Former super-middleweight champion, Carl Froch, was recently inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame, cementing his place amongst the greatest Brits to ever lace up the gloves.
Froch became a three-time champion during a run of twelve consecutive title fights in the 168lbs division before retiring in 2014.
During that time, ‘The Cobra’ overcame the likes of Mikkel Kessler, Jermain Taylor, Andre Dirrell and George Groves in what was one of the super-middleweight division’s most stacked eras.
But, excluding himself, who does Froch see as the frontrunners for the title of best British boxer of all-time?
In an interview with talk SPORT, he highlighted the two men he believes to be the United Kingdom’s standout performers, with the inclusion of one of his biggest rivalries that never made it inside the ropes.
“It’s between Lennox Lewis and Joe Calzaghe, between them two and it’s [down to] what you like.”
One man not listed was former featherweight champion, ‘Prince’ Naseem Hamed, but Froch explained how one performance from the Yorkshireman has ‘tainted’ his legacy.
“[Naseem Hamed] was probably one of the most exciting fighters, but it’s [his legacy] tainted with the [Marco Antonio] Barrera loss.”
“That was a bad example of Naseem Hamed against Barrera, I think that a prime Nas, when he is on the ball, beats him. But you can’t say that he does because Barrera was such a good fighter and he had all of them big fights.”
It is unlikely that there will ever be a clear stand-out best British boxer of all-time. It remains a hotly-contested subject in the country, with some fans sure to argue that Tyson Fury could be on the verge.
Many believe that until he fights both Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk, ‘The Gypsy King’s place is on hold.