Froch win could propel him into the big time, says trainer

Published on Saturday 25 April 2009 19:52

TRAINER Robert McCracken believes WBC super-middleweight champion Carl Froch can make the move into boxing's elite with victory over Jermain Taylor on Friday. Froch (24-0, 19 KOs) faces former undisputed world middleweight champion Taylor (28-2-1, 17 KOs) at the MGM Grand Theatre in Ledyard in Connecticut in his first defence since winning the vacant title by out-pointing Jean Pascal in an unanimous decision in his hometown of Nottingham last November.

Froch weighed in one pound heavier than the American challenger, the Englishman tipping the scales at 167 pounds, comfortably inside the 168-pound limit. Taylor, who lost his middleweight crown in a shock stoppage by Kelly Pavlik in September 2007, tipped the scales at 166 pounds.

"This will raise Carl's profile over here," McCracken said. "He's already a big name in Britain and this will put him in the highest echelons of boxing. If he wins he'll be a massive name."

McCracken admitted the decision to fight in the US for only the second time in the 31-year-old's professional career was a necessity to launch the boxer into the big time.

"It's not ideal but the economics aren't great in the world and the alternative would have been a couple of defences dragged out over the year and no one would have been really bothered," he said.

"So this is one fight and you're in the big time, it's that simple. Carl was confident and he wanted to make the move and I'm confident in him as well."

McCracken, a former Commonwealth middleweight champion and world title challenger, believes Froch is facing an opponent of the highest order in Taylor.

"He'll give Carl a good challenge," he said. "He's that top-level fighter with his couple of wins over (Bernard] Hopkins and a couple of other good wins over former world champions. He's a big name over here and he's a formidable opponent for a British fighter.

"But I think in Carl Froch we've got someone who is the real deal and that's why we came over and this win will open all the doors for Carl on to the world stage."

Taylor, meanwhile, admitted he was in uncharted waters in his 32nd fight, having lost his middleweight crown to Kelly Pavlik in 2007 and been defeated in their rematch at 164 pounds five months later. "This is different, this is a comeback fight," he said. "I'm coming off those two losses against Pavlik and I want my belts back."