type fighter who lays it all on the line etc. Yep totally agree, i'm same i sit through his fights calling him names cos of stress he puts me through as a fan . The Johnson fight i was just shaking my head in disbelief as he just begged for right hands :-(. One thing i love about Froch is when he eats a right hand, he turns head spits on canvas and then makes a face like 'nah, harder!' and then plods forward . He's one hard geezer!