Oostuizen ducks out of Cobra clash

Rising South African super-middleweight Tommy Oostuizen has reportedly turned down the opportunity to face Nottingham's IBF champion Carl Froch in November.

Earlier this week it was rumoured that Froch would head to the United States to make the first defence of the title he won by stopping Lucian Bute in May, with unbeaten Oostuizen apparently heading a list of potential opponents.

However, Oosthuizen's manager Brian Mitchell has stated that they would rather get the reigning IBO title holder some more learning fights in the US before challenging the big boys of the division.

"We've turned down that fight," Mitchell said to Sowetanlive.co.za.

"It is proper that Lou DiBella will feature him on Shobox. The American boxing public just loves Tommy."

Froch's camp are said to still be looking at former middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik as a potential foe.

Froch is scheduled to engage in a rematch with Bute in 2013 and is also hoping to duke it out with Denmark's Mikkel Kessler at some stage. Kessler defeated him on points in 2010.