NEW YORK - “First, it would have been one of the highlights of my career to be in the ring with a champion who has proven himself like Joe Calzaghe!

“The best always want to fight the best, and I wanted to fight Joe. As a fellow champion and warrior, I know the price we have to pay in the ring. Joe retired healthy, wealthy and with a Hall of Fame career. Although I am disappointed that we won’t face each other, I applaud his decision to leave on his own terms, and wish Joe the best of luck.

“As for Carl Froch, he is no Ray Leonard, and certainly no Joe Calzaghe, and can’t be mentioned in the same breath as those two great champions.Carl Froch never earned the right to be on the same canvas as Joe Calzaghe! Other than in his hometown, a bare few know the name Carl Froch, and how to spell it or pronounce it.”