Carl Froch and Joe Calzaghe never faced off, but the idea of a match-up between them continues to stir debate among boxing fans and fighters alike.
Calzaghe retired unbeaten in 2008 with a 46-0 record, having unified the super middleweight division and added wins over Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones Jr at light-heavyweight to cap off his campaign.
Froch, meanwhile, won his first world title later that same year and built a strong legacy through a series of high-level fights against opponents like Mikkel Kessler, Andre Ward, and George Groves. ‘The Cobra’ has often claimed Calzaghe avoided him, though by the time he was world-ranked, Calzaghe was nearing retirement.
Stylistically, it would have been a fascinating clash: Calzaghe’s speed, angles, and volume punching versus Froch’s durability, pressure, and power. Calzaghe’s adaptability in fights – most notably against Lacy and Kessler – suggests he may have been able to outbox Froch over twelve rounds. The Nottingham man, on the other hand, would likely have tried to drag Calzaghe into a physical war.
One man who knows the Welshman’s abilities well is Chris Eubank Sr, who lost a unanimous decision in their 1997 bout. Calzaghe has identified the British boxing legend as his toughest opponent.
Speaking on his own YouTube channel, Eubank Sr backed his former foe unequivocally.
“Calzaghe would’ve won every round against Carl Froch because it’s just basic math; it’s 4 to 1. It’s a simple matter of speed. And Carl won’t mind me saying that because Carl is a gentleman.”
Most predictions from the boxing world go the same way, though it does not deter Froch from his belief that he would have been the only man to stop Calzaghe.
