''Froch started landing some hard body shots that people weren't talking about, and he was putting them right on the money. I was talking to Andre about it. I said, "They're not talking about these body shots Froch is hitting him with and he's hitting him right on the money with these body shots. He's getting hit back, but the type of body shots he's allowing Froch to land is gonna have an effect on him." And sure enough, after the 6th round, you could see him physically starting to tire, and Froch started closing the distance on him. You know, Froch, if you don't have an inside game when he swings forward, because his momentum comes forward with his punches. His momentum can knock you off balance; he can wear you down rather quick. I thought, personally, it was a correct stoppage, and the reason I say that is because, let's face it, if you saw it in slow motion, he hit him 6 times flush. One of those punches was on top of the head right above the ear, and that hook he hit him with in that exchange, Groves never saw it; it literally just snapped his neck around. He was hurt. If I shoot you with a bullet and I know that bullet went into you, I don't need to see you stagger to know you're wounded, you know. A lot of people say, "Well, his legs weren't buckled." That doesn't mean you're not hurt. Now he was hurt. It's always going to be debatable because he was on his feet, but if you look at the course what led to that, the past two rounds led to that situation happening. The reason why he [Froch] was able to get those punches off is because he [Groves] was tiring and he was starting to get to him. [Rounds] 6 and 7, I saw Froch turn the fight around. Even though it's debatable he lost the rounds, it's almost like Chavez and Meldrick Taylor; the type of punches that Chavez was placing on Meldrick Taylor. I saw this happening in the 8th round, the type of punches that he was hitting Taylor with; that "Boy, I hope he can make it to the finish line because these punches are catching up with him rather quick." But Groves was hurt. He was hurt. And all this career-finishing talk and all this kind of talk, I mean, that's just talk, but I didn't see him making it out of that round if that fight would've continued. He was hurt. Why it's debatable. I mean, he could've let it go on; I see the points made, but I have to say, I can't fault the ref for stopping the fight. But I think they were saying the 8-count was in effect. If it was, then he made a bad mistake because he should've gave him the 8-count (laughing).'' ''Boy was hurt. I mean, you can't give reasons to stop a fight. He turned his back, he disengaged. It's not the punches, Froch never disengaged. His arms dropped, fell into the ref. It was coming. [If] That's my fight and you fall into me, im stopping the fight too.'' deal Finally someone says it how it actually happened. Virgil knows his ****. He doesnt even like Froch either. Just the unbiased opinion from one of the most knowlegable guys in the business
I had to rewatch the fight from round 5 onwards after reading that, perhaps I had some grooves blinkers on. I found it hard to see what he's talking about... Technically groves was the far better fighter landing shot after shot. Froch was landing on his guard or glancing blows for the most part. Although admittingly grooves looked far more tired then I remember in round 9. Hard to tell though, I remember seeing fighters like Calzaghe looking far worse but still keep on throwing and moving.
Virgil just talking it up so wards win looks better, he can't come out and say groves was doing a better job than ward before it was incorrectly stopped can he? he knows as well as the rest of us that it was a crap stoppage, regardless of how anyone saw the fight.
I noticed Froch was going to the body a fair bit. It was a tactic that will be used again come Saturday
:happy :happy :happy Thing is, anyone with a pair of functioning eyes can see that's what happened. It's only the ginger's fanboys who have deluded themselves into thinking it was a 'robbery'.
I am a fan of neither and to be honest I've been borderline disgusted with Groves conduct leading up to both fights. That said, anyone who doesn't see it was a premature stoppage are the one's deluding themselves. Virgil even says the ref made a bad mistake not giving the standing 8-count.
It was a **** stoppage. The fight was just getting started. Now everyone's forking out to see the sequel. Don't be surprised if you all get stung again.:deal
I wasn't saying that hunter was mentioning the body work to make wards win look better, I meant that he was saying the stoppage was fine to make wards win look better. If he says that the stoppage was wrong then he also has to admit that groves was winning the bout more impressively than ward (which detracts from his win as groves was untested). By saying it was a correct stoppage it takes away the need to say groves was winning as he believes it was a legit tko (he surely can't) Anyway that's just my opinion. I also agree that froch was landing a lot of body shots that watt was ignoring on the commentary.