On This Day: Carl Froch vs Jermain Taylor
16 years ago, on April 25, 2009, Carl Froch etched his name into boxing history with a Rocky-esque comeback victory over Jermain Taylor in Connecticut.
‘The Cobra’ was trailing 106-102 on two of the judges’ scorecards heading into the decisive 12th round. Taylor looked certain to walk away with the WBC super-middleweight championship—until Froch launched a final barrage, scoring a dramatic stoppage with just fourteen seconds to go. It was a finish straight out of a Hollywood script.
For only the second time in his career, Froch was fighting in the United States. The 24-0 Brit was coming off a unanimous decision win over Jean Pascal in Nottingham.
Taylor, meanwhile, was also fresh off a victory in a title eliminator over Jeff Lacy, following two defeats to Kelly Pavlik. With a 28-2-1 record on fight night, ‘Bad Intentions’ had previously become the undisputed middleweight champion in 2005.
The American dropped Froch in the third round. It was the first time the Brit had ever been floored in his career. After surviving the knockdown, the bout became a gruelling war of attrition, with Taylor edging the exchanges. As the betting favourite, he looked composed and continued to pile up the rounds. It seemed like a foregone conclusion that the Nottingham hero was about to lose his title away from home.
Under the guidance of famed trainer Rob McCracken, Froch kept his focus. As Taylor began to fade, Froch still needed something spectacular. All Taylor had to do was survive the 12th round to win.
Suddenly, the fight flipped on its head.
A huge right hand from Froch stunned Taylor, and ‘The Cobra’ smelled blood. Taylor, desperately trying to hang on, clung to Froch with all his remaining strength—but it wasn’t enough.
A savage barrage from Froch dropped Taylor. Although he managed to rise, he was clearly hurt. Froch unleashed another flurry, and with Taylor trapped against the ropes, referee Mike Ortega stepped in to stop the fight—with just fourteen seconds remaining.
It was the very definition of a Hollywood ending.
“What I did in the 12th, that was unbelievable,” Froch said afterwards. There was no animosity between the fighters. “I showed a little composure. I got up and knocked him out in round 12. What more do you want? Coming into the last round, I was hoping my intuition was right and Jermain was tiring from dealing with my pressure. I came out here to make a statement on American soil, and I believe I made it.”
Taylor would later win the IBF middleweight title in his final victory against Sam Soliman. He went on to win five of his last six fights before retiring in 2014.
In a glistening career that featured 24 knockouts, none were as dramatic as Froch’s comeback win over Taylor, snatching victory from the jaws of defeat, 16 years ago today.
