Froch: “I will be the first to stop Groenewald”

30.11.05 – Commonwealth super middleweight champion Carl Froch has promised his hometown fans that he will hit the knockout trail once again this Friday at the Nottingham Arena by inflicting the first ever stoppage defeat on South African challenger Ruben Groenewald. Despite impressing, the 28-year-old local favourite was taken the distance last time out in July at the same venue by the ultra elusive Matthew Barney, the then mandatory contender for the British title he also holds.. It is not an experience he intends to repeat.

“I won’t be hearing the final bell again. That proper pissed me off,” Froch admitted of the fight against Barney, who in his last outing had, by all accounts, outboxed European light heavyweight champion and the then WBC #1 Thomas Ulrich in Germany, only to suffer a hometown decision.

“Even though I boxed well against a tough opponent, it was really frustrating. I went in against Barney with a damaged right hand and could only put half power into my big shots. I couldn’t get a full glove on him. I hurt him loads of times throughout the fight, I was doing what I liked with him. Without the injury, I know I would have stopped him and given the fans the finish they wanted.”

With the ruptured extensor hood he first suffered in his breathtaking win over the then WBC #11Henry Porras in April fully healed following successful surgery this summer, Froch goes into the Groenewald fight full of confidence.

“My preparation for Ruben has gone brilliantly,” Froch, 16-0 (12 KO’s), added. “The hand seems to be fine, it has held up in heavy sparring so I feel at my best. I’m going to have to be against Groenewald.

“He is going to come here looking for a toe to toe. He’s going to come and want to draw me into a fight, he’s going to want it in a telephone box. But that’s not happening straight away.

“For three or four rounds I am going to make it easy on myself. I am going to outbox him and show him what I can do, but then I know my fighting spirit will get the better of me and I am going to stand and have a good old fashioned punch-up.

“Then I will definitely stop him. I know he is tough, has fought several title fights, is bull strong and has never been stopped before, but he won’t be able to take the Cobra’s venom. I’m the cold-blooded predator.”

Froch is well up on his challenger. The pair shared a ring several years ago and contested several hard fought rounds.

“I know Ruben. I have got a lot of time for him,” he continued. “I have watched a lot of his fights and we sparred before I went to the world amateur championships in 2001. He was doing well, I was a bit green, but I still managed to assert myself with a couple of lead right uppercuts.”

“Cold-blooded predator’ takes place at the Nottingham Arena on Friday 2nd December. Tickets are available on 0870 121 0123. The undercard features a historical fight for the WBC Youth Lightweight world title between Manchester’s John Murray and Colombia’s Nacho Mendoza. For the latest bill please visit www.HennessySports.com