By Scott Gilfoid: IBF/WBA super middleweight champion Carl Froch thinks that George Groves (20-2, 15 KOs) needs to think seriously about putting the brakes on his plans on fighting for a world title against WBC super middleweight champion Anthony Dirrell (27-0-1, 22 KOs) in 2015, because Froch doesn’t think that Groves is anywhere near ready to take on a big puncher like Dirrell at this point in his career.
Froch says that Groves needs more experience and he needs to improve his stamina in a major way before he starts taking on talents like Dirrell. At this point Froch thinks that Groves would lose to Dirrell, Mikkel Kessler and Arthur Abraham. All three of those guys would do Groves, says Froch.
“Does he fight Anthony Dirrell in his next fight and if he does then does he win? The answer is no,” Froch said to IFL TV. “If you’re managing George Groves, you’re thinking to yourself ‘I’m going to take my time. Get him more experience, and build up his stamina.’ He’s in no rush before challenging for a title. He is in a rush. He seems to be rushing himself. He wants to be a world champion. I don’t think he can do it. I think he’ll get beat. I think he can win a world title but it’s got to be against the right opponent. Arthur Abraham knocks him out. I’m sorry, but he does. Mikkel Kessler beats him, and Mikkel Kessler is now past his best. In his very next fight, I don’t think he [Groves] wins a world title.”
There it is. Froch sees Groves as having no chance against Dirrell, Kessler and Abraham. I have to agree with Froch. I don’t want to agree with him, but after seeing Groves’ last three fights, including his fight against Glen Johnson in the past, I just don’t see Groves as having the chin and especially the stamina to beat the likes of Dirrell, Kessler or Abraham.
“If you’re asking me if George Groves beats Anthony Dirrell based on that performance [last night against Christopher Rebrasse], I’d say no. Not just no, but no chance. I thought he was breathing too heavy from rounds 2 and 3. I thought he got hit too often and he like he got hurt. I can look at a fighter and read them to see what’s going off. I saw him hurt, and Rebrasse is not a puncher. So to get that hurt by someone like that, you’ve got to be a bit concerned. But he’s [Groves] never been a fighter that finished strong. He just sort of hangs in there and that’s what he did tonight. Rebrasse wasn’t ambitious at all; very limited. He was a European level fighter, that’s what he looked like.”
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