SHOWTIME Super Six World Boxing Classic Semifinal Press Conference: Carl Froch Vs. Glen Johnson

WBC Super Middleweight Champion Carl “The Cobra” Froch and former World Champion Glen “The Road Warrior” Johnson and their respective camps held their final press conference Wednesday at the Edison Ballroom in New York City to discuss their Super Six World Boxing Classic Semifinal at the Adrian Phillips Ballroom at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City on Saturday, June 4 and televised LIVE on SHOWTIME at 9 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the west coast).

Both fighters were respectful to each other, but they are predicting radically different outcomes of Saturday’s highly anticipated fight.

Froch feels he will dominate every round, while Johnson and his team feel that Froch is in way over his head with a lighter, faster Glen Johnson.

The following are quote highlights made by all the speakers on Wednesday:

Glen Johnson

“We had a great training camp. Everything went well. We went through a lot of stuff we wanted to go through and we came out very successful.

“I have to thank SHOWTIME for considering me for the Super Six. When they heard the name Glen Johnson they could have said, ‘He’s an old guy and it might not go over very popularly,’ but they took a chance on me and I want to say thanks so much. I’m going to go out there and do everything to make you proud and not regret that decision.

“You have to respect a man who can go out there and become a two-time world champ. Every man does it their own way and he found a way. I give him respect.

At the end of the day, it’s a fight. I’m not about lip service or talk. That’s not what I do. I’m about boxing. I will wait for Saturday to finish the rest of the conversation.”

Carl Froch:

“Glen Johnson’s trainer is delusional. He’s not only not going to win the fight; he’s not going to win a round. I’m too young and fresh. From round one to 12, I will dominate.

“I’m WBC champ and everybody talks about my one loss, against Mikkel Kessler, and 80 percent of the people don’t acknowledge it was a loss. The fight could have gone either way.

“That’s all behind me now I’ve redeemed myself. I’m the first man to out-box and outclass the top KO specialist Arthur Abraham. Nobody had ever put a beating on him.

“I’m getting tired of hearing about how many big fights I’m fighting in a row. That’s why I’m here. I don’t want to fight bums.”

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FROCH NOTCHES EMPHATIC VICTORY IN FIRST U.S. TITLE DEFENSE;WILL RETURN TO ENGLAND UNDEFEATED AND STILL WORLD CHAMPION;GREEN FLOORS DE LEON, JR.

MASHANTUCKET, Conn.– Carl Froch (25-0, 20 KOs) remained undefeated Saturday evening after a stellar comeback performance that had a near sell-out crowd of 3,726 on their feet when he knocked out former undisputed middleweight Jermain Taylor (28-3-1, 17 KOs) to retain the World Boxing Council (WBC) super middleweight world title on SHOWTIME®.

"The Cobra" survived the first knockdown of his career and ended his biggest fight to date in emphatic fashion to retain his WBC 168-pound strap.


In the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING co-feature scheduled for 10-rounds, Allan Green (28-1, 20 KOs) impressed the crowd with his astonishing power after when he knocked down Carlos De Leon, Jr. (21-3-2, 14 KOs) three times in the second round before scoring a fourth and night-ending knock down.

In the second round, a vicious left hook was the beginning of the end for De Leon. In all, four knockdowns forced the referee to stop the fight.

The evening of fights, presented DiBella Entertainment and Hennessy Sports, emanated from MGM Grand Theater at MGM Grand at Foxwoods in Mashantucket, Conn.

Froch, of Nottingham, England, had something to prove Saturday night, not only to the American audience, but to the naysayers who hadn’t given him credit as a world class champion. Taylor, of Little Rock, Ark., wanted to show the boxing world that he still had the heart, the skills and composition of the champion he once was.

With both coming out strong, Taylor outshined Froch and sent him to the canvas with a hellacious overhand right in the third round; the first time Froch has ever been down in his career. Froch recovered and was able to find his rhythm as he pressed the action in the middle rounds.

At the start of the 12th and final round, Froch felt that he needed a knockout to win the fight. And that is just what he got. Froch dropped Taylor using his solid jabs and strong right hand and, while Taylor was able to recover, he never fully regained his legs. At 2:46 of the 12th round after sustaining a flurry of monstrous punches, referee Michael Ortega stepped in and held a defenseless Taylor.

After the fight Froch said, “My trainer (Rob McCracken) told me I needed a big round in the 12th. He was right. You saw it, everybody saw it. I’m the champ.”

Regarding the stoppage, Froch said, “You could see he was badly hurt and not defending himself. He was not even looking at me at the end. It was a great decision by the referee. I had to make a statement on American soil and I did just that.”

Taylor respectfully called for a rematch after the fight when he said, “I want a rematch. He came over here and he really is a warrior. I know he’s got a good heart. I put 110% in the gym but he stayed with it and worked it.”

Asked whether he agreed with the stoppage Taylor replied, “He thought it was time to stop it so he stopped it. My hat is off to the ref.”

Green, of Tulsa, Okla., established his jab and firm right hand as soon as the fight began. After continuing to beat and overpower him, Green set up a lead right in the second round followed by a large left hook that sent De Leon to the canvas for the first of four knock downs in the round. Never truly recovered, De Leon continued to take a beating until the referee halted the fight at 1:06 of the second round.

After the fight Green said “I was here to make a statement. I was here to serve notice to Jermain Taylor and Carl Froch. I mean no disrespect but I want the winner of this fight. Lucian Bute is sitting here. I want these guys.”

Referring to the left hook that proved to be the beginning of the end for De Leon, Green said, “I kept coming with my right. I knew once he got brave I would come over with the left. I was able to set it up and finish. No one can handle this power. It looks like I hit him with the Hammer of Thore.”

See you at the Fights.
Thanks for your time.

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