By Scott Gilfoid: In looking at how mentally rattled IBF/WBA super middleweight champion Carl Froch (31-2, 22 KO’s) has appeared in his last two meetings with George Groves (19-0, 15 KO’s), I’d have to say that Froch looks like he’s already a beaten man before he’s even laced on his gloves for their November 23rd fight in Manchester, UK.
I’ve never seen someone look as bad as Froch did last Thursday in appearance on Sky Ringside with Groves, and the thing is it wasn’t the first time that Groves had Froch looking majorly stressed. It was at least the third time that I’ve seen it where Groved has gotten Froch all wound up to where he looked flustered.
You know things are bad when Froch couldn’t even get himself to make eye contact with his much younger opponent. I don’t quite understand what Froch’s reluctance was to stare Groves down and get involved in the normal back and forth trash talk that he wanted. Even if it turned into a back and forth child-like argument, Froch needed to get in the trenches with Groves and have at it. But by not even looking the younger 25-year-old Groves in the eyes, and then getting wound up when Groves started accusing him of being on the verge of tears, it made Froch look like he had surrendered already. Heck, Froch looked like he wanted to dash out of the Sky Ringside studio by the end of the short meeting with Groves. It looked that bad.
I remember how Andre Dirrell and Andre Ward were able to get in Froch’s face and trash talk him, but he more or less kept his composure with those guys. I didn’t see Froch unwilling or unable to make eye contact with either of them, which is why it seems so odd to see Froch not willing stare Groves down and tell him his thoughts.
Right now, Groves looks like the much more confident fighter of the two, whereas Froch just looks beaten already.
If Groves is smart enough to have Froch looking the way he is in their meetings, then you’ve got to bet that Groves will also have carefully studied Froch’s fights against Dirrell and Ward so that he can use the same blueprint that they used to whip Froch badly. I can see Groves following every move that Dirrell and Ward used to make Froch look terrible for 12 rounds. I don’t think Groves will necessarily KO Froch, but I do see him beating him by a lopsided 12 round unanimous decision.
I do think a knockout is possible for Groves if Froch comes totally unglued on November 23rd and goes out there like a primitive caveman and starts trying to rough Groves up the way that he did against Dirrell. I can see Froch walking into a big shot from Groves and getting knocked out if he goes wild in the ring and forgets the Marquess of Queensberry Rules. Groves will stay calm and will nail Froch with a big shot if he goes ape on him on November 23rd. If Froch doesn’t go wild, then I just see Groves using the blueprint from the Dirrell and Ward fights to give Froch a bad hiding for 12 rounds.
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