In what will be one of the most anticipated fights of 2014, Carl Froch and George Groves will meet once again in a rematch that will take place on May 31st. The first bout was an exciting encounter that saw the heavy favorite Froch, shockingly hit the canvas in the very first round, and getting up on shaky legs. Groves controlled much of the early rounds in the bout, and seemed to be ahead going late into the fight, when the tide suddenly turned. Carl Froch stunned his undefeated challenger and after a few follow up punches, he prompted the referee to stop fight. Most felt the stoppage was premature, and after the IBF reviewed the fight, they agreed and ordered the rematch.
In part 2 of my ?On The Ropes? interview with Carl Froch, I discuss with him the stoppage, and if he feels the controversy robbed him of some glory in the win. I also get his views on how he thinks the rematch will play out and if he thinks George Groves can do anything to surprise him this time. Additionally, Froch shares his thoughts on Amir Khan possibly not getting the Mayweather fight and how he thinks a Mayweather-Maidana fight will play out. Here is what Carl Froch had to say
Jenna J: Referee Howard Foster stopped the fight in round nine, do you believe instead of George Groves getting robbed of having a chance in the fight, that you were actually robbed of a comeback? Do feel you feel that you had a little bit of acclaim taken away from you in that stoppage?
Carl Froch: Yeah, there?s two ways of looking at it. The George Groves fans will say that George Groves was gonna go on to win maybe on points, maybe by stoppage, but if he was going to knock me out he would have already done it wouldn?t he? He put me down in round one and hit me with everything he had for the next five rounds.
Then the Carl Froch fans, my fans will say I was robbed of an unbelievable comeback victory, the referee robbed me of my glory. What I say is, just check the records, check Boxrec.com, Carl Froch TKO round nine win against George Groves. That?s all that matters.
My opinion on whether the referee stopped it too early or not, doesn?t matter. Whether I was robbed of glory, doesn?t matter. I won the fight I got paid and we?ve got the rematch. Let?s look forward, not back.
Jenna J: Okay Carl, let?s talk about the rematch, do you look at this fight as if there?s nothing that George Groves can do to surprise you this time around?
Carl Froch: Well, I think that it can?t get any better for George Groves. If I?m in his shoes, I?m thinking to myself, ?Right, I?ve knocked this guy over in round one, I?ve hit him with everything I?ve got for the next five or six rounds,? stupidly against me, I was taking shots, but if you?re George, you?re thinking to yourself ?What else can I do, what else could I have done??
He knows that he was gassed out, he was on the receiving end of some serious punishment hence the state of his face the following morning. So I don?t know where he?s gonna draw much confidence from in terms of winning at a twelve round championship fight against somebody like me. I couldn?t have been any worse and he couldn?t have been any better and he still lost.
I?m certainly not gonna make the same mistake twice and take him lightly like I did in the first fight, so it just spells trouble for him. I think this is why boxing?s so fascinating, because it?s a two horse race and you never quite know.
All I know is, I?m gonna turn up and better than what I was in the first fight, I won the first fight, so like the bookies are saying, I?m the 3/1 on favorite. I feel like the massive favorite so I?m very confident going into the rematch and I?m very much looking forward to it.
Jenna J: Carl, Floyd Mayweather Jr. has not officially picked his next opponent. There are rumors that it won?t be Amir Khan now, that he will be taking on Marcos Maidana. If they do select Maidana over Khan, do you feel bad for Khan and the way he?s been strung along by Mayweather?
Carl Froch: Not really, no to be honest. It?s not a fight I would have got excited about, Khan against Mayweather. Floyd Mayweather is ranked number one pound for pound in the world and rightly so. I think Amir Khan is ranked about number sixty eight in the world pound for pound, I?m sure he?s in the top one hundred somewhere, he?s around about sixty eight.
To me it?s a miss match and a fight I?ve got no interest in anyway. I can see why the fight would be interesting in some people?s eyes in terms of Amir Khan?s speed and his reach, his range and his use of the jab, but Floyd Mayweather is too difficult to beat for most people.
I wouldn?t give Amir Khan a chance in that fight, not a chance. I?ll come under criticism for saying this and people will say, ?Oh he doesn?t like Amir Khan, Froch is out of order,? but as always, as you know, I just say what?s on my mind and I couldn?t care less what people think about it. I think the Floyd Mayweather-Amir Khan fight is a mismatch.
Jenna J: How would you see a Mayweather-Maidana fight playing out?
Carl Froch: I can see Floyd Mayweather doing an absolute job against Maidana. I though Amir Khan was brilliant against Maidana, I thought he got hurt bad early on, I know Amir put Maidana down to a body shot, but Khan got hurt and he was getting really badly hurt late on in the fight with Maidana.
I though it was amazing the way he survived and got through them last two or three rounds and won the fight. It was survival mode but he still did enough to win, so give him credit for that.
Neither of them pose any serious threat to Floyd Mayweather. That?s probably not gonna sell Pay-Per-View that well but Maidana?s just beat Broner, so maybe Khan should fight Broner, which is gonna be risky for him, on the under card of Mayweather-Maidana and then the winner of Khan vs. Broner fights Mayweather and they all lose to Mayweather, but it will be enjoyable to watch.
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