Sunday 17 January 2016 15:14, UK
Carl Froch was impressed with Deontay Wilder's explosive finish but still believes Tyson Fury is top of the heavyweight world.
The Sky Sports pundit was ringside in New York, as the 'Bronze Bomber' knocked Artur Szpilka out in the ninth-round to retain his WBC world title.
Fury was also at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn to watch the heavyweight double-header and immediately climbed into the ring and went face-to-face with Wilder following his victory.
He's ever the showman; he came to try and steal the show, he tried to make the headlines - and he probably will make a few out here
Froch wanted the American to put on a real show with the world watching but believes the British heavyweight's latest antics confirmed him as the world's number one.
"He's ever the showman; he came to try and steal the show, he tried to make the headlines - and he probably will make a few out here," he told Sky Sports.
"He does all the right things to get himself into position. He is world champion by his own right.
"I know hes had the IBF title taken away from him and he's not got the WBC belt, which are two of the major belts, but that win over [Wladimir] Klitschko really puts him in the driver's seat.
"He just wants to make noise - and he did the sort of right thing!
"And although it was bit unpleasant at times and a bit over then top, that's Tyson Fury - that's what you get from the heavyweight division."
Wilder was less of a Fury fan and promised to come to the United Kingdom and beat the Manchester man, with 'no mercy, no pity or no sorrow'.
Froch admits that retaining the WBC belt raises the American's profile even more and was full of praise for the way he ended his third defence.
And even if he is still 'a work in progress', with southpaw Spzilka causing him plenty of problems in the first half of the fight, the champion's punch power will make him a serious threat for Fury.
"We didn't see that coming but the writing for the big shot was almost on the wall and when it came, it was devastating," he said.
"To defend your title in that style, you can only give him big props for that. He will learn from that as well.
"Even thought he is the world champion with the WBC belt - one of the best belts in the business - and has had plenty of fights to prove that he's good enough to be established at world level, you wouldn't say he's the finished article by any stretch of the imagination.
"He's still learning and that was a great learning fight for him."
