Carl Froch is a proud man who has always backed himself in any situation, but he has made a rare admission that one man did put him down in sparring.
Froch was a decorated super middleweight during his accomplished career, known for his granite chin and all-action style. He held multiple world championships in the division, including the WBC twice between 2008 and 2011, the IBF strap for three years from 2012, as well as the WBA crown from 2013 to 2015.
His most famous nights included a last-second knockout over American Jermain Taylor despite being down on the cards and put down himself earlier in the fight, and two fights with George Groves.
In the first fight with Groves, he was caught early and dropped hard but recovered to force a controversial stoppage in the late rounds, then dispatched Groves with the most conclusive right hand of his career in what was his last fight back in 2014.
While in conversation with heavyweight Dave Allen on his Froch on Fighting podcast, ‘The Cobra’ revealed that a fellow British fighter did have him down on the canvas, though he has previously admitted Robin Reid hit him the hardest.
“Tony Bellew clipped me. I was off balance, I went down. I got straight up, though. I was on one knee. He knocked me over, I was all right though – carried on the spar. Don’t get hurt do I?”
Bellew was a light heavyweight who went up to win a world title at cruiserweight, challenged Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed crown but lost, though he ended his career with a pair of victories over an ageing David Haye at heavyweight.
