HOBOKEN, N.J. – Challenger Yusaf Mack broke training camp yesterday in his hometown of Philadelphia and departed for England to fight International Boxing Federation (IBF) super middleweight champion Carl “The Cobra” Froch (29-2, 21 KOs), headlining Saturday night’s (Nov. 17) “True Brit” pay-per-view event (in the U.S.), live from Froch’s hometown in Nottingham, England.
IBF No.5-ranked Mack (31-4, 17 KOs) has been fighting as a light heavyweight for the past five years. He lost his lone world title shot to IBF 175-pound champion Tavoris Cloud by eighth-round technical knockout in 2006.
“I feel good,” Mack said last week from the famed Shuler Gym in Philly. “Training camp has been going real good with sparring partners like Steve Cunningham. I just want to prove I’m a world champion. I’ve been there before and fell short. I will reach my goal this time to be world champion.
“Froch is a good fighter but he’s never fought anybody like me. Once Froch feels my power, he’ll respect me. He won’t be rushing in fighting a bigger, stronger guy like me. I’m going to out-slick him like (Andre) Ward did. He’s got more to prove than me. He’s fighting for his whole country. I have nothing to prove; he has to beat me.”
World-rated light heavyweight Tony Bellew (18-1, 12 KOs) takes on South American champion Roberto Bolonti (30-1, 19 KOs) in the 12-round co-feature for the vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) Silver Championship, which is also an official WBC eliminator to become champion “Bad” Chad Dawson’s mandatory challenger.
Bellew, rated No. 10 by The Ring Magazine, has lost only once as a professional, last year in his only World title challenge fight to undefeated WBO champion Nathan Cleverly in a hotly-contested 12-round majority decision.
Bolonti, who is rated No. 5 by the WBC, as well as No. 10 by the World Boxing Association (WBA) and IBF, is shooting for his 27th consecutive victory, fighting for the first time outside of his native Buenos Aires, Argentina.
The PPV card, pending time restrictions, will also showcase some of Britain’s top, young fighters, including bantamweight prospect Khalid “Kal” Yafai (3-0, 2 KOs), a 2008 Great Britain Olympian, vs. Pro Antonio Nettunio (7-5), lightweight Scott “Scotty” Cardle (5-0, 1 KO) vs. Joe Elfidh (7-2), former European middleweight champion Kerry Hope (17-4, 1 KO) in a six-round tune-up vs. Nobert Szekeres, lightweight Martin J. Ward (2-0) vs. Dan Carr, middleweight Ryan “Tank” Aston (7-1, 3 KOs) vs. Tyan Booth (11-6-1, 2 KOs), and featherweight Leigh “Leigh-thal” Wood (4-0, 1 KO) vs. Gavin Reid. All fights and fighters are subject to change.
