By Scott Gilfoid: The IBF decided to go with the referee that Eddie Hearn wanted for Saturday’s Carl Froch vs. George Groves rematch in choosing to ignore Groves’ objections to Charlie Fitch working the fight. Fitch will now be working the fight. Previous to this, Hearn objected to American referee Jack Reiss working the fight, and the IBF obeyed Hearn’s objections by replacing him with Fitch. However, Groves and his trainer Paddy Fitzgerald wanted Reiss to work the fight, but they didn’t have much choice in the matter after Hearn’s objection.
“There was another objection over the referee from Team Groves but the IBF made the decision last night that Charlie Fitch will referee the fight,” Hearn said to Skysports.com. “The judges are now in place. No more dramas. Probably a few little mind games going back and forth but we’re all set. The fight’s on and we’re ready to go.”
So it’s mind games when Groves objects to a referee but not mind games when Hearn objects to a referee? Not sure that Hearn is seeing things clearly. Groves probably didn’t object to Fitch due to him wanting to play mind games. My guess is he’s worried about wanting to make sure that a referee is working the fight that will control the fouling and not jump in and halt the fight prematurely after what happened the last time Groves fought Froch. I mean, it’s not as if Groves doesn’t have a good reason to want to want to make sure that he gets someone he has faith in. Hearn obviously had a reason for rejecting Jack Reiss as a referee to work the Froch-Groves fight. I doubt it was due to mind games.
Groves wants to make sure he gets a referee that will protect him from getting fouled like he was at times in the last fight with Froch. If he had objections to the referee appointed by the IBF, he must have some doubts about whether he’ll control the fight.
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