Fear factor will help Crolla scare Linares
CARL FROCH can remember his heart pounding out of his chest as he thinks about how Anthony Crolla may be feeling ahead of his rematch with Jorge Linares on Saturday.
Nottingham legend Froch may have been resting up on the eve of his 31st professional fight and already a three-time world champion, but the nerves had kicked in.
Not usually one to get anxious the day before a bout, he felt it was strange but this was uncharted territory for him – a rematch against a foe who had beaten him.
Froch was preparing to defend his WBA and IBF super-middleweight titles against Mikkel Kessler, whom he had lost to three years earlier.
The Cobra would have too much for Kessler in their second clash as he avenged his 2010 defeat, but it was still a hard fight.
Now Crolla looks for revenge against the skilful Linares at his home city’s Manchester Arena this Saturday after the Venezuelan relieved him of the WBA lightweight belt in September. Crolla has been here before, having faced Derry Mathews again after a knockout defeat and then Darleys Perez to win the WBA belt after a controversial draw in their first meeting.
But this is going up against a man who had an obvious edge in their first meeting, much as Kessler did against Froch when they first met.
“I was nervous,” said Froch. “Usually I sleep really well the day before a fight but I was nervous and my heart was racing.
“I was lying in bed thinking about the first fight, how I hit him with my best shots and he stood there looking at me. I knew the rematch was going to be tough.
“I remember the heart pounding inside my chest and feeling nervous. You carry those nerves into the day and until the first bell goes and you start exchanging punches, it doesn’t go away. Crolla should use that to spur him on – that’s what I did. That fear factor gives you that extra percentage.”
Crolla, who was never expected to win a world title but has enjoyed a late flourish to his career, knows he needs to reach new heights if he is to inflict a fourth career defeat on Linares.
“He’s not going to outbox him,” said Froch. “He needs to put it on him and rough him up. If it was me, I’d be putting a head in.
“You can be close to the edge of the rules and let the referee do his job. Crolla has to get on his front foot, back up Linares and get rough. He needs to draw him into a dogfight.
“Linares will happily oblige him, so make him work earlier and hope he will tire. If you’re a better athlete than someone and have the better tactics, then you can outwork them.”
Froch will be at ringside working as a TV analyst, as he has been for most of the big nights since he hung up the gloves following his 2013 win over George Groves at Wembley Stadium.
He can get the feel for those big occasions and breathe in the atmosphere, but he does not miss being the one bringing the entertainment.
He is happy to fill his time with TV work and helping out on building sites, developing some of the properties EXPRESS SPORT has teamed up with partypoker to give you the chance to win a pair of tickets to watch Anthony Crolla’s rematch with Jorge Linares. You and a friend can be at the Manchester Arena on Saturday to watch ringside as the British lightweight seeks revenge for his loss in September to the slick Venezuelan. Carl Froch, left, will also be ringside as one of the commentators and to be in with a he owns. Playing poker also helps him replace the competitiveness and thrill of a fight that so many boxers struggle with after retirement.
So even if his former promoter Eddie Hearn puts big money on the table for a fight against someone such as Gennady Golovkin, the answer would be no.
“The last couple of fights I didn’t really enjoy training camp,” said Froch. “My body was hurting. All these little aches and pains when you get to 36 and 37.
“You wake up and think, ‘Bloody hell, what’s going on? Did I fall off a bike?’ I knew I was ready to retire. On top of all the physical issues, the desire had gone too.
“Poker is something I genuinely enjoy and gives me the fix that I miss from boxing. When I’m sitting around a poker table, you get the adrenaline and the nerves that you get before a big fight.
“I’ve had nearly three years out. I might be a lot of things but I’m not stupid. You can maybe go back to football or tennis but if you go back to boxing and it goes wrong, you need paramedics.
“I retired a champion and I will live the rest of my life as a champion. My legacy is intact.”
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