Ward, now boasting a record of 25-0 with 13KOs, revealed he had a hand injury from training which he aggravated in the sixth round but it did not stop him producing a typically slick and awkward performance which left Froch to describe him as "a slippery eel".

"I'm bitterly disappointed," said Froch, who lost the unanimous decision to scores of 115-113 twice and 118-110 at the Boardwalk Hall.

"Obviously I've lost my title and I've lost the chance to win another title and the Super Six cup.

"I'm at the end of a wonderful run of fights. I've had six or seven fights on the spin all at the top level and you can't win them all at this level. Elite level fighters do get beaten.

"I don't want to put myself up there with Sugar Ray Leonard and Muhammad Ali and some of those top level fighters but they all got beaten and they all came back.

"I've been beaten before and I've come back stronger. I was in against a very, very tricky, very slick and awkward very good fighter.

"I take nothing away from Andre Ward - he's very good at not getting hit, and keeping out of harm's way. He's like a slippery eel in there sometimes. That's what boxing is about. It's about not getting hit.

"He kept himself in the safe zone. I was unable to unleash my power punches consecutively which I felt if I could have, I would have got to him.

"But that is credit to Andre Ward for doing what he did in there. He fought the better fight on the night and I've got no excuses at all."

Froch, now 28-2 (20KO wins) would like another crack at his conqueror.

"I'll speak to my promoter and have a look at what options are out there," he said.

"I honestly feel I could beat Andre Ward on a good night. I'd have to work on some technical things.

"But there are other fights out there."

Nice guy Ward, for his part, was typically gracious in victory.

"I'm thankful," he said. "This is not the end, this is really the beginning. We're going to get better and believe it or not, you haven't seen the end of Andre Ward.

"I'm still growing, I'm still a young fighter and I've still got a long way to go.

"I've had some negative press but I need that because it keeps me hungry, humble and keeps me focused.

"I take my hat off to Carl Froch. I've got nothing bad to say about him.

"I'm now looking forward to the next chapter of this journey."

Froch had been a significant underdog heading into the bout and a quiet start saw him tentatively test the water.

Ward was quicker with the jab, though, and the same left hand produced regular hooks which were decent if not damaging.

After an even first round Ward assumed control, though Froch managed a good left-right to the body in the closing moments of the second.

Froch was struggling to make inroads and it was actually Ward showing more snap in his punches.

The Nottingham man roared forward on the rare occasion the opportunity presented itself but Ward seemed to be building a wide lead.

Froch won perhaps his first round of the night in the ninth as he threw more jabs from his hip and finally started following them up with straight rights.

He was finally injecting some spite into his punches even if Ward was still boxing well using the jab and left hook.

Froch fired off a powerful right in the 11th and was belatedly making a real fight of it but at that stage it looked too little, too late.

It was time for Froch to lay it all on the line in the 12th but he needed a knockout.

Ward tried to keep Froch at arm's length and, while the Englishman scored with an uppercut, Ward had the crowd on their feet as he coasted to the win via a unanimous decision with scores of 115-113 by two judges and 118-110 by the third, British judge John Keane.