Nottingham’s Carl Froch took some steps towards justifying the hype (much of it by himself) as being the hottest property in boxing with his first round destruction of Damon Hague. So much so that he has drawn praise from the world's best in another sport.
Sat ringside to see the 27-year-old add the British super-middleweight title to his Commonwealth crown was snooker star and big fan Ronnie O’Sullivan. He should know a future world champion when he sees one.
“Carl is the British Tommy Hearns,” said the Rocket. “I have seen almost all of his fights and he is a fantastic talent. He is going to be this country’s next sporting superstar.”
And some of our own sport's big names weren't slow to praise The Cobra either. Another man who knows a thing or two about talent is Prince Naseem Hamed’s former trainer Brendan Ingle. He saw Carl’s ability first hand having been in Hague’s corner for the contest.
"Carl Froch tonight looked not one million dollars but 10 million dollars," Ingle said afterwards.
"He looked sensational and the shots he hit Damon with would have knocked down a full-grown bull. I don't know how Damon got up from the first shot but after the second, it was all over. They were two brilliant shots."
"Forget about Ricky Hatton - this fella is the business."
The man in the opposite corner to Ingle, trainer and former British and Commonwealth middleweight champion Robert McCracken, has always had faith in his charge.
“Alongside Howard Eastman and Junior Witter, Carl is the only other fighter in this country with the ability to go and beat the elite Americans in their own back-yard,” he said, in what seems like an obvious sideswipe at the homeloving Hatton and Joe Calzaghe.
“What’s more he will do it in sensational style. He is a one off. He can realistically go on and unify genuine world honours, he is that good. It looks as if everybody else is finally starting to realise that now.”
It's still very premature for such talk if the truth be told. Although Damon Hague is one of the nicest men in our sport, the fact is that he is a decent domestic level fighter and not someone to use as a yardstick for whether a fighter can unify world honours.
Froch has certainly started promisingly though and he was undeniably impressive against Hague. So far, in just 14 fights Carl has won the English title, won and twice defended the Commonwealth title and has now annexed the British, all on the BBC. He has stopped 11 opponents along the way.
Next up could be Robin Reid, if the former WBC champion answers the call to action. Froch is building a reputation as a talker as well as a fighter.
“Come on Robin; here I am, ready and waiting to fight you,” said Froch, fresh from his win in front of an electric hometown crowd.
“Don’t go all quiet on me again like you have the last couple of times I mentioned your name; this is a fight everyone would like to see and would be great for TV. What else are you going to do? Make a few defences of your fringe title against South Americans? I know a true champion like you – who has in the past held genuine world honours - wouldn’t like to go out like that."
“All you need to do is pick up the phone to my promoter Mick Hennessy and this fight can be made very quickly. Just do me one favour though; don’t price yourself out of the fight with unreasonable demands.”
Reid-Froch would be a good crossroads fight - the old warrior against the new, up and coming, self-styled superstar. The Reaper will be looking to cash in on his victory against Brian Magee though, so won't come cheap. Team Hennessy may have to dig deep if they want Reid to entertain their man.