Britain's Carl Froch announced Tuesday he had vacated his International Boxing Federation super-middleweight title, thereby paving the way for a world title attempt by compatriot James DeGale. DeGale became the mandatory challenger for the IBF belt when he defeated Brandon Gonzales on the undercard of Froch's second victory over George Groves at London's Wembley Stadium in May last year.
But Froch - who hasn't fought since that bout with fellow British boxer Grove - had set his sights on a lucrative showdown with Julio Cesar Chavez Jr in Las Vegas on March 28. However, an elbow injury put paid to that contest, although Froch still hopes to fight former middleweight champion Chavez in Las Vegas later this year.