NEW YORK (March 31,
2009) – Undefeated Carl Froch, a household
name in his native England, looks to enhance his reputation in
America when he defends his World Boxing Council (WBC) super
middleweight title against Jermain Taylor, a
former undisputed middleweight champ and one of the most
highly regarded and recognizable fighters of this generation,
in a world championship fight on Saturday, April 25, live
on SHOWTIME (9 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the west coast).
Froch (24-0, 19 KOs), of Nottingham,
England, will be making the first defense of the vacant
168-pound crown he gained in his last outing with a unanimous
12-round decision over Jean Pascal on Dec.6 2008.
Taylor (28-2-1, 17 KOs), of Little Rock,
Ark., has had a prolific pro career since winning a bronze
medal for the United States in the 2000 Olympic Games and is
the only boxer to twice defeat future Hall of Famer Bernard
Hopkins. When he out pointed Hopkins the first time, Taylor
became 160-pound world champion in the WBC, World Boxing
Association (WBA), International Boxing Federation (IBF) and
World Boxing Organization (WBO).
Both fighters took part in a
teleconference call with media members on Tuesday. Highlights
from the call follow:
Mick Hennessy:
“I believe this to be a genuine super
fight. It’s one of the very best fights in world boxing right
now. (We have) two fighters a similar age at the absolute peak
of their powers. I would like to congratulate both fighters
because, in these days, there are a lot of major fights being
avoided and both of these fighters have stepped up to the
fight.
“I genuinely believe that Carl is the
best super middleweight on the planet. I think he’s going to
prove that on April 25. One thing Carl brings to the table is
he is never, ever in a dull fight. He brings the heat and is
relentless.
“I believe Jermain is going to feel heat
like he’s never felt before. We’re not coming to America to
make up the numbers. We’re coming for Carl to launch himself
in a big way and you’re going to see something very special on
April 25.”
Lou DiBella:
“I want to thank SHOWTIME. I think Ken
Hershman championed the fight and it’s happening because he
understood the significance of this fight and how important it
was for Jermain to have another shot at a world title. Carl
Froch is a worthy champion who has already proven that he can
be exciting in the ring. He’s going to try and come over and
make sure that everybody in the world knows how to pronounce
his name (It’s pronounced Fro-CH, not Fro-CK).”
Carl Froch:
“For me it’s not a big deal coming to
America. I boxed in America once before. Traveling for me is
not a problem. Obviously, to come and establish myself in the
States, this is what I need to do. I need to come to America
and showcase my talents on SHOWTIME. That’s the reason I’m
coming over here. I want to establish myself on American soil.
That’s what this fight is for. I’ll be coming over there and
defending my title in style.”
Jermain Taylor:
“I’m looking forward to the fight. I’m
just ready to fight.”
Carl on the keys to the fight:
“The key to winning this fight is for me
to establish myself early on and let Jermain know that I’m
there. I don’t want to take a step backward so it looks like
it will be an exciting fight. It really does. But I’ll still
do my thing landing the big, heavy shots and I think the usual
thing will happen and my opponent will start to fade and fall
apart in front of my very eyes. Then I’ll start to showcase my
skills even more.”
Jermain on concerns about
moving from 160-168?
“I’m not worried about his strength.
He’s a strong fighter, so what? I’ll just go in there and box
the hell out of him.”
Lou DiBella:
“Jermain Taylor wanted to win the WBC
168-pound title. Carl had it and SHOWTIME loves the fight and
was willing to make it one of their premier fights of the
year. “
Froch on if Taylor is his
toughest opponent:
“You could say that Jermain Taylor is
the biggest fighter I’m going to box until this point. But,
how would you define a great fighter? Jean Pascal was 26 years
old, hungry and unbeaten. He was a hungry, young talented
fighter coming to put it all on the line. He didn’t know what
it was like to lose. I’d say that was a big fight for me for
the title and a fight that I won convincingly in an exciting
match up.
“It’s easy to say that I haven’t fought
anybody. But that’s what boxing is about. Like Mick said
earlier, we’ve got two fighters here who are both putting it
all on the line. We’re both of a similar age. We’re both on
the top of our careers. We’re both fit and hungry. He wants my
belt? I don’t want him to take my belt. It’s going to be a
fabulous fight. I’ve been in 24 fights, I’m unbeaten, I
haven’t been in any trouble. I’m coming to this fight
confident that I’m taking my belt home with me. No problems.”
Taylor on Froch’s level of
confidence:
“I don’t worry about it. With the
opponents he’s fought, of course he’s going to be confident.
He doesn’t know how to lose yet and I’m going to teach him.”
Froch concerned that he is
the underdog?
“I am surprised because for my whole
career I’ve always been a massive favorite. I’ve never been an
underdog. Odds don’t mean anything as far as I’m concerned
because I’m not a gambling man. But, I’m not surprised. The
American media doesn’t necessarily know who Carl Froch is in
terms of big-time boxing. This is why I’m going over there
with my title to defend against such a top name as Jermain
Taylor. Until I do that, then the odds probably won’t be
stacked in my favor. I don’t mind being the underdog.”
Froch on if it will be a
tough fight:
“There’s no such thing as an easy fight.
I’ve been with awkward opponents….I’ve had my fair share of
difficult fights. But, honestly, I’ve never been in a hard
fight. What I mean is, I’ve never been in a fight where I
didn’t feel that I was in control, I wasn’t dominating and
didn’t think I was going to win.”
Froch on if he thought Taylor
was trying to duck him:
“He’s good fighter. He’s obviously a
confident man and he means business. He’s got what they call
‘Bad Intentions.’ He had absolutely no intentions of coming to
England and fighting the Cobra, that’s for sure. You can take
what you want from that, but I take it as he didn’t fancy to
fight. I’m not going to say he didn’t want to fight because he
signed up for the fight.”
Taylor on why he took the
fight:
“It’s all about being a champion. All
these other fights mean nothing until you get these belts
back. As far as me going over there…Going over there? For
what? I mean who is he? I didn’t even know who he was until
now. So I wasn’t going over there. He needs to come over
here.”
Froch on his style:
“My style is very rangy, very fast. I’m
powerful. I can box out of range and not get hit. I can fight
in close and I’m a puncher with the best of them. Styles make
fights, well I adapt to my opponents. It’s hard to describe my
style except for it’s a winning style. Whatever Jermain Taylor
brings, I will be reacting in a positive way for me to win.”
Taylor on Froch’s style:
“He’s rangy. He moves and fights with a
lot of strength. I don’t think he’s fast though. He tries to
get you on a break. I think he’s too slow. The guy doesn’t
know how to lose. So someone has to teach him how to lose. I
have to break him down.”
Froch on if the fight will be
easy:
“I feel like I will make the fight as
easy as I can. I know what to do to give myself an easy night.
If Plan A isn’t working then I’ll but Plan B together and it
will be destructive, trust me.”
Taylor on impressing the fans:
“I just know that hard work pays off.
Those few fights I lost, I not only let myself down, I let my
fans down; I let my hometown down. I just want to get these
belts back and all of it will be erased. Now, I have a chance
to do that and I’m going to take it. I’m Arkansas Razorback
until the day I die. I have another chance to come back and be
champion. It’s amazing. That’s what I love about boxing
because I’m never out of it. Everything I’ve done in the past
will be erased. I’m not worried about anything.”
Froch on the problems Jermain
presents for him:
“I’m struggling to find major problems.
I will say he’s very experienced against top level
(opposition). He hasn’t been dominant at the world level. He’s
had a couple of split decisions, he’s had a draw. I’m not
worried. I’m really not. I’m just looking forward to going out
there and doing what I do best. The fitness is there. The
strength is there. I just know that I need to come there and
put my work together.”
Taylor on Froch’s comment:
“He’s a cocky fighter and I love that
because I plan on bringing all that down. He doesn’t know what
he’s getting himself into and I’m going to teach him.”
Froch when asked if he could
knock Taylor out:
“I’m the bigger, stronger man. Jermain
Taylor has not stopped anybody for four years. But don’t get
me wrong, he’s a good fighter. He thinks he’s fast, but I
don’t know what he thinks his speed is going to do to me. I’ve
fought fast fighters.
“I’m not giving him any disrespect or
trying to be cheeky. I’m in no way cocky. I’m quite a very
level headed man. I’m just very confident and believe in
myself.
“Fact of the matter is, he’s fought most
of his career at middleweight and I’m a big, strong super
middleweight. And that can very well be the deciding factor.
When I start connecting with the right hand on the jaw section
there will probably be some damage done.”
Taylor on Froch’s size:
“I’m not worried about his power at all.
As far as him never being on the floor before, there’s a first
time for everything. He gets hit a lot. His defense is his
head. He stands right there.”
Taylor on how serious he is
taking on Froch:
“At the end of the day, he’s still
champion. It doesn’t matter who knows him or who doesn’t. At
the end of the day, he’s still got the belt. So, of course,
I’m taking it seriously. I haven’t trained this hard in a long
time. Those fights he was looking at me getting tired. You
know what? Those are the past. Here it is. I got a chance to
get those belts back and I’m going to take it. This is the
best fight that you’re going to see me fight in my life.
“If he’s bigger, so what? It doesn’t
mean anything as long as I’m boxing and moving.”
Taylor on what he respects
about Froch:
“I just respect the fact that he has the
belts. I think he’s way too cocky and he doesn’t know how to
lose. He has to learn how to lose.”
DiBella on why Taylor is
taking on Froch:
“When has Jermain Taylor ever fought an
easy fighter? I think Jermain has always reached out for a
challenge and always wanted to fight someone who meant
something to him. He wasn’t familiar with Carl’s name, but I
think Jermain agrees with what Carl said earlier in that he
views the WBC belt as the biggest prize and that he wanted to
get that belt back. That’s why this fight is happening.”
Closing Comments:
