Former super-middleweight world champion Carl Froch has never been one to mince words, but the Cobra took it to another level this week, blasting the state of the current heavyweight division including two of its biggest stars, Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury.
The recent International Boxing Hall of Fame inductee also claimed he’d give Jake Paul a “smashing” for free, before beating him in a game of golf.
Speaking to Betfred while on celebrity Pro-Am duties at the British Masters, the 45-year-old said: “The heavyweight division is so frustrating at the minute. You’ve got Tyson Fury talking a lot of nonsense and giving it a big one. I mean, he's allowed to, he's one of the best in the world. And Anthony Joshua is frightened of his own shadow.
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“Since he lost to [Andy] Ruiz, I don't think he's been the same. He had back-to-back defeats to Oleksandr Usyk and then he came back with that win against Jermaine Franklin which was just a formality for him. [He] just jabbed and moved, and got the win. But I want to see Anthony Joshua more aggressive, like he used to be, when he was a bit more tenacious.
“They're trying to get a fight with Dillian Whyte which will set up the big tournament that’s happening in Saudi and AJ's chucked in a rematch clause. It's very frustrating because I went down BoxRec - which is the boxing bible - the top 25 ranked heavyweights and no scheduled fights. None. So that tells you the state of the heavyweight division at the minute.
“We want to see Tyson Fury against Oleksandr Usyk, want to see Anthony Joshua against Deontay Wilder, want to see the winner of them two to fight each other - but all the best heavyweights in the world at the minute, it's not happening.”
Froch was more complimentary towards Fury, although he believes the Gypsy King could be on his way out of the sport.
“I think Tyson Fury has got one eye on retirement and I think he's had enough. He's quite a big lad, he goes up, he's got quite a lot of fat around him. Everyone knows he's a bit out of shape in between fights and he gets himself down to a reasonable shape, but he really is a formidable force at heavyweight; he's tall, six foot nine, he’s big, he moves quick, he’s got light feet, he can mix with any anyone from any era I think. He’d have lasted in the 80s in the 90s against some of the best old school fighters: Lennox Lewis, Evander Holyfield, Mike Tyson, I think he’d have been alright then.
“But they're not fighting. It's frustrating and I think the boxing fans are getting bored of it. You've got mixed martial arts, which is a combat sport and they will fight each other because of the way it's structured. And in football every team plays every team, but with boxing you've got someone like Tyson Fury chatting all the odds and the fights are not happening.
“Anthony Joshua’s now not doing anything. I don't think he's interested in fighting and he's even said it himself.”
Boxing’s big boys weren’t the only targets of Froch’s ire, and the former pound-for-pound star reiterated his desire to put an end to ‘performing clown’ Jake Paul’s boxing career.
The Cobra and the YouTuber have traded insults with one another before, and Froch says that he would like to humble the Problem Child for even suggesting he’s a professional boxer.
“I’ll get in there and give him a smashing. Listen, he's not stupid. He knows he knows what he's doing. Jake Paul boxed Tommy Fury, Tyson's brother. And he got dealt with quite easily and Tommy Fury, no disrespect to him at all, he's a novice professional, he’d probably struggle to win a British title.
“Jake Paul would be absolutely smashed to bits by the Cobra. He wouldn't be able to step into my boots because it's professional boxing at the top level. He's a performing clown, he’s not a professional fighter.
“He's having a little go in the ring, fair play to him, he’s taking punches. But he’s a white collar level fighter. These crossover fighters can't mix with real professionals. It's like me trying to say that I can go on a golf course and play with a retired professional - it's going to be a mismatch. And that's what they're trying to do. They're trying to crossover. But don't call yourself a professional boxer Jake Paul, because you’re not.
“I’d fight Jake Paul for free. And then, when I've humbled him and had an apology off him for calling himself a professional fighter, admitting that I was right all along, I’d happily have a game of golf with him. Whup him twice because I don't think he can play golf.”
*18+ | BeGambleAware
