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Froch plays down hospital visit

Carl Froch won the WBC super-middleweight title for a second time with a unanimous points win over Arthur Abraham in Helsinki in November © Getty Images

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Carl Froch has shrugged off requiring three hours of hospital treatment ahead of his fight with Glen Johnson, insisting the problem was "nothing serious".

The 33-year-old, who defends his WBC super-middleweight title in Atlantic City against the 67-fight veteran on Saturday, sought medical attention for a blocked eardrum sustained in training.

"I have just come out of the hospital but it was nothing serious," Froch told BBC Radio Nottingham.

"I had a bit of a blocked left eardrum from a couple of punches I took. I think a bit of wax was pushed against the eardrum so I had that cleaned out."

Despite the inconvenience of having to go to hospital with an important fight looming, Froch quickly played down the seriousness of the problem.

"I feel unblocked, clear headed and back in balance again, so other than that I feel in tip-top shape and ready for business on Saturday night," he said.

"You are never 100%. All top sportsmen carry injuries but I have not had anything really hindering me. I feel really good. It is at this stage if you struggle at the weight you start to feel a bit weak and tired, and your legs feel really drained.

"But I have done the weight really well. It is just about fine tuning and I am happy with where I am at. There was about two to three hours waiting around and they wouldn't let me go out of there [the hospital] until I filled out the forms.

"[It cost me] a couple of hundred bucks . Everything is a couple of hundred bucks out here, whether you are tipping the valet guy, croupier, concierge or going for a massage."

The Nottingham fighter is aiming to retain his crown against 42-year-old Johnson, a seasoned pro who has won 51 fights during an 18-year career. Johnson, a former light-heavyweight champion, is fighting at 168lbs for only the third time in 10 years and Froch is convinced his opponent is having trouble making the weight.

"I was given a boost to see Glen Johnson running down the beach in the heat with his tracksuit on, sweating, so he's obviously struggling with the weight and shedding some pounds," he said.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.