Interview: Carl Froch reveals the hardest puncher he shared the ring with and it’s Joe Calzaghe’s former opponent

Carl Froch spoke exclusively to Action Network and revealed the hardest puncher has been in the ring with, and it’s a former opponent of rival Joe Calzaghe.

I = Interviewer
CF = Carl Froch

I: Who was the hardest puncher you shared the ring with?

CF: There’s one guy who hit me clean and Robin Reid, who was past his best, hit me with an overhand right and I was like ‘what the f*** hit me’, and luckily the bell went, and I walked to my corner, and I managed to recover in the minute (rest). But Robin Reid hit me with a big clumping overhand right in round three or four of the fight. Let’s not forget that Robin Reid was unlucky against Joe Calzaghe, he was a good solid world champion and should’ve got the nod in that fight, but it was a split-decision. He had Calzaghe badly hurt with a lot of shots.

I’ve been hit with right handers from Glen Johnson, an old man who was 40-odd at the time, and it was a punch he had knocked out Roy Jones Jr and Antonio Tarver with. He hit me with that right hand later in the fight and my jaw hasn’t been right since, it still hurts when I chew on that side of the jaw.

Mikkel Kessler hit me with some good right hands in both fights. I can’t get anyone specifically credit for hitting me the hardest, but they were some of the hardest punches I have been hit with from some top-level fighters. Lucian Bute timed me with that backhand left cross from the southpaw position. George Groves could bang hard, he put me down in the first round of the first fight. At world level they hit f****** hard but when you’re the Cobra and have a granite chin, it doesn’t f****** matter. 

Roberto Villa

Roberto Villa is the CEO, Founder, Executive Writer, Senior Editor of FightBook MMA. Has a passion for Combat Sports and also a podcast host for Sitting Ringside. He’s also a former MMA fighter and Kickboxer.