| Carl Froch v George Groves: Inside the rivals' warring minds | |
|---|---|
| Tweet Topic Started: May 27 2014, 10:49 PM (117 Views) | |
| yyyjia | May 27 2014, 10:49 PM Post #1 |
|
Those two blokes blasting chunks out of each other in that ring - they hate each other, right? Actually, hardly ever. But Falcons Jake Matthews Kids Jersey things will be different at Wembley Stadium on Saturday, because Carl Froch and George Groves genuinely don't get on. Nottingham's Froch, 36, won their first encounter on a controversial stoppage last November. Londoner Groves, 26, thought he was robbed. The rematch, for Froch's WBA and IBF super-middleweight belts, is sure to be brimming with spite. But here's the wicked irony: for as long as the fight lasts, these two bitter rivals will share more in common with each other than any other two people on the planet. Just those two, the referee, and 80,000 wonderful boxing fans, out there in the dark. As a taster for one of the biggest British match-ups in history, BBC Sport examines what divides and unites the protagonists. Where the first fight went wrong Groves knocked Froch down in the first round in Manchester and dominated the first half of the fight, only for Froch to http://www.falconsofficialonlineshop.com/FALCONS-RASHEDE-HAGEMAN-JERSEY come roaring back and stop his rival. Most observers felt referee Howard Foster stepped in too soon. Here, apparently, is why it panned out like it did... Carl Froch: I took George Groves lightly and almost paid severely. I got a little bit comfortable at home with my partner and two kids. I couldn't really be bothered, I wasn't really motivated to do what I needed to do to perform. Maybe I didn't give George Groves enough respect. I listened to too many people, telling me he's not in my league, he's not fought anyone, he's got no chance. I started to believe it, which was unprofessional. George Groves: Howard Foster made a terrible decision and I felt wronged and robbed. We felt he was possibly influenced by the build-up to the fight and the occasion. During the build-up, I was billed in the media as this guy who can't go 12 rounds, who's out of his depth. They said that when Carl Froch landed a shot on me, I was going to get stopped. I was a victim of all of that. Where the first fight went right An awful lot of boxing history is revisionist. Indeed, sometimes in boxing you get two versions of the same story that diverge so wildly you wonder whether either of the storytellers was there at all. But pick through the smoke and the carnage and usually you'll be able to work out the truth... Carl Froch: I came through a torrid time in the first round and the first four or five rounds were as bad as I've been Falcons Akeem Dent Womens Jersey as a professional. But I turned things round and finished the job in round nine, snatching victory from the jaws of defeat. I couldn't have performed any worse in the first fight and I don't think he can pull out another performance like that. The moment I started to push him back, he was in serious trouble. He knows he was hurt and on shaky legs when he got stopped and there was still another 10 minutes of fighting to go. George Groves: Everyone talks about the first round, when Carl got dropped, but round six was probably the worst round that Carl has ever had. He likes to talk about round six as a turning point, but I was still going about my business in the seventh and eighth and he was still getting hurt in the ninth. We're starting the second fight from that sixth round - whatever he felt in that sixth round he should expect that from the start. We did well in the first fight but that was a fraction of the performance I'm going to put on him this time. Gaining a mental edge for the rematch Some people wonder why boxers bother with the mind games and the trash-talk. But imagine the strain of fighting perhaps only twice a year, as elite boxers often do; the strain of marshalling mind and body so that - with a bit of luck - it all comes together when it counts. Because if it all goes wrong that could be your title gone, a zero dropped from your next purse, your career in jeopardy, your health not what it was. No wonder boxers strive for every extra edge they can get... Carl Froch: All the talk and nonsense, http://www.falconsofficialonlineshop.com/FALCONS-PAUL-SOLIAI-JERSEY it's not an act, although there is an element of pantomime. We've not got together and said: 'Let's push each other about and insult each other.' It happened naturally, we just don't get on. I make no secret about seeing a psychologist. Psychology isn't a weakness. It's nice to be able to understand why I got wound up before the first fight, by his disrespect and arrogance. I let it get under my skin and that cannot happen this time. This time I'm so relaxed about it, this kid cannot wind me up again. |
![]() |
|
| 1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous) | |
| « Previous Topic · General Discussion · Next Topic » |






9:32 AM Jul 11