By Kurt Ward

Enzo Calzaghe, father and trainer to retired undefeated world champion Joe, appeared on the Boxing Asylum podcast this week to discuss a recent remark made by unified Super Middleweight world champion Carl Froch after his thrilling victory over Mikkel Kessler.

 

“The recognition has been a long time coming, but I'm getting the recognition I deserve now,” Froch told BBC Sport.  “In Great Britain, I'm number one.  It's between me and Lennox Lewis, depending on how far you are going back.”

 

Enzo, unsurprisingly, didn’t hold back.  “Carl Froch has never turned me on,” he said.  “Never has.  He is not a special fighter.  “What he does, it works for him, but he cannot drop his hands like he does.  He’s tough, I give that to him.  That’s the reality of it.

 

“If I was training him I would make a lot of adjustments.  He isn’t naturally gifted.  To belong to that class (Britain’s best) is completely insulting to the likes of Chris Eubank and a lot of others.  An absolute insult.  Who is he kidding?  He boxed an absolute spent out Kessler, over four years older than when he boxed Joe.  This is not to glorify Joe whatsoever.  The public do that for Joe.  Froch glorifies himself.”

 

Enzo then responded to rumours of a potential fight between Froch and the legendary Bernard Hopkins, who Joe beat in 2008.

“How come he (Froch) is looking for him (Hopkins)?  Why?  He’s nearly 50 years old.  What’s wrong with Cleverly?  What’s wrong with Groves?  It’s an insult to boxing.  He’s obviously doing it for the money.  Not because he’s so good, it’s just a money thing.”

 

And how would he see a potential fight with Froch and the fighter he once trained, Nathan Cleverly?

 

“This guy (Cleverly) is a class act.  Froch would not be able to cope with the work-rate of Nathan, and Nathan, make no mistake, has got a fantastic chin himself.  The punches in bunches, Froch will not be able to cope with that system.  I would say Nathan could do a good job on him.”