Carl Froch has outlined a series of heavy sparring sessions with Tony Bellew in which the Nottingham man thought he would chin the cruiserweight.
Despite a massive weight differential, Froch and Bellew used to train together, with the Liverpudlian credited as the only ever sparring partner to drop ‘The Cobra.’
Discussing what happened on his ‘Froch on Fighting Podcast,’ the ex-super-middleweight ruler explained his desire to smash Bellew as they traded blows.
Carl Froch
“Me and Tony Bellew used to spar. We used to have some heavy spar,” explained Froch. “He’s the only person to put me over in sparring.
“I don’t know if I’ve mentioned that before. I think it’s in my book. I’m not bothered. He put me down on the floor. You know, he caught me with a right hand, sweet on the chin, as I backed him up, thinking I would chin him.
“He timed me and caught me with a right hand. He could punch Tony Bellew. And I got off the floor and said, ‘My knee went there, a bit funny.’ I’d had knee surgery before. Said my knee went wobbling when it didn’t.
“I tried to get him back, and I hit him hard. He felt my power. We used to have some spars, heavy spars.
“I can remember one day Rob McCracken shut the blinds because people used to look through the glass.
“All the amateurs would be out of the gym, and it would be Rob McCracken, Tony Belle,w and one or two of his trainers.
“At the end of it, we’d sit down on the edge of the ring, and I’d say, ‘You’re a f—ing a—hole, you are,” and he’d say, ‘You are too.'”
Froch and Bellew have since become Sky Sports regulars as Matchroom Boxing show pundits. They aren’t afraid to disagree on several subjects.
Always vocal with their opinions, Froch and Bellew are two of the most candid analysts from the UK boxing community.
