Carl Froch says he would beat Canelo and Crawford but lose to another 168 legend

Carl Froch is praised as one of the best British fighters of all time, but when ‘The Cobra’ was quizzed on which fellow super-middleweights he could have beaten, there was one former world champion that he feared would be ‘too fast for him’.

In a stacked 168lb era, Froch overcame the likes of Jean Pascal, Mikkel Kessler and George Groves; famed for his guts and grit as much as his boxing skill, as he became a three-time world champion. 

Since Froch’s retirement, Canelo Alvarez has assumed control of the super-middleweight scene and has become the division’s first undisputed champion, but the Mexican superstar lost the belts to Terence Crawford last September and is now on a mission to reclaim them.

On his YouTube channel, in a game of winner stays on, Froch declared his belief that he would have beaten both Canelo and Crawford, as well as each of Nigel Benn, James Toney and Bernard Hopkins.

Prime @Carl_Froch vs Super-Middleweight LEGENDS: WINNER STAYS ON 🥊 #boxing pic.twitter.com/CHV5nZk80b

— Froch On Fighting Clips (@frochonfighting) August 17, 2026

However, when asked about a potential showdown with a prime Roy Jones Jr – one of just two fighters to have captured a world title at both middleweight and heavyweight – Froch was happy to admit that ‘Captain Hook’ would have been ‘too fast’ for him.

“The Cobra is getting done here! Roy Jones beats The Cobra. Too fast, too skilful. I might not even lay a glove on him.” 

Jones Jr retired as a four-division world champion with a record of 66-10 (47 KOs), having spent a number of years as the consensus pound-for-pound number one fighter on the planet.