Carl Froch vs. George Groves 2: Fight Time, Date, Live Stream, TV Info and More
This fight is kind of a big deal.
Not since Chris Eubank and Nigel Benn waged boxing war during the 1990s have two English fighters had such a bitter and compelling rivalry.
On Saturday, "Saint" George Groves (19-1, 15 KO) and IBF and WBA super middleweight champion Carl "The Cobra" Froch (32-2, 23 KO) will do battle in one of the country's most iconic sports venues, Wembley Stadium.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
It's the second meeting between the two. Froch and Groves battled in Nov. 2013, and the fight was both exciting and controversial.
Groves dropped the champion in the first round with a hard right hand. Froch got up, but it took him about half a round to regain his complete wherewithal. Even after that, Groves seemed to be in control.
That lasted until the eighth round, when Froch began to shift the momentum. In the ninth, Froch caught Groves with a power shot, which hurt the challenger.
Groves began to cover up. He took a couple of shots around his guard but nothing that looked catastrophic. Peculiarly, referee Howard John Foster stopped the bout, awarding Froch the TKO win.
To say the stoppage seemed premature is an understatement.
From the excitement, the subsequent war of words and the controversy, this big-time rematch has been born.
For fight fans, this is a must-see fight.
American fans will be treated to a dynamic doubleheader, as Nonito Donaire will also challenge WBA featherweight champion Simpiwe Vetyeka.
Here's how you can watch.
When: Saturday, May 28 at 4:45 p.m. ET
Where: Wembley Stadium in London
TV: HBO
Live Stream: Box Nation (subscription required and region restricted)
The Book on Groves
How good of a trash-talker is Groves? When your opponent has to hire a mind coach to keep himself from being agitated, I'd say you're pretty effective at getting under your foe's skin.
Per Jeff Powell of the Daily Mail, Froch hired Manchester United mind coach Chris Marshall to help him focus on the fight and not his bitter battle of words with Groves.
A good trash-talker even has a comeback for that. Per Powell, Groves said, "He’s getting help trying to control himself but it’s not a psychologist he needs. It’s a psychiatrist."
As Paul Campbell of The Guardian states, at some point, Groves will need to walk the walk: "If the contest was about self-assurance, it would go the distance, but this rematch is not about words; it's about skill, speed, determination, durability and who gets the little bit of luck they need on the night."
The last time out, Groves walked just fine. But he did let The Cobra off the hook. Froch was badly hurt in the first round. Groves' inability to finish is what opened the door for the controversial result.
If he gets Froch in trouble in the rematch, he can't allow him to weather the storm.
The Book on Froch
It's safe to say Froch doesn't like Groves very much. You get the feeling there's no sincere ill will from Groves, but Froch seems genuinely peeved by his younger challenger's tactics.
In a sport where respect is so important to athletes, Groves gives very little to his countryman and elder.
Froch wants to shut up the unruly young Groves once and for all.
Froch told Powell the following about his hiring of Marshall: "I was guilty of letting George’s nonsense get to me first time out. I just wanted to flatten him. I needed to remind myself that it’s called boxing, not street-fighting. If an expert can be of assistance with that, why not?"
Whatever works. And no matter what anyone thinks about the first fight, Froch was officially called the winner.
He's still the champion and one of the pound-for-pound best in the sport. This mega-attraction is exactly the type of fight Froch (36 years old) wants to have in the waning years of his career.
Can he overcome the psychological edge Groves has over him to obtain glory?
Predictions
Groves' speed and power seemed to surprise Froch early on in the first fight. The challenger was able to reach the target and hurt the champion.
As the fight went on, Froch adjusted to the power and the speed. He still deserved to be down on points when the stoppage came, but he was in position to shift the tide. Groves seemed a little spent from the seventh round on.
Because of the way the fight ended, Froch has a slight edge heading into the rematch. That's assuming he doesn't begin to show more of his age in the bout. Groves has never fought in front of a crowd like the one he'll see at Wembley.
Froch has been around, and he's had invaluable experience in world championship fights. That will likely be the difference for him in the rematch.
Groves will probably do the exact opposite of what he's been saying he'll do. Instead of being aggressive early, he'll lay back and attempt to counter Froch.
Ultimately, it's going to come down to a slugfest. When that happens, Froch is simply the tougher of the two.
We've seen him rise up off the canvas. We've seen him take big shots from proven punchers. He'll stop Groves from a combination exhaustion and cumulative punishment.
Follow me. I'm passionate about boxing.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
