By Keith Lambert
Former super-middleweight legend Chris Eubank of England gives his verdict on the up-coming Carl Froch-Lucian Bute IBF super-middleweight title showdown in Nottingham, England Saturday. Eubank believes fellow countryman Froch has a strong chance to upset the unbeaten Canadian Bute.
“Froch is a fighter of unorthodox, long jabbing and unorthodox, long punching,” Eubank states. “He lengthens and strengthens his world-class jab by standing so side-on that his right shoulder is almost behind him – making it physically impossible for him to throw even a one-two! It’s astonishing,” he revealed.
Eubank then feels Froch needs to improve technically on past fights. “He needs to shorten up his left hook and sharpen up his right hand against a southpaw stance,” he said. “Roy Jones stood in Carl’s right lead stance because he had the ridiculous speed to catch a jab and counter over the top before the opponent could re-set, and it also allowed Jones to turn his body weight to his right side to get off a left hook leap out of the opponent’s vision; which mastered the brash, unbeaten James Toney. The point is it served a purpose there.
“I don’t know if the stance of Froch is of technical value, especially against a good, slick, quick southpaw operator.”
And Eubank’s opinion on Bute?
“Good, neat, conventional southpaw with a world-class left uppercut to the body. He’s the world champion with many defenses of the world title, so he is of immensely high pedigree,” the former WBO king reckons.
“But we know Froch is like liquid metal man from Terminator 2 when he goes toe-to-toe. I just hope he has done his work in sparring, and by that I mean taken enough punishment from sparring partners to the body and head to make his body immune to certain blows, because I don’t think he’s going to land too many left hooks or right hands in this fight without taking punches first.”
And a final prediction from ‘Simply the Best’….
“As a betting man, which I’m not, I’ll go with the unorthodox fighter – Froch.”
Sr himself was involved in titanic 168lb struggles with Michael Watson, Sugar Boy Malinga, Lindell Holmes, Nigel Benn, Graciano Rocchigiani, Steve Collins and Joe Calzaghe. So his opinion is certainly of value!
Got an Opinion? Submit Your Articles and Press Releases to be posted on NowBoxing.com
*Please refrain from leaving any Racist, Profane or Derogatory comments*
Discuss this topic in the NowBoxing Forums (Membership is FREE)
