Paddy Fitzgerald - 'We will take the fight straight to Carl'

In fairness Antonio I don't think he's defending it, I just think he's pointing out that it wasn't obvious fouling, it was deliberate but disguised from the ref, which is why it wasn't punished.

I think we can both agree that rabbit punching is far more obvious, although I don't really think froch does it anymore than any other fighter in the clinches.

 

Great for the neutral if Groves does come out blasting.

 

He won't come out all guns blazing, he'll be smart and use his faster jab and footwork

 

Groves could easily do this and have success with it, IMHO.

Carl is weak on the back-foot, too slow to nail George when he is fresh and that means that he is a sitting duck. It's not like Carl is Pernell Whitaker now is it?

George within 5.

 

Wow, so does that mean Groves will be gassed after three rounds rather than 6? Fair play to him if he tries it but planning on knocking out Froch doesn't seem like a great plan to me and you've got to wonder why he didn't try to do that in round 2 of the first fight?

 

Paddy and George are smart enough to change their game plan midway through a round. Expect a cautious start from George...then upping the tempo...slowing down....Carl responding (because he switches off early rounds) and George nailing him.

 

nor is groves. even after getting his senses scrambled in the 1st, froch was exchanging and landing.

 

maybe, it wasn't clear and i ain't reading it again. even then, wanting a ref who can spot obvious but not subtle fouls is a little odd, don't you think? not that i'd call ward's butting subtle!

agreed, every fighter is dirty, when floyd sticks his forearm in someone's face it's masterful.

 

Fitzpatrick, talking exclusively to Telegraph Sport, added: “I said ‘Yes’ to [ref] Jack Reiss and they said ‘No’. People said he didn’t do a good job when Andre Ward fought Mikkel Kessler, as he missed headbutts, but there’s a difference between someone doing a deliberate headbutt and someone using their head in an old-school manner and not making it obvious.”

Does seem a bit of a weird way of validating something that's still not legal, after stating all he wants to make sure everything's legal. The term 'old school' or 'veteran move' or 'dark arts' all basically mean 'cheating'.

If he has a problem with cheating in general then he can't make exceptions.

Never mind. Fitzpatrick knows he's out of his league here, so he's trying to get all the complaining in in advance. They've complained their way to a fight that would have happened anyway, and now they're complaining about a fighter who - to my knowledge - has never had a point deducted in 34 fights. If they're so confident Groves is going to win and win big, what are they worried about?

As for what McCracken said about punching in the back of the head. Ward bores in with his head, which is illegal. Ducking and boring means that there's little 'legal' target to aim for, and if he isn't being disciplined in the ring for it, then a bit of tit for tat might get him to stop...that's what I think McCracken was getting at anyway...

 

If he says that's the plan, I believe him.

 

Telling the truth in the first fight has bought they the right to lie this time.

Degale thought he was getting a war too.

 

I don't pay attention to what Paddy says re tactics because he's not deciding them, Groves is & he said as much himself (several times) "doesn't matter who trains me" "all i need is someone to carry spit bucket" etc

 

Aren't. Haven't.