FROCH THREATENS TO QUIT SUPER SIX

Story from BBC SPORT:
boxing/8644660.stm
2010/04/26 14:05:18 GMT

Carl Froch has threatened to quit the Super Six tournament, if
promoters go back on what he says is an agreement to hold his next
fight in Britain.

Sauerland Events, which promotes Froch and his next opponent Arthur
Abraham, said it may stage the fight in Europe.

But Froch, 32, who lost his WBC super-middleweight title to Mikkel
Kessler on Saturday, retorted: "I won’t be fighting in Germany,
simple as that.

"It would mean me pulling out of the tournament if they forced me
to fight."

Froch, 32, felt he was the victim of a biased decision against Kessler
as, fighting in Dane Kessler’s home country, he lost a seemingly close
encounter by unanimous decision, with the judges scoring it 117-111,
115-113 and 116-112.

Son-of-a-beach With a win and a loss from his two tournament outings,
Froch will face German-Armenian Abraham in his final group stage
fight needing a victory to ensure his progress to the semi-finals.

The Nottingham boxer claims to have a long-standing agreement that the
fight would be held in Britain and said he is ready to take drastic
action if it is scheduled for elsewhere.

"It has already been agreed that I would fight at home, fight away and
fight back at home. It has been agreed with Ken Hershman at Showtime
[Super Six organisers]," said Froch, who won his first fight in the
tournament against American Andre Dirrell in Nottingham in October.

"So my fight with Abraham is in England or the fight is not happening
and will make a mockery of the tournament. It’s as simple as that."

However, German promoter Wilfried Sauerland insisted that any agreement
was merely for the fight to take place in Europe.

"Contrary to what Mick Hennessy [Froch’s English promoter] stated
after the fight on Saturday, there is no agreement – neither written
nor verbal – about the fight venue," said Sauerland.

"The tournament contracts imply that the Abraham-Froch fight should
take place on European territory or wherever it makes the most
commercial sense for everyone involved.

"I would prefer it to be on neutral territory."

For Froch, the tournament still represents his best opportunity to
reclaim his WBC title and a win over Abraham would put him back in
the frame. With WBA super-middleweight champion Andre Ward also in
the competition, three consecutive victories would in all probability
see Froch emerge with two belts.

"As the Super Six World Boxing Classic rolls on and gets more
interesting, a win against Abraham puts me in the semi-final and then
there is the final," said Froch.

"I can still be undisputed champion in my next three fights, let’s
not forget that. This fight is going to make me stronger, better and
more determined."