Confidence, too often a bully’s mask or manufactured by insecurity, can sometimes be genuine. Thanks, Carl Froch. From Froch, it sounds like the real thing.
The British super-middleweight spoke during an international conference call Wednesday about his Super Six semifinal on June 4 against Glen Johnson with the self-assured tone of somebody certain of his destination. The scheduled 12 rounds on Showtime might prove to be bumpy, but Froch made it sound as if his victory was one segment in a longer trip. So buckle-up and enjoy the flight.
I’m not sure that Johnson won’t have plenty to say about where all of this is headed. For about 30 minutes, however, Froch had me convinced that it would end with him against Andre Ward in the finale of the longest tournament since the Thirty Years War.
The inevitable question was Ward, who already has secured his spot in the championship of the 168-pound tourney with his victory over Arthur Abraham. Froch could have passed on the question, of course. But he didn’t. I suspect the taciturn Ward would have, saying he would not think beyond the task at hand. But if the long view includes a destination that Froch sees as inevitable, hesitation could be interpreted as doubt. Froch has none.
“He’s got some skills,’’ Froch said, almost as if he knew he would be asked about Ward. “He’s an Olympic gold medalist, but having that doesn’t win world titles all the time and we’ve seen that recently. These top amateurs don’t always make top pros.
“He’s obviously won some great fights and he beat Mikkel Kessler. …But other than that, if you look at his record, I haven’t been too impressed with him as far as who he’s fought or how he’s won. Ward’s definitely a threat and someone I have to take seriously.
“But I know I can beat Ward. One thing he’s lacking is punching power. And that’s a big factor.”
Between him and Ward, there is Johnson, although Froch would have preferred Kessler, who accounts for his only loss.
“I would have rather fought Mikkel Kessler just purely for the revenge,” Froch said. “I’m a warrior myself. It’s a big thing for me to have lost that fight against Mikkel Kessler, because I’m serious about this business and that blemish on my record. I’d love to get that corrected before I retire. Someday after I hang them up, I want to be able to say I lost that decision to Kessler, but I won it back, that I avenged that defeat.’’
Froch voiced some deserved respect for Johnson, whom he called a war horse. At 42, however, Froch believes Johnson, a veteran light-heavyweight, will weaken himself in the battle to make weight.
“Going down to super-middle at his age is brutal,’’ Froch said.
Froch’s confidence also is rooted in a Johnson style that he believes will suit him. Johnson, he says, will be there, in front of him.
“The one thing about Glen Johnson is I don’t think I’ll have to go looking for him,’’ Froch said. “ I don’t think he’s going to be on his back foot looking to jab and pick me off. He doesn’t have the speed or the skill to match me. So, he’s going to come straight ahead.
“…I don’t think it would be wise for him to sit in front of me for too long. If he walks into me, he’s going to be taking on some shots. We’ll see how much the referee thinks he can take. It’s going to be brutal, if he keeps walking forward and taking shots.’’
Johnson scoffs at what Froch says of his style. Johnson says he is no Arthur Abraham, whom Froch defeated in the Super Six quarterfinals.
“People seem to think Abraham and I have a similar style,’’ he said. “We don’t. It’s not a valid comparison. That tells me that Carl Froch is not doing his homework. He’s in for a world of hurt.’’
Johnson also finds motivation in any talk about his age.
“I actually get excited when people mention my age, focus on my age,’’ Johnson said. “That means they are not focused on my skills and what I bring to the table.”
Johnson watched 46-year-old Bernard Hopkins win one against age with his historical victory for a light-heavyweight title in a unanimous decision over Jean Pascal. If Hopkins is Daddy Time Sr., Johnson has to be Father Time Jr.
For now.
If the Froch clock strikes with the inevitability he promises, that Jr. will soon turn into a Former.
Moving plans
Talks about moving Phoenix super-middleweight Jesus Gonzales’ next fight, rescheduled for July 8, against Henry Buchanan (20-2, 13 KOs), to the Coyotes’ NHL home, Jobbing.com Arena, in Glendale, Ariz., are underway. Gonzales’ second bout in a hometown comeback had been set for early June at Celebrity Theatre in central Phoenix. But the date was rescheduled, in part because Gonzales (26-1, 14 KOs) needed more healing time for a cut suffered in a victory over Dhafir Smith on May 18.
The likely move to Jobbing.com might be the first of many for boxing as arena operators and the cities that own them scramble to fill dates that could be left vacant by NFL and NBA work stoppages.
Glendale has been embroiled in a protracted and expensive battle to keep the Coyotes from leaving for Canada. The Phoenix suburb faces an even deeper financial hit if the Cardinals don’t play at nearby University of Phoenix Stadium because of the ongoing standoff between NFL owners and players, who are arguing about lot more money than Manny Pacquiao has ever made.
If NFL millionaires can’t agree on how to divvy up billions, there’s been talk that the Miguel Cotto-Antonio Margarito rematch could wind up at one of the league’s empty arenas, possibly Giants Stadium.
Notes, Quotes
· Any thoughts about a Margarito-Cotto rematch were on hold because Margarito had yet to heal from the nasty eye injury suffered in the one-sided loss to Pacquiao in Dallas last November. But hopes for a sequel to Margarito’s stunning upset of Cotto in 2008 were revived on May 19 when Margarito underwent cataract surgery.
· Just a guess, but former Eagles and current Redskins quarterback Donovan McNabb probably wasn’t one of the 1.8 million who watched the HBO telecast of Hopkins-Pascal.
· Watching the sad spectacle of Roy Jones Jr. suffering a devastating, dangerous knockout at the unknown hands of Denis Lebedev in Moscow left me wondering when we’ll hear about plans for Jones-versus-Evander Holyfield.
· Surprising news about Oscar De La Hoya in rehab is an indication that maybe there was something to rumors he was considering a comeback. There had to be frustration in discovering he just couldn’t fight anymore. De La Hoya might have tried to drown his disappointment in substance abuse. He isn’t the first and won’t be the last, but he has already scored a victory in acknowledging the problem. Here’s wishing him the best.
