By Scott Gilfoid: Former super middleweight champion Joe Calzaghe thinks IBF/WBA 168 lb. champion Carl Froch (32-2, 23 KO’s) was totally schooled last month in his fight against 25-year-old George Groves (19-1, 15 KO’s) on November 23rd in Manchester, UK.
Calzaghe wants Froch to do the right thing and give Groves a rematch so there’s some proper closure on this farce. Calzaghe thinks that’s the right thing or Froch to do. But it doesn’t look like Froch has any intention of doing that, because he’s been talking about moving on and fighting other opponents rather than getting back in the ring for a second helping from Groves.
“I thought Carl was fortunate and I think he should give him a rematch,” Calzaghe said to Sky Sports. “I thought he got schooled in that fight. He was losing it badly and I think as a champion it is up to him to give Groves another chance.”
The chances of Froch giving Groves a rematch are probably slim and none. I think Froch is in the shutdown mode with his career and looking to get a few more big money fights and then retire. The only way he fights Groves again is if his promoter Eddie Hearn shows him on paper that it’s going to make him more money than a fight against the likes of Lucian Bute, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. or Andre Ward.
What Calzaghe says is true, but Froch would likely remind Calzaghe never gave Bernard Hopkins a rematch after beating him by a controversial decision in 2008. Calzaghe chose to move on rather than taking a risky rematch against Hopkins. Calzaghe also chose to retire rather than fighting talents like Andre Ward and Andre Dirrell despite the fact that those two guys were already showing that they were major forces to be reckoned with in the 168 lb. division by that point.
Froch won the fight against Groves when the referee jumped in between the two fighters and put a headlock on Groves in the 9th round, resulting in Froch nailing the defenseless Groves two more times for good measure. It was one of the saddest and most hilarious outcomes I’ve seen before, but so, so typical of the fights I’ve been watching lately from the UK. I think they need to take a big broom and sweep out the current group of referees and start over with a fresh crop. There’s got to be some kind of way to grade the referees and move out the bad ones from the sport.
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