The Saturday fight night continues in my gaff with a few vodkas. I remember thinking sky sports commentary on the night was ridiculous and tonight reiterated it. Watt had a hard on for Froch that night like Adam Smith has for bare bums at a weigh in. Groves was ahead in that fight for me abd in fact, the round before the stoppage and the round of the stoppage, was battering Froch. Right hand from hell obviously ended it beautifully but Froch was really struggling for five minutes before he landed it. Funny sport boxing. Yes - Froch was much improved in second fight Yes - Groves wasn't as good However, Groves was winning the second fight and I always believed under Booth he could've got the job done. Fitzpatrick was a joke. Matters little now. Fun fight to rewatch!!
Fitzpatrick was a really odd choice, shame it ended with Booth the way it did. I felt Groves was damaged beyond repair after the first fight. His confidence made him a great fighter so when that was dented he was never the same.
Watched the first fight last night hatton....i think watt was the complete opposite for the first fight. Didnt credit froch with anything and went overboard with groves. Got a feeling someone had a quiet word with him and he tried to even it up in the second fight. Still say the stoppage was a shocker.....after rewatching it....froch looked finished himself. The power in his shots we,re fading...looked like a last throw of the dice for him. Luckily for him imo foster jumped in when he did because if groves weathered the storm...he had more left that froch....who was fighting his way into the fight but he did look like he was about to slow down. Always felt that groves started struggling with the weight between the first and second fight. He was free flowing the first fight...everything came easily but seemed more lethargic for the second fight. Although he has said since the gameplan was to keep energy for a big finish. Think groves had the beating of him but to frochs credit he holed himself up down in sheffield and worked harder than he,d ever worked before for that second fight. Got him the win in the end...i m not sure he would have without that dedication.
Watching it live, obviously I didn't hear any commentary. I thought Froch was controlling the fight behind his jab. Groves had his successes but he had to work very hard for them. It really was one for the purists. A really strategic Boxing match. Then that was that.
I, too, had Froch ahead 67-66 going into the 8th. Groves had been enjoying a good spell, but Froch was riding the worst off most punches. "Battering" is much too big a word. One of those bouts that is cagey/strategic and entertaining.
Exactly the way I saw both fights. Didn’t all the Americans have Groves up by at least a couple... Groves is a good character because he is well over them fights when he had every right to go Ricky Hatton post Pac style. He must have won 12/13 of the 17 rounds of the fights and lost in ways that would probably make many bitter. Instead it’s the clown Froch who seems hung up on the fights still. I fancied Groves in both fights but as soon as I saw how small the ring looked on the undercard to the second one I was worried.
