General Thoughts On Froch Groves.

[taansend]

I know there's a few threads on this but I just wanted to get a few general thoughts across for discussion (or not).

First off, I just want to say that a - I think Jim Watt is a horrible commentator (I was a fan of his when he was a boxer) and b - after rewatching the fight with Romanian commentary I actually scored almost identical to him. Sorry Jim.

My tally after 8 was 78-73 to Groves.

I scored the 2nd to Groves but that was a close round.

Froch could have received more than a warning for punching after the 'break' in the 4th.

The 6th was the best round. 1st minute I though Groves edged, then he won the 2nd minute & Froch came storming back at the end. Still Groves round though. It was Ward-Gatti-lite-lite.

8th round, Froch deserved a warning but the ref instead said "Keep it tidy, fellas". Carl, ever the warrior, was roughing Groves up by any means necessary but the Ref gave him leniency.

9th round, about 30 seconds before the "stoppage" the Ref taps Groves on the right arm during a scrappy, turn-a-round brawl - signifying a break. Groves stops punching a Froch lands a nice cuffing blow to the head. Not Froch's fault but another example of a weak ref on the night.

Then there's 10 seconds of pressure from Carl & the fight is stopped. Groves wasn't hurt. Maybe buzzed but Froch was hurt MUCH more in the first & just as hurt in the 6th.

I don't think the Ref intentionally favoured Froch but he did anyway. A British Ref shouldn't have been picked for this. Not because they're no good but because there was massive press for this in the UK - a fight with two 'world' title belts on the line.

I have no idea what would have happened in this bout but the Ref was completely wrong in stopping it.

And this is from a fan of both who has been watching boxing for close to 40 years.

[Earl-Hickey]

I had it 77-74 to groves, it looked to me like if the ref didn't step in then groves would have at least gone down, so it would have been 85-84 going into round 10, pretty much i didn't think there was that much in it at that stage

I'm unhappy with the stoppage as I think froch would have genuinley put him away but it is what it is, i'm sure we will see a rematch, too much money in it not to happen

[taansend]

I had it 77-74 to groves, it looked to me like if the ref didn't step in then groves would have at least gone down, so it would have been 85-84 going into round 10, pretty much i didn't think there was that much in it at that stage

I'm unhappy with the stoppage as I think froch would have genuinley put him away but it is what it is, i'm sure we will see a rematch, too much money in it not to happen

On watching the replay I don't think Groves was in any danger of going down (at that time).

Froch was coming on but Groves was still stinging him with sharp right hands & had caught him with a good one 20 seconds before the 'stoppage' (and just before the ref tapped him on the arm).

He was under fire but looked to be weathering the storm pretty good to me.

One thing that did come out of this for me is that Froch deserves a place on the podium alongside Nigel Benn as the Greatest British Warrior of my Lifetime.

I'm sure there are others but it's 5am & I'm still having my morning cuppa.

[mickey malone]

Great fight, and a star is born.
Even if Froch was to do the unthinkable and duck a return, there's so much out there for Groves..
Really enjoyed the show.. Jim Watt knows his stuff, but his whining voice can be bloody annoying.. Prefer Glenn McCrory tbh.. Loved it when he called Howard Foster,'De****able!' for pulling Groves out in a 'headlock' just for getting wobbled for the first time in the fight.. Nice one Glenn
Regarding Foster, like many British referees, he would've had Eubank Watson in the back of his mind.
Hard bastard vs master boxer can occasionally go that way, and the way health and safety has now become in the UK, it's hardly surprising really, and is to be expected again and again.. Won't be at all shocked, if it happens in the return aswell

[HughJass]

I knew from the moment they mentioned that the fight was signed that this fight was gonna be a barnstormer.

Groves the young prodigy was clearly not out of his depth like many on this site said he would be, "Froch is a true warrior", i'm sure i heard most scream.

Groves did what he said he was gonna do and told Carl it himself and said he wouldn't be able to stop him from doing it, Froch laughed as if this"young BOY" was insane.

As for the fight, Groves dominated up until round 7 hitting Froch at will(not hard) but HURTING Froch like no one else has before(that answers the people who also questioned his power).Imho you could give Froch 2 rounds, at most.The stoppage was bullsh.it but Groves get's to fight another day and i remember him saying his legs were still there but they didn't look it.

In a rematch(if Froch wants it)i see georgie boy boxing on the backfoot till those mid rounds, then when Froch is applying that pressure, catch him coming in like he did the first round of the first fight.

[takingaim]

Groves has gone from strength to strength since his win over DeGale, whilst the aforementioned has done nothing but look mediocre. Groves is an entertaining fighter, and it will be great to see him fight the real top guys. The fight was turning into a classic, and we were robbed of a special ending.

[- Ram Raid -]

Jim Watt really excels as a commentator when he's calling fights between boxers at a lower level or prospects who are still learning their craft because he gives them leeway.

His issue is that he finds it extremely difficult to abide boxers of world championship calibre who display a level of technique, poise and decision making that really don't belong at that level. Froch is the very epitome of that. It frustrates him and sometimes he expresses that in a manner that will rankle fans of the fighter that it's aimed at and make it uneasy listening.

I had the same issue when he called Ricky Hatton fights. I started to hate listening to him, I think I actually started to hate him. I no longer feel that way, I respect the man and for the most part enjoy his commentary (I don't find myself shouting, "**** OFF JIM!" with the same frequency).

The bottom line for me is that he loves the game, and he's a stand up guy who likes it to be practised in a proper manner. Fighters like Froch and Hatton, irrespective of how I may feel about them, are fighters who have/had been getting away with it.

[Bodyshot3]

I've probably pontificated about this fight too much...but it had me buzzing about boxing again and I can't remember so much drama or publicity for a big UK fight since Calzaghe turned it on against Lacey. The Super Middleweights really do deliver for us time and time again!

Three fairly random thoughts.....

Groves can take massive confidence from this fight. After just 19 bouts he dropped and outboxed a double word title belt-holder and clearly belongs at the elite level. But he must rethink his fight strategy, I thought he got too engaged from the sixth round onwards and could have stepped back and lured Froch into some more mistakes. He traded too much and sometimes it really was not needed. George held his own in that classic sixth round but it took too much out of him and opened the gate for Froch.

Froch now needs to think long and hard about what he wants to do next and that means evaluating his performance rather than the result. Is it cash-out time with a fight against B-Hop, Chavez Junior or maybe Kessler or does he put it all on the line again against George? That's a big decision.

Finally, I think that for major global world title fights the Board of Control must think about bringing in a referee of equal stature. A top fight must have a man in the middle who handles world title fights on a frequent basis. Foster came up short and a to American would have been better.

[Funky_Monk]

I've probably pontificated about this fight too much...but it had me buzzing about boxing again and I can't remember so much drama or publicity for a big UK fight since Calzaghe turned it on against Lacey. The Super Middleweights really do deliver for us time and time again!

Three fairly random thoughts.....

Groves can take massive confidence from this fight. After just 19 bouts he dropped and outboxed a double word title belt-holder and clearly belongs at the elite level. But he must rethink his fight strategy, I thought he got too engaged from the sixth round onwards and could have stepped back and lured Froch into some more mistakes. He traded too much and sometimes it really was not needed. George held his own in that classic sixth round but it took too much out of him and opened the gate for Froch.

Froch now needs to think long and hard about what he wants to do next and that means evaluating his performance rather than the result. Is it cash-out time with a fight against B-Hop, Chavez Junior or maybe Kessler or does he put it all on the line again against George? That's a big decision.

Finally, I think that for major global world title fights the Board of Control must think about bringing in a referee of equal stature. A top fight must have a man in the middle who handles world title fights on a frequent basis. Foster came up short and a to American would have been better.

Can yoh clarify why an American would be better?
Or even post on the thread I made snout the ref.

[PrinceNaz88]

Thought at the time and still believe that Groves was badly hurt and on the brink of getting KO'd regardless.