Froch Wins, Ward awaits

Froch wins, Ward awaits


6^th June, 2011

As predicted, Carl “Cobra” Froch successfully defended his WBC Super Middleweight belt in the semi-final of the Super Six. We warned beforehand that Glen Johnson would be no pushover, and the veteran pushed Froch until the very end. It was an absorbing contest and a fantastic way for the Briton to re-announce himself back on Sky Sports.

Once again, Froch was indebted in part to his granite chin which absorbed several heavy right-hands from Johnson throughout. However, the Nottingham fighter showed his class with some effective counter-punching to take a deserved victory on the scorecards.

Now his focus will switch to Andre Ward, his opponent in the Super Six final. And it’s a huge test. The American, an Olympic gold medallist, has beaten all of his opponents thus far without breaking a sweat. That run included a convincing victory over Mikkel Kessler, who notably went on to defeat Froch in a contested decision in April 2010.

Froch vs Ward: the gameplan

Froch has been successful of late boxing on the back foot, slipping shots and then responding with punches in bunches. Where he struggled most in this tournament, as he openly admits, was against the speed and movement of Jermain Taylor. Unfortunately for the “Cobra”, Ward is both quicker and more elusive than his fellow American.

Ward is a defensive master; hard to hit with lots of movement. On the rare occasions that he is vulnerable on the inside, he’s quick to hold and smother his opponents before their punches can do any damage. It’s an incredibly effective style, though not particularly entertaining.

Respected trainer Rob McCracken will have to devise a plan to take Froch forward, slip Ward’s razor-sharp jab and hit his opponent with quick flurries. It’s easier said than done. Ward’s barely lost a round in this tournament to date.

It will surely take the performance of Froch’s career to claim victory. But if we’ve learnt anything about him during his extraordinary career, it’s that he should never be written off.