Froch vs Ward: Super Six Final Build Up Thread

My bad. My Wallet says Froch, Lord Wallet says Ward:good

 

Really enjoyed reading this thread, better than most professional articles as far as boxing goes. It's gonna be another Hatton/Haye where I take myself into believing Froch can win although I kno he almost definitely won't.

 

RingTV.com: Are you ready to come East?

Andre Ward: Yeah, we're ready to do it, man. We're ready to come East. I am up for the challenge, and I'm fit for the challenge. I'm ready to do it. I've fought in Florida and Connecticut. Those are the only other times I've been East.

RingTV.com: Will the venue, being on the East Coast, be different for you?

AW: You know what? It's not really a big deal. There are certain differences where sometimes it's a little harder because you have to find gyms to work out in leading up to the fight, but we have some connections on the East Coast.
People, once again, made a big deal bout me getting to fight in my home down of Oakland, Calif., but I have ample stamps on my passport. I've traveled abroad. I haven't had the opportunity to fight in Atlantic City as a professional.

But I've fought in England, I've fought in London, I've fought in most places in Ireland, been to Greece. I've put in my time. Fighting abroad is fighting abroad, but you've still got to get it done.


RingTV.com: What are your feelings being in Atlantic City for the first time?

AW: Well, I haven't talked to many people, but I've talked to a lot of the greats who have fought in those arenas in Atlantic City, and it's going to be a great opportunity for me. It's an honor and a privlege. I want to be in top form to be able to perform at the level.

RingTV.com: Given the fact that Froch just fought in Atlantic City, do you see that as any sort of advantage for him?

AW: Well, I think that it is an advantage. And I'll give him that, because everybody wants to talk about the advantages that I've had fighting in Oakland, so there you go. Froch has fought in Atlantic City once. I've never been there. Now the ball is in his court. He has the advantage, so now, Andre Ward is at a disadvantage going into a fight.


RingTV.com: Is that your way of making yourself the underdog?

AW: Absolutely. [Laughs.] Absolutely. Every fighter needs something to motivate him. Obviously, the hardware is on the line, the legacy is on the line. There's a lot of things on the line. Those things should motivate us. But you can also use other intricate things that are shared or done.


RingTV.com: For example?

AW: For example, Aaron Pryor and Alexis Arguello. Aaron Pryor was already motivated, and Alexis Arguello was already motivated. But Aaron Pryor took one thing -- the announcer announcing Alexis Arguello as "Mr." Arguello, and just announcing him as "Aaron Pryor." For Aaron Pryor, that was the straw that broke the camel's back. And that's when he looked at Alexis Arguello and said, "I'm going to get you." That was all that it took. So that's what it takes.

RingTV.com: Are you concerned about the judging in Atlantic City given Paul Williams' recent controversial decision there over Erislandy Lara?

AW: Absolutely, we're concerned. Absolutely. But to Paul's credit, I didn't fully watched the fight. I taped the fight. It was late. I watched the early rounds. I fast-forwarded and skipped half of the fight just to see who won. I saw before they announced the decision, Harold Lederman's official card, and I said, 'Wow, Ok." Lara must have dones something in those last six rounds.

And then they read the scorecards, and everybody had an uproar about it. So I honestly haven't gone back and watched it and judged it that closely. I've just read the post-fight commentary. But with that being said, before the referees got suspended, I took mental notes of their names. Because, obviously, and with all due respect, I wanted to avoid getting those guys again in my fight. But being that the commission responded the way that they did, it's good. I don't think that there is going to be a problem for us moving forward.


RingTV.com: You have said that this is the fight that you and the fans wanted, the best against the best, the American against the Englishman. Can you address the match up from a patriotism standpoint, and in terms of excitement and style?

AW: I think that, obviously, because of the fact that it's the United Kingdom and the United States of America that they have had a running rivalry for a number of years. Obviously, I have the U.S.A. on my back for this one. Carl Froch, you know, he tries to spice things up with some of his one-liners that he likes to use. So like I've mentioned before, let's hope that he sells us a few more tickets with that.

As far as stylistically, Froch has been tagged as a warrior and as being fearless and they like to say that about him. People think that I'm more of a slick boxer and that I kind of try to stay off of the ropes. So I guess that they're looking at the notion of, "Can I outbox Froch and can I stay away from him. Can I stay away from him enough that I can avoid taking punishment, and can I avoid being bullied by him."

I guess that that's the line that most people are using in the way that they're viewing this fight. But, you know, me personally, I disagree with that. I'm just looking forward to being able to talk on October 29 for the last time in this tournament, because Ive been fortunate enough to do very well throughout this tournament. I think that this fight sells itself from the standpoint that we've been battling for a year and a half, two years, and everyone is excited about this as a whole.


RingTV.com: Can you discuss the perception of you as the lamb as opposed to your belief that people eventually will recognize the dog or the wolf in you -- your ability to be a tough, versatile fighter who can "fight" and go to the head and body with power?

AW: This is the thing. As a young man, I've learned this and I'm still learning this. That element of naysayers and the element where people are doubting the different things that you're capable of doing. You need that. That keeps you humble and it keeps you on your game. I can't be concerned about whether anybody's talking well about me or whether they have anything good to say.

When you look at guys like Bernard Hopkins, this is a guy who is only just now getting his just do. How many countless times has he been written off as too old, too slow or had people say that he just doesn't have it? Floyd Mayweather is 41-0. This guy has not been beaten, but yet, still doesn't get his just do. That element is always going to be there. So to answer your question, no.

I still don't feel as though I'm getting the just do or the respect that I need, but to a degree, that is the way that I like it. Because I continue to reach, even though I feel blessed to have accomplished some things in my career. But I'm still reaching because that's my source of motivation

 

Froch will have to travel to America to fight Ward. Ward will have his referee and judges, Ward will have his head butt prefected.....................Froch will have to knock Ward out to get a split decision!

 

Go away, please.

Thanks.

 

Clearly Froch needs the KO to win this.

Come on Froch!!

 

Get this thread rolling again lads.:twisted:

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Carl Froch has been told by trainer Robert McCracken that his fight against Andre Ward will define whether or not he is considered a legend in future.

WBC super-middleweight champion Froch will attempt to unify the division by beating WBA king Ward in the final of the Super Six tournament on October 29 in New Jersey.

He begins the fight as a slight underdog against the former Olympic champion, who is yet to taste defeat in 24 pro bouts, and who boasts a victory over Mikkel Kessler, the only man to get the better of Froch.

Ward is known as a very slick, technically-accomplished operator, leading most commentators to speculate he will claim a points decision over Froch. But Ward, who has a KO rate of 54%, is unlikely to possess the power to become the first man to stop Froch, and that gives the Englishman plenty of time to earn a KO of his own.

"A perfect fight for me is to outbox my opponent and catch up with him late in the fight, round nine, ten, 11, then get a stoppage to excite the fans," Froch told Sky Sports News. "That's what I like doing. I've been disappointed in my last fights, not because I've not been in great fights, but because I've not got a stoppage.

"I'm confident against Ward that when I connect with a hurtful shot on the jaw section of the cranium, I'll do some serious damage."
McCracken, who is coaching the Great Britain team at London 2012, added: "This is the fight in his career where he can become a real, true legend. Not many people have that chance, so when they do they want to grab it with both hands."
If Froch beats Ward, he wants to have a homecoming clash at Nottingham Forest's City Ground next year. Kessler, George Groves, James DeGale, Sergio Martinez and even Joe Calzaghe have been mooted as potential opponents.


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Should he defeat WBC super middleweight beltholder Carl Froch on Oct. 29 in Atlantic City, N.J., WBA titleholder Andre Ward shed light on what his future might entail during a recent interview with RingTV.com.

Ward (24-0, 13 knockouts) mentioned IBF counter part Lucian Bute as a potential opponent and said that he would entertain a rematch with Mikkel
Kessler, whom Ward dethroned for his present belt.

Ward said that he would also consider a rise into the light heavyweight ranks for match ups opposite fighters such as unbeaten IBF and WBO beltholders Tavoris Cloud and Nathan Cleverly or their WBA counter part Beibut Shumenov.

Only after facing the younger fighters at light heavyweight would Ward consider a meeting against his sometime mentor, the legendary Bernard Hopkins, who wears the RING and WBC belts.

Below are Ward's comments on topics concerning his future:

On his future at super middleweight beyond Froch:

"Obviously, we have business with Carl Froch to handle, first and foremost. But beyond that, obviously, you know, Lucian Bute is a natural fight that we could take a look at. There's also a rematch with Mikkel Kessler, if that's something that makes sense. Kessler said that he would want to do it."

On a possible move to light heavyweight:


"I might even potentially consider going up to light heavyweight for the right fight and fighting certain guys. I may not campaign at light heavyweight. But just like Sugar Ray Leonard was able to do in beating Ayub Kalule for the junior middleweight title, and then going back down and beating Tommy Hearns, that's something that I might consider.

You know, I just want to continue to build my legacy and by taking certain fights. You know, title fights. I may not campaign up there at light heavyweight. I have to see how my body works, but I may go to light heavyweight for the right fights."

On whether or not a fight with Hopkins has become more attractive to him:


"Honestly, he's really not [more attractive.] I think that respect is mutual, but I could be wrong. I know for a fact that Bernard Hopkins doesn't have to fight me to do anything for his legacy or to make any more money.
And I don't think that I have to fight a Bernard Hopkins. You know, I think that there are plenty of other fights out there. There are guys my age that are young and that are hungry.

I think that there are other fights with other guys in that weight class that are good and that would sell."

On the conditions under which he would consider facing Hopkins:

"You know, at the end of the day, a fight between me and Bernard Hopkins would have to make sense. It would have to be a situation where, financially, it would have to be the right move to make for both of us. But I'm very close with his trainer, Naazim Richardson.

My coach, Virgil Hunter, is very close to Naazim. Bernard has always been a mentor to me, and he's taken time to talk to me over the phone and different things. He's done things that a lot of guys don't take the time to do. So it's just that there's a respect there.

That's the key. Again, though, I'm a fighter and he's a fighter. So if it made sense in more ways than one, then maybe so. But by no means am I gunning for Bernard. I think that there are a lot of other fights that I can take."

 

Froch needs to rely on that jab to keep Ward from getting in range. Pop it two-three times every time and follow it with a shot to the body, then bring the left hook to the head. Ward, like a lot of slick fighters, struggles with a good, solid jab in their face.

Most crucially, don’t let Ward get inside. He’s fast, has better technique and will grind away, irrespective of how bad it looks and how (broadly) ineffective it is.

Work on a short uppercut for when Ward leans in, take advantage of how he rushes in with the head by bringing the shoulder up, then bringing the left hand in from underneath or over the top.

If Froch can keep stepping back as Ward tries to get into range, he can do better.

I still think Ward will win, but it’s foolish to count Froch out.

 

I think Ward has more defensive nuances to his game than he's often credited with, from watching him I do think he's rather adept at parrying. As I said on like the 2nd page or something, I think he wins on the outside, but if he chooses to take the fight inside I think he can get in there without too much difficulty.

Johnson was able to get in there by merely dropping a jab to the body and dipping his head to the left, he was evading Froch's jab with the head movement and then straightening him with the jab, the only problem for him was that he too often fell into the clinch without working, so they'd immediately be seperated, once again giving Froch the room to rattle off his shots before the same thing would happen.

Ward's not going to operate in similar fashion to Johnson in that regard, as he will work when he gets inside, and he will get inside. If Kessler could get on his chest and win the fight that way, it's near impossible to envisage Froch being able to prevent Ward from getting in. His jab isn't imposing enough IMO, it's either tossed out lazily, which enables Ward to parry with even greater ease and allows him to get right in on Froch's chest, or it's prodded, and held in the opponent's face for too long without getting his hand back quickly enough, it again makes it easier to parry, or to simply come over the top with a right hand, which Froch is very much open to.

I think one shot Ward is vulnerable to is the uppercut, but a certain kind, the kind of short, subtle, well-disguised uppercut that the likes of Bute possess, I think Froch's is that little bit too wide and obvious to have any kind of great impact on the fight, because Ward will in all likelihood be able to see that kind of shot coming towards him, and nullify it accordingly.

 

If Froch has done his homework with McCracken, he’ll have stiffened that jab and worked on that uppercut. But Froch is a funny character. Ward is nuanced and I do see him winning, but his own workmanlike nature means he maybe won’t press the point as much as he should.

I can see Froch coming into the fight fairly late. But I do think he’ll lose.

 

Froch needs to KO this kid simple as!

 

Ward looks an ace fighter!

But still not as quality as David Reid :hey

 

Eddie Chambers has said he is probably fighting Tony Thompson on the undercard.

 

Surprised to find out Froch has a 4 inch reach advantage.

Wlad only had a 3 inch reach advantage over Haye.