Carl Froch has named one man who he believes would have defeated Andre Ward, but only if their hypothetical showdown took place outside of America.
‘The Cobra’ suffered his second professional defeat when he faced Ward in 2011, losing a unanimous decision after failing to solve the awkward style of his opponent.
This style proved similarly effective against the likes of Chad Dawson and Mikkel Kessler, with ‘S.O.G.’ eventually becoming a two-weight world champion at 175lbs.
Against Sergey Kovalev though, many believe the American was handed a gift decision in 2016, before ultimately scoring an eighth-round stoppage in their rematch the following year.
As a result, Ward left the sport with a record of 32-0 and, in turn, joined the likes of Joe Calzaghe, Floyd Mayweather and Rocky Marciano as a world champion who retired undefeated.
One man who Froch believes could have trumped the masterful technician, however, is Calzaghe, who still holds the super-middleweight record (21) for most consecutive world title defences.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Froch suggested the Welshman could have outworked Ward – but only with the luxury of a home advantage.
“I’d absolutely love to have seen Andre Ward fight Calzaghe. I’d like to see Calzaghe beat Ward, and I think Calzaghe could beat Ward.
“Through gritted teeth, I’m going to pick Calzaghe, and that’s only because I actually think Calzaghe could beat Ward with his work rate. But it would have to be in the UK. No good in America with Steve Smoger refereeing.”
Referee Smoger was the third man for Ward’s triumphs over Froch and Dawson, receiving some criticism for allowing Ward to tie his opponents up on the inside.
