• Super-middleweight

'Froch will retire if Chavez fight falls through'

Carl Froch has not fought since knockout out George Groves at Wembley in May © Getty Images

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Carl Froch's trainer Rob McCracken expects the WBA-IBF world super-middleweight champion to retire if a clash with American Julio Cesar Chavez Jr can not be made in Las Vegas next year.

Froch's promoter Eddie Hearn is in Vegas this week for talks with Chavez's various representatives over delivering the fight the Nottingham boxer wants more than any other.

But former world middleweight champion Chavez, 28, is in a contractual dispute that is delaying and endangering the fight with Froch from happening.

Super Froch

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

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McCracken thinks it is more likely that Froch, 37, will retire after fighting Chavez and hang up the gloves even if it does not get made rather than facing James DeGale or George Groves, whom he knocked out in a rematch last May, in 2015.

"Fighters have to have the desire to fight and have the training camp, go through all the tough preparation," McCracken told ESPN.

"That's what Carl has to decide and if he wants to fight on now.

"They are talking to Julio Cesar Chavez Jr about fighting in Las Vegas, and that is a possibility. We are talking about it now, so we will see if it can happen.

"At the very most he will box twice more. He could fight Chavez and then do the winner of Groves-James DeGale if they fight in the summer.

"But if I was a betting man I would say one more and if it doesn't happen, he will retire.

"Carl will make the decision. Can Carl beat Chavez in Las Vegas? Without a doubt, because he's a super fighter. He can win it. Does Carl want to do it? That's the main question. Would Carl want to fight the winner of DeGale-Groves II? It depends how he feels and if they do end up fighting next year."

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