Former world champions Carl Froch and Joe Calzaghe are two of the best super middleweights of the modern era.
The British fighters never came to blows in the squared circle, which means years later there is still plenty of debate about who might have come out on top.
Calzaghe famously hung up the gloves unbeaten after 46 fights that saw him reign as champion for a decade before moving up to claim a belt in the light heavyweight division ahead of his retirement.
Froch was a unified champion who ended his career with two legendary bouts against George Groves in 2013 and 2014, taking boxing in the UK to an all-new level.
Both men had tough fights with one other former world champion of the division in Demark’s Mikkel Kessler. Calzaghe fought him first in 2007 and won by unanimous decision, handing the Dane his first loss.
Kessler built back with three wins before losing to Andre Ward in 2009. He then beat Froch on points in 2010, but lost the rematch in 2013, which sent him into retirement.
Speaking to The Ring Magazine for their Best I Faced feature, Kessler named ‘The Cobra’ as the hardest hitter he faced across his whole career.
“Ward, he didn’t really hit hard. Froch hit hard. Joe didn’t hit hard. If I had to choose someone, I choose Froch. He is a hard puncher when he hits you with a punch but he’s slow.”
From his 46 bouts, Calzaghe ended 32 inside the distance – just shy of a 70% KO to win ratio. Froch boasts 24 from 33, close to 73%.
‘The Cobra’ has recently questioned Calzaghe’s unbeaten record while Calzaghe has admitted he wished the two had squared off in the ring before he walked away from the sport.