Carl Froch believes he may have ended Lucian Bute's career after delivering a "devastating beating" which crowned him a three-time world champion and ended his opponent's unbeaten record.
The Englishman took Bute's IBF super-middleweight title with a fifth-round stoppage in Nottingham on Saturday night and is now contracted to travel to Canada, where Romanian Bute is based, to defend the belt in a rematch.
However, the 34-year-old believes Bute may never fight again, let alone step into the ring for the return bout.
Froch said: "Personally, I don't think Bute will want the rematch because, as a fighter, I looked into his eyes and after round three I saw something drain from him – something only a fighter can see. I don't think he's going to want to fight again, let alone fight me again. Honestly.
"He came here unbeaten and got absolutely, devastatingly beaten. That doesn't happen often to top-level fighters. That is a beating, the whupping of all whuppings. I've not seen it back yet. I'm not bragging. I'm not proud of hurting people but that's what I'm in the ring to do. If the boot was on the other foot, you know what would happen.
Instead of fighting Bute, Froch would prefer to avenge his two career defeats – against Mikkel Kessler in 2010 and Andre Ward in December last year. His overriding ambition, however, is still to become a unified champion after twice holding the WBC title and now owning the IBF crown.
"I've still got that dream of unifying the world titles," Froch said. "I think Ward is stepping up to light-heavyweight to fight Chad Dawson – or Dawson is coming down to super-middle, which could be a mistake."
Of his win over Bute, Froch added: "Fighting like that, I'd beat anybody in my weight division. There's nobody that can touch me. If I catch Ward on the chin with some of the shots like I landed on Bute, it's game over. It's a simple as that.
"Andre Ward had a good night and Carl Froch had a bad night and that's the reason he won that fight.
"But in a rematch – especially over here – I do feel that with a performance like I put in against Bute, I'd beat anybody in the world, including Andre Ward."
As for Kessler – to whom Froch lost two years ago in the Dane's home country in a close decision – Froch is keen to overturn that blemish too.
"It would be nice to avenge the defeat, it really would. I'll let Eddie Hearn [Froch's promoter] see where we go from here. That's a fight I would take in a heartbeat."
Froch's record now reads 29-2 with 21 knockout wins
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