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'I don't think we will have another Carl Froch'

Rob McCracken says he saw something special in Carl Froch when the Nottingham boxer was an amateur © Getty Images

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Carl Froch's trainer Rob McCracken tells Inside Boxing why the WBA-IBF world super-middleweight champion - and so many of his contemporaries - can now compete at the top well into their 30s, and why he thinks he will never train another fighter like Froch...

Carl has gone on for so long because he's so dedicated and has always taken boxing seriously. I've never had a problem with him in terms of going to night clubs or drinking and stuff like that which goes with it. He's always had a settled home life even before he was fighting for titles - he has always put boxing first, and that has paid dividends. He has dedicated himself to his sport for 14 years and his great work ethic has meant he has gone on past 35.

I remember training in Las Vegas in the nineties and seeing Floyd Mayweather Jr come in and train for two hours non-stop. It's the same as with Carl and they have both been able to go on into their thirties. Carl is 37, the same age as Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao is 36 and there are others like Wladimir Klitschko (38), Juan Manuel Marquez (41), Miguel Cotto (34), Sergio Martinez (39) and, of course, Bernard Hopkins who is knocking on 50. Some of the biggest stars in boxing are over 35.

I don't think it's because the younger generation are not good enough. Human beings are living longer and are fitter at a later age; they can do things in later years that we couldn't before. A 35-year-old can do what a 26-year-old could do 20 or 30 years ago.

It's becoming more prevalent now that boxers are in their peak in their thirties. Andre Ward is 30 and he has been very successful in his late twenties so he's an exception and there have been some youngsters who have done well, but these days fighters can have longer careers and seem to peak later.

The nutrition for boxers now is different class, especially compared to my generation when we did not have a clue. There's expert advice where ever you look. Carl's nutritionist is Mark Ellison, who also works with tennis star Andy Murray and Team GB's boxing team.

They understand what boxers need so they eat healthier now and they are aware of what certain foods do for them. You just don't see them eating junk like they used to. They eat meals that are full of carbs and protein and getting enough sleep has also become very important. A lot of late night runs are not great because you can't get to sleep after them and then you wake up dehydrated so feel terrible the next day. Computers and mobile phones need to be turned off well before bedtime too. In days gone by, training late at night was what boxers did.

The boxer has to be fit enough and then able to adjust to the diet and take on the workload in training. We did not understand that even 15 years ago and that's why you have got boxers like Carl at the top of the game in their late thirties.

When I saw Carl as an amateur at the 2001 World Championships in Belfast winning the ABAs, I thought he had something about him that could make him a very good fighter in the professional game. But without his determination, lifestyle and single-minded preparation he would not have gone anywhere near what he has achieved.

He has lived a pretty tough lifestyle in order to be able to do what he has done, without the things other people take for granted. He wrote off his twenties by not going out to night clubs and drinking with his mates. Instead he was in bed by 11.

He can carry out a plan, box or fight, has a will to win and bravery that has enabled him to overcome fighters with more power and skill - they just succumb.

Carl has faced the best of his era. He has two points losses on his record and he avenged one of them against Mikkel Kessler. The other defeat on his record was to Ward but everyone loses in boxing if they fight the best - there is no shame in that. If you look at some unbeaten records of someone close to home, who I won't mention, they did not box the top fighters.

Carl has had an unbelievable career. He has come back from defeats and controversy stronger. If you look at the Kessler rematch, Carl was a clear winner and the same with the George Groves rematch. It was similar to what Mayweather did against Jose Luis Castillo in their rematch.

It's difficult to name one fight as a highlight. The knockout of Jermain Taylor,with 14 seconds left of the last round in Connecticut in 2009, was so good at the time but was not really appreciated for what it was. Taylor was fantastic at the time and the finish was incredible.

The knockout of George Groves at Wembley in May in front of 80,000, was the other highlight for me because it the ending was so pleasing and spectacular - and because of the size of the occasion.

I don't think we will have another Carl Froch; they don't come along very often because he's so determined, such a tremendous fighter and when he put his mind to something he is a force of nature.

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