Carl Froch's Next Fight: Rematch with Andre Ward Only Rational Option

In one of the most controversial decisions in recent memory, Carl Froch defeated George Groves via a ninth-round TKO. Many believed that the referee stoppage was premature, but the victory stands nonetheless.

The only rational next fight for him is a rematch with Andre Ward.

Froch is now 32-2 with four consecutive wins since losing to Ward on Dec. 17, 2011. He has defeated Lucian Bute, Yusaf Mack, Mikkel Kessler and Groves during that time, re-establishing his reputation as one of the best super middleweights in the world.

Unfortunately, this win wasn't without controversy.

Just because it was controversial doesn't mean that it was unimportant.

With Froch's win, he improved his record and held onto his titles. In turn, he's remained near the top of the super middleweight rankings.

He has set up the rematch with Ward.

Top Stars Meet Again

Froch's victory and his post-match speech won't win over many fans, but he's the reigning IBF and WBA super middleweight champion. He's won four in a row, and the only documented loss on his resume over the past three years was against Ward.

The only option is to pit the top two fighters in the division against each other.

According to Dan Rafael of ESPN, Froch is currently the No. 2 super middleweight in the world behind Ward. He owns wins over the No. 4 and No. 5 fighters in Bute and Kessler, respectively.

The WBC stripped Ward of the super middleweight title due to inactivity, per Ryan Maquinana of CSN Bay Area. He has been praised for standing up to the WBC on the premature decision, but as he continues to step into the ring, he will need to continue proving himself.

Undefeated at 27-0, he doesn't have a better opportunity to prove himself than to face Froch, who sports two major titles.

Ward dismantled Edwin Rodriguez last week and now deserves a greater challenge. Froch is arguably the biggest name in the division. He's directly below Ward in the 168-pound division, took Ward to the cards during their previous fight and, fair or foul, is coming off a win.

That all adds up to Froch vs. Ward II.

All About Ward

Admittedly, a rematch between Froch and Groves is reasonable. The decision was controversial, and many viewed the bout as either highly competitive or a potential Groves victory.

The truth of the matter is that Froch vs. Ward II is more about Ward than it is about Froch.

As previously alluded to, the sanctioning body stripped Ward's WBC super middleweight title after it prematurely decided he had taken too much time off between defenses. Upon returning to the ring, he dominated Rodriguez to re-establish his reputation as the second-best fighter in the world.

Who is better for him to face than the No. 2 fighter in his division?

Sakio Bika will defend the WBC super middleweight title against Anthony Dirrell in December, but neither Bika nor Dirrell has Froch's name value. Groves deserves his rematch, but there is a more high-profile fight to build.

For that reason, pitting the controversially victorious Froch against Ward in a rematch is the only rational option.