Filed under: Boxing
In a sport driven by ticket and pay-per-view sales, Carl Froch could have done a lot worse than signing a five-fight deal with Barry Hearn's Matchroom Sport as the Nottingham man sets his sights on raising his profile.The 33-year-old Froch left old promoter Mick Hennessy last month and was set to self-promote his next two fights in the Super Six World Boxing Series, but the Nottingham man has made a good choice in joining Matchroom, who have recently rejuvenated the boxing side of their company.
Froch, despite being the current WBC super-middleweight champion, has suffered with a lack of media coverage in the UK with most of his fights on the fringe pay-per-view channel Primetime. Eager to get back on mainstream TV, Froch's move to Matchroom, who already have solid links with Sky, will no doubt ensure their new man's upcoming fights will be broadcast on the channel.
And that will give more fans the chance to enjoy the delights of Froch in action and earn him the deserved plaudits he desperately craves.
The Nottingham boxer has been in some classic bouts, his latest win over Arthur Abraham was a tactical masterclass, and even in defeat against Mikkel Kessler last year, Froch fought bravely in one of the fights of 2010.
And now the 33-year-old can't wait to team-up with the Hearn father and son team of Barry and Eddie, who have added yet another big name to their stable after signing Darren Barker and Kell Brook in recent months.
"I'm so excited to be working with Matchroom. When you are fighting at your peak it's about raising your profile and securing TV time and that's where I am," explained Froch.
"When you sit down with Barry and Eddie, you can tell they have the power and the resources to maximise your potential so I'm really excited about the rest of my career.
"The thing that stood out was their straight-talking approach and obviously their great reputation not just in boxing but in sport.
"Eddie brings big things to the table and is able to promote me in a way that will get me the exposure that I deserve and crave - I've fulfilled my end of the bargain, I leave everything in the ring when I fight."
Eddie, who has taken the mantle on the boxing side of things in the company since his father grew tired of the sport and insisted on focusing on snooker and darts, has become a big name on the scene over the past year.
Having negotiated Audley Harrison's world title fight against David Haye and helped Paul McCloskey get his shot at Amir Khan, the younger Hearn has proved he can get his boxers the big names.
And now after signing Barker and Brook, he has made the biggest coup yet by bringing Froch on board the Matchroom boat which is sailing into the big time.
On the fringes of boxing promotion for a while, Matchroom's innovative Prizefighter series injected new life into the game and now they're building a world class stable of fighters.
"We have had tremendous interest from a number of fighters looking to join the Matchroom and I'm delighted with the team we have put together. We won't rest until we get them what they deserve," claimed Hearn.
"It is an absolute honour to be representing Carl. When you look at what he has achieved in this sport, he already has to go down as one of the greatest fighters Britain has ever produced and it's time he starting getting the exposure he deserves.
"We are going to raise his profile through the roof in the UK and after the Super Six he will come home to the welcome he so deserves."
After the Super Six, the 33-year-old Froch wants a big homecoming show at the City Ground - the home of his beloved football team Nottingham Forest.
The WBC super-middleweight champion still has to defend his crown against Glen Johnson in the semi-finals of the Super Six on June 4 and if victorious, a potential bout with Andre Ward in the final will have to be sorted before he will fight on these shores again.
But while talk of facing Joe Calzaghe on his homecoming is foolish, given that the Welshman is quite content in retirement, Froch is now definitely on course to get his chance to really show what he's worth to his home fans.
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