Carl Froch: “I’m 50-50 now between waiting for a big fight in Las Vegas or retiring”

(transcribed by Michael Readman) When Nottingham’s Carl Froch impressively stopped George Groves in the 8th round of their highly anticipated rematch, the question most fan asked was, what is next for the 36 year old Froch?

In part 2 of my interview with Carl ‘The Cobra’ Froch, he talks about where he thinks Groves goes after getting knocked out and speaks about the possibility of taking a fight in the United States. Froch also discusses potential Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and Golovkin bouts. Additionally Carl gives his thoughts on fighting his mandatory James DeGale. Here is what Carl Froch had to say.

Jenna J: You landed a devastating shot on George Groves, what do you think that does to his career? Do you think he can rebound from that moment?

Carl Froch: George Groves is a good little fighter. He’s got many credits to his style, he can fight a bit, you’ve got to give him his credit, but lets be honest, it was a brutal knockout. How he’s gonna come back from that brutal knockout remains to be seen. He may or may not have the character or resilience to come back and ever be the same fighter again, it’s down to personality, so time will tell.

I’m not gonna predict what he’s gonna do now following that. Don’t forget he was unbeaten before he met me and he’s now lost twice, two fights back to back. The first one was a stoppage, the second one was a clear cut knockout. It remains to be seen where George Groves goes from here.

Jenna J: Carl, you gained a lot of interest when you said you wanted to fight over here and you wanna go fight in Las Vegas. Who do you want to fight?

Carl Froch: If I’m totally honest, I don’t know the answer to that question. I’m 50-50 now between waiting for a big fight in Las Vegas — somewhere I’ve never boxed, the fight capital of the world, something I’ve never done that I want to do before retire — or retiring. There are the two options, and it’s not 60-40 either way, it’s 50-50.

I will make the decision over the next five or six weeks after speaking to my brothers, my beautiful partner Rachel, spending time with my kids through the summer and then finally having a long conversation with my coach Robert McCracken and Eddie Hearn my promoter, then I’ll decide what I’m doing. At the minute I’m 50-50, don’t be surprised if I retire.

Jenna J: The fans are all talking about Carl Froch vs. Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. Two guys with granite chins facing each other. How do you think that fight would go?

Carl Froch: It’s a fight, I think I can beat anybody, but you know, I’m world champion and I’m very confident and I’ve improved so much since the super six tournament and I’m on the crest of a wave at the minute, so I feel I would beat Chavez Jr. I think Chavez Jr. is a formidable fighter, he’s a great fighter with a great record.

I just feel that the fans and the television broadcasters would get one hell of a treat if that fight happens. It’s not about trying to say that I’ll beat him and I’ll knock him out and talking any sort of trash because I’ve got a lot of respect for Chavez Jr, I think he’s a great fighter. I just think that it would be either of us fighters to win or lose, it’s down to the work we put in before the fight, who wins that fight because we’re both great fighters, we’re both proven at top level.

If that fight does happen, that would be the one that I’d want to take in Vegas rather than anybody else out there. There are another couple of names being bandied around at the minute. Mikkel Kessler wants the deciding match, I’ve boxed him twice and it’s 1-1, but that wouldn’t be a fight that would happen on the Vegas strip. Its not a fight Americans would be interested because it’s two Europeans. For me it’s probably Chavez Jr. in Las Vegas or nobody, that’s how it is.

Jenna J: Carl, Chavez Jr. has a date set for a potential opponent for September fourteenth. Would you be able to make that date seeing as you fought so recently?

Carl Froch: I didn’t realize he was fighting in September. I certainly wouldn’t be ready for September, I’ve got a busy schedule now for a couple of months. The earliest I’d probably be ready would be November or December. That would probably rule out a fight with Chavez Jr. before Christmas then with me. I don’t know if we would fight to be honest.

Jenna J: The other name that they are bouncing around is Gennady Golovkin. Would you consider that fight or is it really just Chavez Jr?

Carl Froch: That fight would have to be considered. I mean you can’t out-rule it, another great fighter but he’s a middleweight and I don’t think he’s boxed at super middleweight yet and I’m not sure whether or not the attention would be as big.

Chavez is very big in the States, especially with the Mexican fans because of himself and his father before him — he boxed at the top, top level and he’s a legend, Chavez Sr. I think it’s a bigger fight than Golovkin, but certainly Golovkin has got to be taken very seriously and it’s a fight I would consider, definitely.

Jenna J: The last fighter I’ll mention to you is James DeGale. Do you see that as more of a domestic match up or do you consider that a big name opponent for yourself that you would consider?

Carl Froch: That’s not a fight that would go to Vegas, so it’s not a fight that would happen. It’s never gonna be as big as the last fight with Groves because that fight was in Wembley Stadium, the national stadium. If I was to box DeGale, it would do well, it would probably sell a 20,000 seater in an arena somewhere.

James DeGale has not earned his stripes yet, he’s not fought anybody to prove he can go in the ring with me, and lets not forget, he lost to ‘Saint’ George Groves, I’ve beat him twice and wiped the floor with him the last fight. James DeGale has got to earn his stripes before he can expect to get in the ring with me. That fight’s not gonna happen, it’s just not big enough.