Blower searching for the next Cobra

The 35-year-old retired amateur fighter took on The Cobra when both were competing in the unpaid code back in the 1999 ABA Midlands finals in Coventry.

At the time, Blower – who went on to lift the title the following year – had no idea just how successful his opponent would go on to become.

But the ex-Heath Town ABC boxer, who is now assistant manager and boxing coach at Wolverhampton's Firewalker Gym, says even then it was clear the future four-time super-middleweight world champion was destined for big things.

He said: "Even back then Carl was well known because the previous year he had got to the ABA national final and the year after that I met him in the Midlands final in Coventry.

"He actually stopped me 10 seconds from the end of the fight.

"It was quite a close fight, to be fair. I probably won the first round, he won the second, the third was even but then he stopped me 10 seconds before the end.

"Having spoken to him after the fight, I wished him all the best and he said 'my trainer told me that if I didn't stop you in the last round I was going to lose'."

Blower classes the bout as one of his highlights from a 50-fight senior career, and said even then Froch was showcasing the awkward and spiteful fighting style which has since accounted for 33 professional opponents.

He said: "It is an honour to have shared a ring with him but at the time I went in there determined I was going to win that fight.

"But his style hasn't changed much. It was pretty much exactly the same as an amateur. He wasn't your normal, traditional upright boxer at all.

"I had a few fights and I don't remember many opponents but he stuck out.

"He was a rough, tough lad, he could bang with both hands and he had a great chin."

Froch's legendary iron jaw is known as among the best in the business, and Blower can vouch for their toughness first hand.

He said: "I did catch it a couple of times but It was like hitting concrete. He's a very tough guy.

"He showed that in both the amateurs and the professional ranks. Some of the punches that he has been hit with would literally knock out a horse."

Having held his own only to be stopped so late on, Blower could well look back with frustration, and thoughts of what might have been.

But asked if he felt short changed by the stoppage he said: "I was never a fighter that made excuses.

"If I won, great. If I lost, I lost to the better man on the night and I lost to the better man on the night against Carl."

Blower, who had his last bout in 2002 and decided against turning pro, is certainly not content to live in the past, though.

He is currently training dozens of boxers every week at the Firewalker's ABA-affiliated boxing club, with around 20 attending each of his classes, and has an ambition to one day train an Olympic champion.