Is Carl Froch amongst the top ten SMW fighters of all time?

For the sake of consistency with my own way of ranking, Roy Jones is excluded from this list as he has a home in the LHW division.

I'm talking about people who at their very best were SMW fighters.

The likes of Toney, Ward, Ottke, Kessler, Beyer, Eubank, Benn, Calzaghe, Groves, Lyle, Mitchell, many others I've forgotten

If we were to make a top ten SMW list, ranking this guys who as peak fighters were SMWs, would Froch be in the top ten?

 

Jones was at his very best as a super middleweight.

But to answer your question, yes, based on accomplishments I think Froch is somewhere in the top 10 at 168.

 

Based on résumé, absolutely. In fact, he's top 5 at minimum.

However, H2H? There's LOADS who beat him. Is he top 10? Maybe, but I reckon there's 10 who would possibly beat him.

 

Yeah. On resume he might be top 3, since it isn't a very deep division. I don't know, maybe Ottke edges him out? Calzaghe and Ward should be the top 2 guys, I guess.

 

Without question in my mind. Very solid wins against Kessler, Bute, Johnson, Abraham, Taylor and Groves.

 

Which ten?

 

He does have an excellent resume imo.

 

I think the top 4 is between Ward, Calzaghe, Toney and Froch.

 

yes

 

Ward and Kessler. Obviously. Then Jones, Toney, Calzhage, McClellan, Watson and Eubank would've been on my list to pull it off.

Hearns, Ottke, Dirrell, Benn, Collins and Barkley could all do it too.

 

I'd favour Ward and Toney.

I wouldn't actually favour any other SMW over him tbh.

Even Toney I'm not 100% sure about due to the way in which he could be pressured and bullied.

 

Sorry - did you mean to say you'd pick Froch over Jones and Calzaghe?

 

I don't think I pick anyone over Jones from 175 or below, but as stated above I rank him at LHW not SMW. I'd pick Sugar Ray, Marvin Hagler, Hopkins and many others to beat him weighing in at 168, but I rank them in other divisions.

As for Joe Calzaghe, yes I favour Froch to beat him. I think he'd make it into a war, Joe would oblige and Froch would come out on top.

 

He's a lock for me. I couldn't think of a list of ten SMW's I would rank above him based on achievements at 168.

 

He is top 5 imo. H2H, you might think of 10 or more who could beat him, but he's up in the mix with nearly all of them. I personally think he is slightly underrated H2H.