Carl Froch insists he has no plans on making a comeback despite claiming that he would "annihilate" anyone in the super-middleweight division.
The retired former world champion was full of praise for Tony Bellew's WBC cruiserweight title triumph at Goodison Park last month when he became the 13th current world champion to hail from the British Isles.
But the 38-year-old could not resist giving his opinion on one particular champion who currently holds the IBF super-middleweight title - a belt Froch held for two years before his retirement in 2014.
Speaking at a partypoker campaign where he is teaching four celebs, including former motorcycle racing champion Carl Fogarty and footballer Adebayo Akinfenwa, his top tips and tricks of poker, Froch told Press Association Sport: "I feel proud of boxing. To have so many world champions is really good and it's great for British boxing.
"The sport of boxing is about timing and at the minute the timing is right. We've got some great champions like Lee Selby who's a great little fighter, James DeGale is world champion but I think at the minute is the super-middleweight division is poor.
"James DeGale, let's be honest, I'd walk through him in five or six rounds. When he sits on the ropes, I'd absolutely smash his ribs to bits and knock him over.
"As much as I think I can beat DeGale and annihilate anyone in the division, I wouldn't fight him now because I've got nothing left to prove. I'm 40 years old next year and I've been out of the ring for two years. Why would I give someone like DeGale a chance to beat me while I'm past my best and tarnish my legacy, for pound notes, it's not worth it."
Froch also revealed that he did offer pound-for-pound star Gennady Golovkin a fight at a catchweight last year but admits that the combination of making the 168-pound limit and health concerns have derailed any chances of the Nottingham man coming out of retirement.
"I offered Gennady Golovkin a fight at 172 but he didn't fancy it because I'm too big and strong for him and I can't make super-middleweight," he said.
"I'm sat here at 13 stone 8 oz, so to make the super-middleweight limit I would have to chop my arm off or run a marathon and not eat for months. If I did box again, it would be at 172, at a catchweight. (Sergey) Kovalev could happen but I would rather play my poker.
"You don't get hit in the face. Boxing is a hurt game, it's not like football where you lose 5-0 or tennis where you lose in three sets, in boxing you go home on a stretcher. And when you've got three young kids at home waiting to see their dad, you've got to put it into perspective. It's risk-reward for me."
The rejuvenated heavyweight scene could see the likes of Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua and David Haye pitted against one another but Froch, who believes Joshua "has the ability to become undisputed champion", feels those future match-ups can wait.
"I'm not taking anything away from Joshua, but he needs more experience and I would say another steady defence and then his mandatory," Froch said.
"So that allows him to get more seasoned before fighting the likes of Fury and Haye who will give him trouble at the minute. I believe he beats everyone now but he's still inexperienced at the top, top level. Joshua has the ability to be undisputed champion and remain champion for many years.
"The smart thing to do is to keep letting him have the fights he's having before you step him up. Having said that, the fans will grow to get sick of it. He's pay-per-view and people want their value for money and they will demand better fights.
"As for the rematch between Fury and (Wladimir) Klitschko, I think it will be the same result in a fight that wouldn't be that entertaining. I don't think he (Klitschko) will do what he needs to do which is throw more punches, back Fury up, get him on the ropes and throw the right hand.
"I think he only threw the right hand six times in the whole fight. I don't think he (Klitschko) should be fighting now. But it's boxing so he might shock us all."
::partypoker ambassador, Carl Froch is part of partypokers 'Big Bluff' Challenge. Get involved at partypoker.com/BigBluff.
Source: PA
