Froch vs Groves: Brutality vs Stealth

froch545445In terms of boxing, what can be said of Carl Froch? He’s not just ‘as tough as they come’, he’s tougher. He’s the epitome of resolve. He’s a vicious and hurtful puncher. He’s hugely experienced at the highest levels of boxing. He’s a very serious risk to any fighter in the world at any given moment in a fight, regardless of whether it’s the first round or the twelfth. He’s a world champion boxer. How could one argue over these statements when the world witnesses the aforementioned whenever Carl steps into a ring? It’s fact, Carl Froch is a resilient, hard-hitting world champion.

What of George Groves? He’s got power. He can box and move with skill and grace. He’s gathering experience and maturing as a fighter. He’s beating everyone that’s put in front of him, he remains undefeated, and, according to the world boxing organisations, has worked his way up through the ranks with only Carl Froch to beat in order to claim the ‘numero uno’ spot. It too is fact that George Groves is a slick, undefeated boxer with power in his punch, and is in possession of the right to challenge for a world title.

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Carl Froch-George Groves WBA/IBF title fight confirmed for later this year; date and venue to be announced soon

Georges_GrovesIt’s official: Carl Froch will defend his WBA and IBF super-middleweight titles against unbeaten countryman George Groves later this year at a venue in the UK to be determined soon. The exact date is also TBA but both men appeared live on Sky Sports News at 12 noon UK time today, to talk about the fight.

Froch, unable he said to get rematches with Mikkel Kessler and Andre Ward right now, is excited about giving the UK fans a domestic fight that will contest two major world titles.

“I think this fight is a real treat for the fans,” Froch said. “Some people have said George Groves is not in the same class as me, but there is no danger of me underestimating him. I will take this fight very, very seriously and will bring my A-game as I always do. Groves has done everything asked of him and Eddie Hearn has done a great job getting him the mandatory position. I will prepare like I’m fighting one of the best fighters in the world.

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Froch-Groves likely to happen in November, says Hearn

froch9999Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Sport says a fight between IBF/WBA super middleweight champion Carl Froch (31-2, 22 KO’s) and his mandatory challenger George Groves (19-0, 15 KO’s) will likely be Froch’s next fight in November. The International Boxing Federation ordered the fight to take place, and they had a deadline of July 12th to come to an agreement on the fight.

Hearn got an extension to July 17th, but he says they should be able to make a concrete decision by then whether the fight will be made or not.

Hearn says it’s possible Froch could vacate the IBF title, and Groves would then either fight for the vacant IBF title or go after WBO champion Robert Stieglitz.

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Froch undecided about facing Groves

froch966The IBF has ordered IBF/WBA super middleweight champion Carl Froch to defend his IBF title against his mandatory challenger George Groves next, and Froch is debating whether that’s the best direction to take with his career or not. He’s in a position where he can get bigger fights, but he also doesn’t like the idea of losing his IBF title if he chooses not to face Groves next.

That’s what would happen. Froch would either get stripped of his title by the International Boxing Federation sanctioning body or he’s have to vacate if he decided he want to face Groves.

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Carl Froch vs. George Groves possible for late 2013

froch305On Monday, the International Boxing Federation ordered IBF/WBA super middleweight champion Carl Froch (31-2, 22 KO’s) to start negotiations to defend his IBF title against mandatory challenger George Groves (19-0, 15 KO’s). The IBF gave a firm deadline by July 12th for Froch and Groves to come to an agreement for the fight unless he wants to lose his title by having it stripped from him.

Froch’s promoter Eddie Hearn appears to be open to the idea of Froch facing Groves this year. After all, Hearn promotes both fighters so it’s an easy fight to make, and it’s one that he’s very interested in putting together. It could be the passing of the baton between the 35-year-old Froch and the 25-year-old Groves.

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Hearn: Groves feels that Andre Ward is the only fighter he can’t beat yet at 168

groves4534Matchroom Sport promoter Eddie Hearn says his fighter Commonwealth super middleweight champion George Groves (18-0, 14 KO’s) feels that WBA/WBC super middleweight champion Andre Ward is the only guy that Groves feels he can’t handle at 168.

Hearn said to ESPN “The only person he says he can’t beat yet is Andre Ward. That’s the only one that George says, ‘At the moment I wouldn’t challenge Ward but I’ll beat the rest of them.’ I keep saying, ‘Alright, George, let’s work on this, let’s keep work on this.’”

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Barker stops Rotolo; Groves defeats Balmaceda

By Jeff Sorby: Super middleweight contender George Groves (17-0, 13 KO’s) made easy work of Dario Balmaceda (11-7-2, 7 KO’s) in stopping him in the 3rd round in a two knockdown performance on Saturday night in the 24-year-old Groves’ first fight with Matchroom Sport at the Wembley Arena in London, UK. Grove put the lanky Balmaceda down with a short right hand to the body in the 2nd.

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Groves defeats Johnson in one-sided fight

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By Michael Collins: Sometimes you have to wonder why fights like this get put together in the first place. Tonight, unbeaten #2 WBO, #4 WBC, #7 WBA, #8 IBF Commonwealth super middleweight champion George Groves (16-0, 12 KO’s) successfully defended his domestic level title against a way his best his prime 43-year-old Glen Johnson (51-18-2, 35 KO’s) in winning a lopsided 12 round unanimous decision by the scores of 120-107, 120-107 and 119-109 at the ExCel Arena, Dockland, in London, United Kingdom.

This fight had mismatch written all over it before the fight was even made, because Johnson had been retired and lost four out of his last five fights coming into the bout. Groves had predicted that he would knock Johnson out, but he never came close to doing that despite trying hard to stop Johnson in every round.

Groves unloaded everything but the kitchen sink on Johnson in rounds 1, 6, 7 and 12, but he didn’t go anywhere. But what Groves did show in going all out was a lack of discipline because he didn’t seem to have a clue that all that he was doing was hitting gloves for the most part, and leaving himself open for huge shots from Johnson. I lost track of all the times that Johnson tagged Groves with shots that would have knocked him cold if Johnson was a little younger.

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Groves: I’m going to KO Glen Johnson

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By Michael Collins: Commonwealth super middleweight champion George Groves (15-0, 12 KO’s) thinks he’s going to stop 43-year-old Glen Johnson (51-17-2, 35 KO’s) in their fight tonight at the ExCel Arena, Dockland, London, United Kingdom.

Groves said to Sky Sports News “Clearly Glencoffe knows how to survive, even if he doesn’t come to survive. Stopping him would make a huge statement. I do expect to stop him don’t expect him to just fall over.”

This is interesting because I’ve seen quite a few of Groves’ fights and I don’t consider him to be a big puncher. He may have a lot of knockouts but those knockouts came against pretty much entirely British level fighters or Euro fighters. There’s not much quality among his knockout victims in terms of world class ability. In fact, not one of Groves’ knockouts has come against a world class opponent.

Groves has faced one decent fighter in his career, James DeGale, and many people think Groves was given a controversial decision in that fight last year.

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