Froch interview!!

Exclusive Interview with Carl Froch: Dirrell better fight like a man

21.09.09



Froch spoke confidently ahead of his showdown on October 17th against Andre Dirrell at the Trent FM arena. Froch touched on training, Dirrell and the Super Six.

"Training is going very strong thanks. I've been busy working hard and putting the miles in as usual. I'm already in tip top shape and have been handling the lads in sparring. We've got a good blend of height and speed amongst them and they've been jumping in and out as i take them on, back to back."

"I'm not going to say too much but we've got a few special spars flying in shortly. A tall and rangy unbeaten light heavyweight southpaw amongst others.

I've always done well against southpaws. (Brian) Magee and (Sergey) Tatevosyan were both southpaws and I'm the only person to halt them both in style. If anything I think southpaws struggle with me. I'm a not a conventional orthadox fighter in that sense. Once I get my big right hand going it usually closes the show."

I asked Froch about Dirrell and his strengths and his focus intensified :-

"Don't get me wrong I have watched a bit of Dirrell who sometimes switches here and there and to be honest i've sussed what he is and what he's not. Dirrell has natural ability but we all know this fight will be so much more than that. So I'm not overly concerned with any of his attributes. Pascal and Taylor had hand speed too."

"But if he wants to be world champion then he'd better come prepared to fight like one. He's stunk the place out a few times running away rather that fighting like a man, there is no honour in that."

I mention Dirrell's Olympic bronze :-

"He's got an Olympic bronze and fair play to him his family must be proud of him.

I got a bronze at the World Amateurs, the first this country ever won in that tournament but you don't see my corner man dangling it like a chocolate coin before I fight.

No disrespect to his achievments, but my medal got thrown in a draw as I was angry I didn't put my all into a fight and lost - that's the last time that will ever happen. I've had more amateur fights than him and have seen a few like Dirrell on my travels too.... Jean Paul Mendy was a tall rangy southpaw I beat as an amateur amongst others. But the pro game is a different entity with far more variables. The amateurs teaches you only so much and not every successful Olympian makes it as a world champion. My style always suited the professional game more. I'm not into scoring points and running, only dishing out hurt."

I spoke with Froch about Dirrell training up in the mountains :-

"He's not going to find spars that replicate me up a mountain is he? (laughing) He can run up and down big bear or wherever till his legs fall off, but finding a Froch replica is not going to happen for him.. He can be as fit as a fiddle but if the sparring ain't thought through it means little. He might think in his mind that training there is giving him superpowers but the reality is it don't. I can reel of a load of names that trained there and got starched. If anything being isolated up there is giving him nothing else to think about but me. Thoughts of me catching up with him and ripping him apart. "

I mention that Dirrell has been studying his fight with Jermain Taylor and that he believes speed is the key for him in this fight :-

"I'm glad he's watching my fights. My last few performances I've dealt with broken ribs, a cruciate ligament operation and an ulcerated cornea before the first bell rang. This time i'm tip top. Quite a few pro's have commentated that sharing the ring and watching me on tape is like comparing night and day. They all see these weaknesses. But i'm not 'weak' in any department."

I ask Froch if the fact that Dirrell has a young family and the world to prove to, has any bearing on the fight:-

"I've heard it all from previous fighters and it gets boring. He's young and hungry, with bills to pay and mouths to feed. I know what he's thinking, but he does not know what i'm thinking. In his mind this is his big opportunity. I know he'll be training hard and right now, mentally, he's probably feeling good about things. But deep down, he's knows he's going to lose. He probably thinks he's going to silence the crowd with his sublime boxing skills. He's not the first and I doubt he'll be the last. He may draw inspiration from his family, but he'll looking to survive for their sakes, rather than fight for them when I drop some bombs on him.

"There is nobody as hungry as me in this tournament, it don't even need saying. Those who have followed my career know the disappointment with people like Inkin, injuries and people not wanting to fight me. It's took me a long time with a lot of disappointments along the way to reach this point in my career. I'm fighting in my town, on my soil and in front of my fans. Like the others before him, Dirrell is going to feel the full force of my wrath. I've got a few tricks up my sleeve and he's in for some nasty surprises. I was not fortunate to get plucked from nowhere to compete in this. I fought my way into this show against the odds and I'm here on merit and not on nationality."

I ask him whether or not the later time to fight will have any influence on this:-

"Not at all. To be honest I go to bed quite late anyway. I'm already training later and later in the day and come fight night my preparation from that point of view will be on the nail. The late kick off will have no impact on the night. I've blacked out my bedroom windows and my house is nice and quiet. I live about 12 minutes door to door from the arena so it's perfect. I was on the road for my last fight against Taylor and will be on the road for the next one too. So to fight in front of my UK fans drives me on that little bit more. "

I finally ask him whether or not there are any messages for his fans:-

"I'm really looking forward to fighting back in Nottingham in front of all my old fans and quite a few new ones. It'll be the first time I've fought 'as champion' in my hometown and that feeling as champ gives me that extra edge. It's true what they say, that when a fighter becomes champion it gives them the extra push to stay on top and I look forward to putting on a great performance for them all."

 

Ali-esque??