Carl Froch’s name is once again being linked with a shock return to the ring, and this time Misfits Boxing promoter Kalle Sauerland believes the pieces could fall into place for a clash with Darren Till.
Froch, now 48, has been happily retired since his famous 2014 knockout of George Groves at Wembley Stadium in front of 80,000 fans.
That fight remains one of the defining nights in modern British boxing history, and Froch has often reminded fans of the moment during his second career as an outspoken pundit.
But despite being out of the sport for more than a decade, the former super-middleweight champion has suddenly found himself in the crosshairs of Till, the ex-UFC star who has reinvented himself as one of the faces of the Misfits crossover boxing scene.
Carl Froch retired from boxing after beating George Groves at Wembley in 2014
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Till, 32, made headlines in Manchester on Saturday night by stopping 40-year-old former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold in brutal fashion.
The Liverpudlian then grabbed the microphone and launched into a foul-mouthed tirade, calling Froch a “s***house” and demanding he step into the ring.
Froch, sitting ringside, appeared unmoved by the verbal barrage, but his calm demeanour did little to dampen speculation.
Sauerland, who promoted many of Froch’s biggest nights including his two bouts with Mikkel Kessler and the Groves rematch at Wembley, admitted that conversations have already taken place.
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“We’ve had a chat, yeah,” Sauerland told reporters afterwards.
“I’ve made a lot of fights with Carl Froch over the years, Kessler, Abraham, Groves. I think we can get it done, but we’ll see.”
The German promoter was careful not to overstate matters, clarifying that no official offer has been tabled yet.
But his belief that Froch is “clearly interested” by simply showing up to the Misfits card has added fuel to the fire.
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British boxing legend Darren Till was called out by Carl Froch on Saturday night
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“Look, he’s been out the ring a while, so he would’ve looked at tonight and it’s a question of has his fists got itchy?" Sauerland added.
"Darren talks the talk, Carl talks the talk. Now it’s a question of whether Carl fancies it.
"He doesn’t need to financially. He doesn’t need to for any other reason. Only Carl can answer that.”
Froch himself gave a typically blunt response on his YouTube channel.
While dismissing Till’s abilities as “absolutely f***ing useless” compared to a professional boxer, he did admit the prospect of “easy money” could tempt him.
“Realistically, probably not,” he said when asked if the fight made sense.
“I retired 11 years ago, I was nearly 37 and I’d just rendered George Groves unconscious at Wembley - I don’t mention it much!
"After that, I was offered a lot of money to fight Chavez Jr, Golovkin, but the desire was gone. And when the desire’s gone, you don’t step back in because it’s the hurt game.”
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| PAYet Froch left the door ajar, acknowledging that financial motivation could lure him back.
“I’m thinking to myself, hang on a minute, they’re giving away easy money with these fights," he continued.
"Even at 48, retired 11 years, it would be a mismatch. The only question is, is there any cash in it? Maybe.”
For now, the fight remains just talk. However, how the situation unfolds remains to be seen.