Froch the Optimist picks himself up off the floor to score an historic last round victory
Last updated 26/04/2009 14:39:13
Froch the Optimist wins
Carl Froch established himself as one of the last great optimists when he literally picked himself up off the floor to beat all the odds in retaining his WBC super-middleweight crown by stopping the outstanding Jermain Taylor in his own backyard.
The Nottingham boxer was so unfancied that not one of the top sports television channels could be bothered to find the money to show his fight and those of us who like the unassuming style of this courageous fighter had to wake up in the early hours of Sunday morning to listen to the commentary on Radio Five Live from Mashantucket, Connecticut.
Some listeners did not last the pace as Froch trailed so far behind his talented two fisted rival they did not hear the sensational end when Froch produced the sort of finish only he could have believed in to stop Taylor with just 14 seconds left on the clock.
It was one of the great comebacks in world boxing and had Taylor been able to throw a punch or take another couple of steps forward he would have been given the fight with two of the three judges having his four points ahead on their cards.
Froch with only 25 fights under his world title belt was often shown up by Taylor's sudden bursts at the beginning and ends of the rounds, designed to catch the judges' eyes. With a third round knock down he was massively odds on to take the title. It was the first time Froch had even been put on the canvas and it is to his eternal credit and optimism that he did not allow it to affect him.