Robin Reid is well placed to predict what might have happened were Joe Calzaghe and Carl Froch to fight, having shared the ring with both men.
Reid is a former British super-middleweight champion who also won a bronze medal at the 1992 Olympics. He faced Calzaghe in 1999, losing a split decision which Froch has long said he deserved to win.
Reid then took on ‘The Cobra’ in 2007 but had to retire hurt. He eventually hung up his gloves due to persistent injuries in 2021, with a record of 51 fights and 42 wins.
‘The Pride of Wales’ Calzaghe famously retired undefeated after 46 fights and world title belts across both the super-middleweight and light-heavyweight divisions. He scored major wins over Chris Eubank, Jeff Lacy, Mikkel Kessler, Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones Jr and is one of the best fighters of his generation.
Froch, meanwhile, held multiple super-middleweight world titles, including the WBC, IBF and WBA belts and his career was defined by high-stakes, brutal battles against the best of his era, with wins over Jean Pascal, Jermain Taylor, Lucian Bute, Mikkel Kessler and George Groves.
Although their careers briefly overlapped, the two never fought, which has led to endless discussions about who would have come out on top had they met in their rooms.
Reid, having shared the ring with both legends, offered his own verdict to talkSPORT Boxing.
“It is a tough one. Like you say, if I had to bet on it, and this ain’t no disrespect to the fighter I have to name now, because I love you both guys, I’d go for Carl Froch.
“He’s a hard man. Nice guy, I love Carl Froch, but hard man. You watch how he fights, he’s like a robot when he throws hooks, he’s like robotic. When he punches, his head’s in the air, but what he does, he does brilliantly. Great chin, great puncher, tall, rangey.”
Over the years, both men have had their fair share of backers when it comes to this fantasy fight, which is what makes it such an intriguing prospect.
