Carl Froch: Fighting Bernard Hopkins is a "lose-lose" situation

Carl Froch has all but ruled out a fight with Bernard Hopkins by claiming that fighting the 50-year-old would be a "lose-lose" situation.

The 37-year-old this week vacated his IBF super-middleweight belt and is believed to be willing to retire if he cannot find a suitable next opponent.

A bout with the evergreen Hopkins, the WBA super-middleweight champion, has been mooted, but the Briton has firmly dismissed this suggestion because he and everybody else would apparently expect him to beat the American.

"Because he is 50 and a legend I don't want want to fight him because it is almost a lose-lose situation," Froch told BBC Sport.

"I am expected to beat him. If I win people will say 'he beat a 50-year-old man'. If I lose people would say 'what's going on? You've ruined your legacy. You finished your career on a loss against an old man' - so that would be traumatic.

"I don't think for one minute I would lose against Hopkins. It would be a great fight and a fight I would win in style."

Froch was expected to face Julio Cesar Chavez Jr in March before suffering an elbow injury in training.