Carl Froch is being tempted by a farewell fight as dangerous as it would be financially massive.
Gennady Golovkin, the Kazakh KO king, is willing to step up from middleweight to take on Britain’s two-time world super-middleweight champion in what could be another Wembley Stadium extravaganza.
Froch, who will be a commentator on Sky Sports' broadcast of his fellow countryman James DeGale’s IBF super-middleweight title duel with Andre Dirrell in Boston on Saturday night, has announced he will only box again if a match can be made which excites his interest.
But he also says: ‘If I fight Golovkin I will back him up, take what he’s got and beat him up.’
Now he is being offered that opportunity, in what would be a momentous climax to his outstanding career.
Froch's promoter Eddie Hearn has confirmed that the fight is now being discussed by all parties.
He says: ‘I’ve now spoken with Carl directly about this and he is interested. I only want him to take it if he’s genuinely motivated because it is a high-risk fight.
‘But it would be massive and we can fill Wembley again. Given Carl’s interest, we have already opened negotiations with Golovkin’s people and they are very keen.’
Golovkin, the world middleweight champion widely regarded as the heir apparent to Floyd Mayweather as the greatest pound-for-pound fighter on earth, boasts an unbeaten record of his own which stands at 33-0.
His 30th knock-out victory, achieved with a sixth round stoppage of Willie Monroe last Saturday, gives him the highest KO percentage in the history of the classic middleweight division.
So wary of Golovkin are the other leading middleweights that he is willing to go up in weight to find the marquee fight he craves.
His promoter, Tom Loeffler, tells Boxing Scene: ‘We’ve told Froch’s promoter Eddie Hearn that Gennady will go to 168lbs to fight Carl in what would be a tremendous fight. But it is not clear whether Carl will retire or fight again.’
Initially Hearn was urging Froch to resist the temptation: ‘Golovkin is the most feared fighter in the world now and Carl doesn’t need this fight. But he says he is intrigued by how he would deal with him. He’s crazy that way.’
Froch, now 37, has not fought since knocking out George Groves in front of an 80,000 crowd at Wembley almost a year ago and is close to hanging up the gloves.
But Golovkin offers a huge pay-day and the prospect of a spectacular finale to his career.
Froch has already confirmed that he is not interest in fighting Saturday night’s winner in Boston be it DeGale or Dirrell, who he outpointed in Nottingham.
Though he does say that he expects DeGale to win and hopes that he ‘does a number on Dirrell who keeps claiming that he was robbed in our fight even though all he did was run and hold.’
DeGale promises to oblige, saying: ‘This is my time now. I’m faster, tougher and better than Dirrell and ready to take him out.’
Article Courtesy of UK Daily Mail