Andre Ward opens door for Carl Froch rematch in UK – but not Nottingham
The American super-middleweight Andre Ward has opened the door to a UK-based rematch with Carl Froch but is unwilling to travel to his rival’s home city of Nottingham.
The WBA has ordered a second meeting between its regular world champion, Froch, and Ward, who holds its “Super World” title. The 31-year-old Californian turned in a typically masterful display of slick defence and astute attack to outpoint Froch in their December 2011 meeting for the WBC and WBA crowns in Atlantic City.
Ward has only added two subsequent victories to his perfect 27-fight record due to a combination of fitness and contractual issues, while Froch has been inactive since he knocked out George Groves at Wembley last May – an elbow injury scuppering a proposed Las Vegas headline slot against Julio César Chávez Jr.
Froch’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, concedes his man will hang up his gloves unless a high-profile bout against Ward, Chávez or the destructive middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin can be agreed. Ward would appear to be a willing dance partner but has designs on squaring off with Froch at Wembley rather than Nottingham Forest’s City Ground.
“The UK is one thing, Nottingham is something different,” Ward told Sky Sports. “Now he’s saying: ‘Well, I came to America, now you need to come to Nottingham.’ The thing is this: Atlantic City is thousands of miles away from my home. That’s a road fight, a six-hour plane ride for me. I’m not willing to come to Nottingham, I don’t think I should have to, but Wembley Stadium? The UK as a whole, I would love to come.”
Speaking after the other jewel in his Matchroom stable, the welterweight Kell Brook, demolished the mandatory challenger Jo Jo Dan to defend his IBF title in Sheffield at the weekend, Hearn acknowledged reluctance from Ward and his representatives Roc Nation Sports – owned by hip-hop mogul Jay-Z – to give Froch the hometown showdown he craves.
“Roc Nation said ‘we could come to the UK but we’re not really keen on coming to Nottingham’,” he said. “I said that we want it in Nottingham because Carl wants absolutely every advantage possible to fight Andre Ward. If he’s going to fight Andre Ward, now’s the time to do it – he’s been out for two years. I think he [Froch] will fight again in September but if it’s not the right fight and it’s not for the right deal he definitely won’t fight again.”