Carl Froch reveals fears over Saudi takeover of boxing amid AJ and Tyson Fury fights and why it may change sport forever
CARL FROCH has admitted he fears for the future of boxing amid Saudi Arabia’s takeover of the sport.
Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder will appear on the same card in Riyadh on December 23 as they face Otto Wallin and Joseph Parker.
The two bouts top an incredible night of action that also includes British heavyweight Daniel Dubois, WBA light-heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol and IBF cruiserweight king Jai Opetaia.
Then on February 17, Riyadh will play host to Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk as they fight to become the first undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis in 1999.
But the lucrative money swirling around the Middle East is something Froch, 46, has warned against as he raised concerns with regards to its impact on the wider boxing landscape.
Speaking to AceOdds, he said: “For the sport itself, is that where it’s going? Is that like the pinnacle now?
“Are we going to try and become an area champion, a British champion, a world champion and then once you’re a world champion, is the aim to be then good enough or big enough to then get this Saudi money?
“Because that’s the cream now, that’s the golden goose, isn’t it? That’s the golden ticket, if you like.
“But it’s only happening for a small amount of fighters. You’ve got Tyson Fury, you’ve got Anthony Joshua, and then you’re kind of running out of names.
“I know Deontay Wilder is fighting Joseph Parker, but you’ve got a handful of people that are able to cash in and benefit.
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You’ve got greedy promoters that will say, we’re doing it for the fans, which is bulls**t. That’s bulls**t.
“How many fans can afford to buy a ticket, jump on a plane and go out to Saudi Arabia? And you can’t even have a pint of Guinness and watch the fight, right? Who wants to do it? And how many people can afford to do it? Nobody.
“You’re not doing it for the fans. You’re doing it for your f**king bank balance. You’re doing it for the money. Let’s just be real. Let’s be straight. It’s an obscene amount of money. We’re all human beings.
“We all want the money. So I can understand, but don’t try and tell us you’re doing it for the fans.”
Froch then point blank called out Saudi’s moves in the sport, citing the inability to get a Joshua-Wilder fight made as one of the negative developments.
He added: “Is it good for boxing? I don’t know if it is good for boxing. It’s probably not because it’s stopping the big fights from happening.
“Anthony Joshua should be fighting Deontay Wilder, but instead they’re now giving us Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder on the same card, fighting in fights that they’re pretty much guaranteed to win.”
Former super-middleweight champion Froch went on to discuss Fury-Usyk, insisting he does believe the bout will take place despite it being pushed back from December to February.
However, he also feels it is disappointing that British fight fans are set to miss out on going to the historic clash.
He said: “The fight will probably happen because, like I say, money controls everything, doesn’t it?
“Let’s be honest. In the Western world, cash is king. If the money’s there, if it makes money, it makes sense.
The fans lose out because it’s not at the Wembley Stadium or it’s not at the O2 Arena.
“We can’t go and physically watch the undisputed unified heavyweight championship of the world. We can’t watch that fight.
“Or you can if you want to get on a plane and go to Saudi. And not many people from Britain do that to be honest.”