Carl Froch facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Carl Froch
Froch in 2010
Statistics
Real name	Carl Martin Froch
Nickname(s)	The Cobra
Rated at	Super-middleweight
Height	6 ft 1 in
Reach	75 in
Nationality	British
Born	(1977-07-02) 2 July 1977 (age 48) Nottingham, England
Stance	Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights	35
Wins	33
Wins by KO	24
Losses	2
Medal record Men's amateur boxing Representing  England English National Championships Gold 1999 Barnsley Middleweight Gold 2001 Barnsley Middleweight World Championships Bronze Belfast 2001 Middleweight

Carl Martin Froch (born 2 July 1977) is a British former professional boxer. He competed from 2002 to 2014. After retiring, he became a boxing expert and commentator.

Carl Froch held many world championship titles in the super-middleweight boxing division. These included the World Boxing Council (WBC) title twice, the International Boxing Federation (IBF) title, and the World Boxing Association (WBA) title. He also won British and Commonwealth super-middleweight titles. As an amateur boxer, he won a bronze medal at the 2001 World Amateur Boxing Championships and two national titles.

In 2012, Carl Froch was named "Fighter of the Year" by BoxRec, a boxing record website. The UK edition of GQ magazine also voted him "Sportsman of the Year" in 2013. He was considered one of the best boxers in the world. In 2023, he was added to the International Boxing Hall of Fame, which is a very special honor for boxers.

Early Life and Dreams

Carl Martin Froch was born in Colwick, Nottingham, England, in 1977. His parents were Carol and Frank Froch. Carl's family background includes Polish and English roots.

When he was younger, Carl Froch really wanted to be a footballer. He dreamed of playing for his local team, Nottingham Forest. He even said he would have loved to have a boxing match at their football stadium. Carl is still a big fan of the club. He sometimes trained at their practice ground before his big fights.

Amateur Boxing Career

Carl Froch started his boxing journey at the Phoenix ABC club in Gedling, Nottingham. As an amateur, he showed great promise. He won two ABA middleweight titles. These wins happened in 1999 and 2001.

He also earned a bronze medal at the 2001 World Amateur Boxing Championships. This was a big achievement before he became a professional boxer. Carl had his first professional fight in March 2002.

Professional Boxing Journey

Carl Froch was trained by Robert McCracken throughout his entire professional career. He was first managed by Mick Hennessy until 2011. After that, Eddie Hearn took over as his manager and promoter.

Starting Out as a Pro

Froch began his professional boxing career at 24 years old in March 2002. His first fight was in London against Michael Pinnock. Carl won this fight by a technical knockout in the fourth round.

He fought four more times that year. He won all of these matches. Three of his wins were by knockout in the first round. The other win was by a points decision.

In 2003, Froch continued his winning streak. He won his first fight in his hometown of Nottingham. By November 2003, Carl Froch had won all nine of his professional fights. Seven of these wins were by knockout.

Later in 2003, Froch fought Alan Page for the vacant English super-middleweight title. Froch won the fight in the seventh round. The referee stopped the match after Froch landed strong punches.

Becoming a British and Commonwealth Champion

In 2004, Carl Froch won two more important titles. He became the Commonwealth and British super-middleweight champion. He won these by defeating Charles Adamu and Damon Hague.

He successfully defended these titles multiple times. He beat boxers like Matthew Barney, Brian Magee, and Tony Dodson. He also defended his Commonwealth belt against Ruben Groenewald and Dale Westerman.

In 2007, he defeated the Russian boxer Sergey Tatevosyan. Later that year, he stopped the experienced former world champion Robin Reid in a fight.

Winning the WBC Super-Middleweight Title

Froch vs. Pascal: A Tough Fight

On 6 December 2008, Carl Froch faced Canadian boxer Jean Pascal. They were fighting for the vacant WBC super-middleweight title. Froch won the fight by a unanimous decision after twelve tough rounds. Both boxers showed incredible strength and kept fighting hard.

It was later shared that Froch had a perforated eardrum and a cracked rib before the fight. His promoter offered him a chance to pull out, but Froch bravely refused. Carl Froch and Jean Pascal later became friends.

Froch vs. Taylor: A Dramatic Comeback

Froch with the WBC title, 2009

On 25 April 2009, Froch defended his WBC title against Jermain Taylor. This fight took place in Connecticut, USA. Froch was knocked down in the third round, which was the first time this had happened in his entire career.

Going into the final round, Froch was behind on the judges' scorecards. But he managed to stop Taylor with only 14 seconds left in the twelfth round. This amazing comeback allowed him to keep his WBC title. After this victory, Froch challenged other top boxers.

The Super Six World Boxing Classic Tournament

In July 2009, Carl Froch agreed to join the Super Six World Boxing Classic. This was a special super-middleweight tournament. The winner would claim the WBA and WBC super-middleweight titles. Six top boxers, including Froch, competed in this event.

Froch vs. Dirrell: A Close Win

Froch's first opponent in the Super Six tournament was Andre Dirrell. The fight happened in Nottingham on 17 October. Froch won the fight and kept his WBC title. It was a split decision victory, meaning the judges were not in full agreement. Two judges scored it for Froch, and one for Dirrell.

Froch vs. Kessler: First Professional Loss

Froch's next fight was against Mikkel Kessler. This match was for Froch's WBC title. It was a very close fight held in Kessler's home country of Denmark. Kessler won the fight by a unanimous decision, giving Froch his first professional defeat.

Some people thought the scoring was controversial. Froch later said he believed he would have won if the fight had been in Nottingham. This fight was considered one of the best fights of 2010.

Froch vs. Abraham: Regaining the Title

Froch then faced Arthur Abraham in Finland. Mikkel Kessler had to leave the tournament due to an eye injury. This meant the Froch-Abraham fight was for the vacant WBC super-middleweight title. Both boxers had lost their previous fights in the tournament.

Froch won back the WBC super-middleweight title. He won by a unanimous decision, with the judges scoring the fight heavily in his favor.

Froch vs. Johnson: Semi-Final Victory

After beating Abraham, Froch moved to the semi-final stage of the tournament. His opponent was Glen Johnson. The fight took place in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on 4 June 2011. Froch won the fight by a majority decision, keeping his title.

Froch vs. Ward: The Tournament Final

Carl Froch reached the final of the Super Six tournament. He fought against the undefeated WBA super-middleweight champion, Andre Ward. The winner would also get the vacant Ring magazine super-middleweight title.

Ward outboxed Froch in the early rounds. He used his jab well to control the fight. Ward won the fight by a unanimous decision. This meant Ward won the tournament and the Ring magazine title.

Becoming IBF Super-Middleweight Champion

Froch vs. Bute: A Hometown Triumph

The IBF boxing organization made Carl Froch the top challenger for Lucian Bute's title. The fight was called "No Easy Way Out." It happened on 26 May 2012, in Froch's hometown of Nottingham.

Many people thought Froch was the underdog, meaning they expected him to lose. However, Froch completely dominated Bute. He won by a TKO (technical knockout) in the fifth round. This victory made Carl Froch a world champion for the third time.

Froch vs. Mack: Title Defense

After winning the IBF title from Bute, Froch successfully defended it. He defeated Yusaf Mack by knockout. At the end of 2012, the British website BoxRec named Carl Froch the "Fighter of the Year."

Unifying WBA and WBC Super-Middleweight Titles

Froch vs. Kessler II: A Rematch Victory

On 26 May 2013, Froch had a rematch with Mikkel Kessler. Their first fight in 2010 was very close. This time, the fight was in London, England. Froch won the rematch by a unanimous decision. He kept his IBF title and also won Kessler's WBA (Regular) title.

Froch vs. Groves: A Controversial First Fight

The IBF ordered Carl Froch to fight George Groves. This fight took place on 23 November in Manchester. Froch's WBA and IBF titles were on the line. Groves knocked Froch down in the first round, which was only the second time Froch had been knocked down.

Froch won the fight by a TKO in the ninth round. However, many people felt the referee stopped the fight too early. Groves was ahead on the judges' scorecards before the stoppage. This controversial ending led to many calls for a rematch.

Froch vs. Groves II: The Big Rematch

On 13 February 2014, it was announced that Froch v Groves II would happen. The fight took place on 31 May 2014, at Wembley Stadium in London. Froch said he took the rematch because it was what the "British public want to see."

Tickets for the fight sold incredibly fast. 60,000 tickets were sold in less than an hour. An extra 20,000 tickets were then made available. This made it the biggest boxing match attendance in Britain since the Second World War.

The rematch was more cautious at first. Both boxers tried to outbox each other. Froch was stronger in the earlier rounds. In the eighth round, Froch pinned Groves against the ropes. He then delivered a powerful right-hand punch that knocked Groves out. This knockout was later named "Knockout of the Year" for 2014 by The Ring magazine.

Fighting Style

Carl Froch was known for his unique fighting style. He used a long jab to keep opponents at a distance. He would then follow up with a strong right punch. He often threw these punches from hip height.

While he didn't always use traditional defensive moves, Froch was famous for his amazing toughness and ability to take punches. He was also very careful about his fitness. He kept detailed records of all his training camps from 2002 until he retired in 2013. He used these notes to check his performance and decide when it was time to stop boxing.

Personal Life

Carl Froch is married to Rachael Froch. They got married in May 2019. They have a son and two daughters together. Carl Froch has also publicly shared his belief in a flat Earth on several occasions.

Professional boxing record

See also

In Spanish: Carl Froch para niños