groves783 By Robbie Bannatyne: In the build-up to the Super Middleweight grudge match between Carl Froch and George Groves, valid for the formers WBA and IBF 168lb world titles, many billed the contest as David versus Goliath type battle. Personally, I didn’t feel Groves was quite as over-matched. But I fancied a Froch win so much I rushed from the pub to the nearest betting shop to put a note on the Nottingham native winning by a 10^th round knockout, at thoroughly decent odds of 14-1, just before the fight started.

You can deduce from my pre-fight prediction then that I, like many others, was totally surprised that Groves pre-fight rhetoric- that he would assume his position in the centre of the ring and force Froch onto the back foot, from the 1^st bell- translated into reality on the night. He was totally true to his word. The way proceedings played out in the 1^st round, probably exceeded even the ultra confident and cocky Londoners loftiest of expectations as he sent the ‘Cobra’ crashing to the canvas; the result of a perfectly executed right hand.

It is a testament to Froch’s quite miraculous powers of recovery that he was able to answer the 2^nd round. Still the tone was set, and the Challenger controlled the action by fighting on the front foot for the entirety of the opening three rounds. It looked for all intents and purposes that the crowd would witness an epochal shift in the balance of power in British Super Middleweight boxing. Such was the dominance, and boxing brilliance of the classy challenger, the 1^st five rounds were virtually a shut out in favour of Groves.

In the 4^th round, Froch finally managed to claw back some territory in the centre of the ring. Yet despite forcing the action and landing some big, powerful shots- he still struggled to impose himself on Groves. The challenger was answering any questions posed, with regards the authenticity of his performance, with raking right hands that prevented Froch piercing through his defenses with impunity.

But, as the fight wore on, in spite of still being dominated Froch seemed to become immune to Groves power punches, whereas it was becoming increasingly apparent that the Kobra’s shots were beginning to have an accumulative effect on Groves from the 7^th onwards. Still, Groves won the 7^th. But the final exchange in the closing stages of the round was telling, and seemed to hint that there could be a twist in tale.

The script looked more familiar now- the finale was being written for Froch to recover, and somehow snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, by wearing his opponent down and forcing a late stoppage through sheer strength of will. However, Groves, who orchestrated the action with all the bravura of all world class conductor, could not be discounted. Even as the contest entered the 8^th round, Groves, if a tad weary, was still weathering any signs of a storm, and was actually landing the cleaner, more effective punches compared to Froch, who knew he had to throw caution to the wind if he was to turn the tide.

Tellingly though, each concussive blow landed by Froch galvanized him with a steely determination and confidence that had deserted him for most of the fight. Suddenly he seemed to be on solid ground, just as Groves was beginning to lose his footing- his once sturdy foundations finally showing signs of fragility. But to reiterate the point again: Groves was still making a compelling contribution to a contest, which was rich in drama and excitement. He was on course to become a double world champion, if only he could close the window of opportunity to the champion and open up a bigger lead on the scorecards, by killing the Kobra’s confidence with his superior boxing skills.

But Groves got too brave and boldly began to could mix it with the by now emboldened Champion. I now believed that my bet would come in, and began prematurely planning what I was going do with my cash windfall.

Much like Groves though, I was destined to return home empty handed after the referee prematurely stepped in to halt proceedings to protect the challenger from taking any more punishment.

Sure Groves was beginning to display the demeanor of a fighter who was ready to be dispatched. But he should have been given more time to see whether he could have survived the onslaught and regain his senses. He should have been afforded the opportunity to go out on his shield.

But in his performance last Saturday night, which totally betrayed his status as the challenger, Groves has learned much about the art of battling giants and any rematch between the two will now certainly not be viewed as a clash of David versus Goliath.