Carl Froch has singled out Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua for not taking on the biggest names in the division.
Both fighters have been subjected to criticism of late for different reasons. Fury’s failure to agree to an undisputed fight with Oleksandr Usyk has raised suggestions that he is either ducking the Ukrainian or holding out for too much money.
This was most notably seen when negotiations for a fight at Wembley in April failed, despite Usyk agreeing to a less than favorable 70-30 split against him.
After all, he was bringing three belts to the table as a unified heavyweight champion. Fury’s recent choice of opponents have not helped either.
A fight against Dillian Whyte, although competitive on paper, was one-sided as the ‘Gypsy King’ stopped him in the sixth round.
Meanwhile, a one-sided win over an aging Dereck Chisora followed after talks of a fight with Joshua failed. With that being said, Froch questioned Fury’s mentality.
“Let’s give Tyson Fury some stick. He’s talking a good one at the minute and he’s talking up all these fights, but nothing’s happening.
How serious is he about fighting Oleksandr Usyk? He’s making all the noise, but there’s nothing getting signed.
“It’s getting frustrating now, it’s getting annoying listening to Tyson Fury because we all wanna see Tyson Fury fight. And I’m not so sure how serious he is now about fighting.
“He’s gonna have to be fit for 12 rounds because if Usyk decides to stay out of range and box and not engage, just jab his stomach and jab his arms and jab his chest, then take what he can when he’s in range – that could be a 12-round disaster for Tyson Fury,” Froch
Froch’s criticism also turned towards Joshua’s recent fights. Following consecutive defeats to Usyk, the Brit opted for a new trainer in the form of Derrick James.
Their first fight was a unanimous win over Jermaine Franklin, but the manner of the performance came under fire. Joshua abandoned his explosive style in favor of working behind the jab.
Although the former unified heavyweight champion was offered the chance to fight Fury again this summer with a 60-40 offer, the Brit appears to be going in another direction.
That may be a wise move with reports that a fight with Deontay Wilder could happen in Saudi Arabia this summer. Therefore, a defeat to Fury could cost him that fight.
And yet, that has not gone down well with Froch, who urged the boxer to face the big names.
🗣️ “HIS BLUFF WAS CALLED!”@Carl_Froch spoke to @SJopinion10 on @WilliamHill Up Front, and claims that fighters stop fights happening, not promoters, citing Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk negotiations 👀
📽️ https://t.co/1SvpErOmom#BeGambleAware #UpFront #Boxing pic.twitter.com/qKwoih0ER3
— Boxing Social (@boxing_social) June 22, 2023
“All this warm-up nonsense, he wants to fight Dillian Whyte and just boxed Jermaine Franklin, it’s all nonsense.
“He needs to get back in there and fight for a world title, show us he believes in himself and means business in the sport.
“Or just retire, go away and sail off into the sunset, because he’s done well out of the game,” Froch