NEW YORK – May 28, 2020 – SHOWTIME Sports^® has announced today its SHOWTIME BOXING CLASSICS June slate, featuring a collection of Mike Tyson fights, Anthony Joshua vs. Wladimir Klitschko and other memorable moments from the network’s deep archive of world championship bouts. SHOWTIME BOXING CLASSICS airs every Friday at 10 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME and is also available via the SHOWTIME streaming service and SHOWTIME ANYTIME^®.

In June, the weekly series includes four nights of edge-of-your-seat boxing action featuring some of the most unforgettable bouts in recent years, including 2017’s unanimous Fight of the Year – Joshua vs. Klitschko – and a dramatic matchup between Adrien Broner and Marcos Maidana. In addition, Mike Tyson’s legendary knockout power will be on display with five fights in one night on June 12, and the semifinals and final of the Super Six World Boxing Classic will air on June 19 and June 26.

The full schedule is as follows:

• Friday, June 5 at 10 p.m. ET/PT
  • Joshua vs. Klitschko
  • Broner vs. Maidana
• Friday, June 12 at 10 p.m. ET/PT
  • Tyson vs. Frans Botha
  • Tyson vs. Julian Francis
  • Tyson vs. Lou Savarese
  • Tyson vs. Brian Nielsen
  • Tyson vs. Clifford Etienne
• Friday, June 19 at 10 p.m. ET/PT
  • Andre Ward vs. Arthur Abraham
  • Carl Froch vs. Glen Johnson
• Friday, June 26 at 10 p.m. ET/PT
  • Ward vs. Froch

Combat sports analysts Luke Thomas and Brian Campbell will host live companion episodes of their digital talk show MORNING KOMBAT on the Morning Kombat YouTube Channel for select SHOWTIME BOXING CLASSICS telecasts. They will watch the fights along with viewers, give their real-time reactions and take questions from fans throughout the replay. Viewers can follow along and participate in the discussion by using the hashtag #FightFromHome on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

SHOWTIME is currently available to subscribers via cable, DBS, and telco providers, and as a stand-alone streaming service through Amazon, Apple^®, Google, LG Smart TVs, Oculus Go, Roku^®, Samsung Smart TVs and Xbox One. Consumers can also subscribe to SHOWTIME via Amazon’s Prime Video Channels, Apple TV Channels, AT&T TV Now, FuboTV, Hulu, The Roku Channel, Sling TV and YouTube TV or directly at www.showtime.com.

Carl Froch and Darren Barker own some of the best wins on away territory by British fighters, and the duo talk about fighting on the road with Chris Algieri on the latest episode of ‘The Rounds’.
WATCH EPISODE TWO OF ‘THE ROUNDS’ AS CARL FROCH AND DARREN BARKER JOIN CHRIS ALGIERI
Froch began life as WBC World Super-Middleweight champion with a thrilling final round win over Jermain Taylor in Connecticut in April 2009, and then in 2010-11, ‘The Cobra’ went on the road during the Super Six series to face Mikkel Kessler, Arthur Abraham, Glen Johnson and Andre Ward.

Barker’s first World title action saw him face the formidable Middleweight king Sergio Martinez in Atlantic City in October 2011 and then returned to the same city in August 2013 to achieve his World title dreams in dramatic fashion against IBF king Daniel Geale.

Both men open up on those trips and more, including great stories on their sparring sessions together.

Carl Froch: “I enjoyed being on the road. When we boxed for England we were going to hostile environments and fighting top fighters back-to-back in nations tournaments, but I was always a nervous fighter. So, when I defended my title against Jermain Taylor in Connecticut, I was nervous about it all. 

“Not so much boxing abroad, but more that it was Taylor, a former undisputed Middleweight World champion. I saw him get out of this limousine for the press conference in NYC and he just looked like the don, he had this nice suit on and looked crisp and clean. I was just there with a hoodie and t-shirt and I was thinking ‘do I belong here?’ It was quite a daunting thing for me, and I was always quite nervous and apprehensive as a fighter, I was unsure of myself, and I was a new World champion and making my first defense. I didn’t really know if I belonged at World level and here I was fighting Taylor in America. I look back at that fight now and think how naive I was at that level and I just had to put all my trust in Rob McCracken and my fitness, my refusal to quit and my competitive nature, I like to win.

“[Kessler and the volcanic ash cloud] On Tuesday of fight week we had Sky News on and they were saying all the flights we grounded so I am thinking I am definitely not going, the US broadcasters aren’t going to be able to make it over, so it’s definitely off. We had a barbecue in the garden, I had a couple of cans of Guinness; I don’t drink much, and I had a couple of them in fight week! The next day my promoter rang me and said that the Sauerlands’s were sending a private jet and the flight was at 2pm. Private jet sounds glamorous but it wasn’t, it was a five-seater, it was bumpy all the way and Rob doesn’t like heights so he was white all the way and didn’t say a word, hanging onto the seat and looking at me, and I was winding him up saying ‘I think we’re bang in trouble here this plane is all over the place!’ 

“I crashed the weight which I never do, and at the weigh-in I felt weak. It’s the first and only time I ever did that, but I don’t want people to think I’m making an excuse, I felt good to fight and had a great 12 rounds against a brilliant fighter and I just didn’t quite do enough. But going over on the Wednesday under that ash cloud in fight week and being overweight, switching off, it was horrible. I believe that things happen for a reason though and in boxing you don’t win or lose, you win or learn. I learnt how to come back and in my next fight I fought Arthur Abraham and the WBC title was back up for grabs, that boosted my spirits and that loss then didn’t feel as bad. 

“The loss with Andre Ward felt worse. Andre is a fantastic fighter, very skillful, fast, hard to hit, good with his jab. I remember getting out of the fight thinking, I had a decent rounds in 10, 11 and 12, and I was getting into it and I thought, why didn’t I start earlier, why didn’t I get into it, why didn’t I believe in myself? But that’s what we do when we lose, we look for reasons.”

Darren Barker: “I never felt more nervous or under pressure in the States and I think a big part of that was the experience of fighting all over the world as an amateur.

“I flew into New York with Eddie Hearn and we were in and out for the Martinez press conference, I remember the American’s almost laughing at me for showing any confidence, even though I was undefeated and European champion, I just hadn’t fought anybody. I was confident in my ability, but it was the unknown, I had sparred hundreds of rounds with Carl, an elite level fighter, but it’s still sparring. I knew I was capable of being in there with elite fighters, but I didn’t quite understand where I was at the time. 

“I don’t have any regrets looking back at my career, but I have a slight one looking back at that fight because I think if I had believed in myself a little more, been more aggressive and forced the action more, then potentially I could have caused a huge upset. I’m not saying that it would have happened, I just wished I gave it a bit more. But the whole unbuild up was just the reason I chose boxing, I was on top of a huge skyscraper in New York for the presser and thinking, ‘this is it, I’ve made it’. I was walking up fifth avenue with Eddie and we walked past a shop with bright green trousers in the window and Eddie said: ‘you should buy them and wear them at the press conference for a laugh!’ I said: ‘no chance, I wouldn’t be seen dead in them!’ We got to the press conference and Sergio was wearing that exact pair of trousers! 

“The Repton club had a knack of churning out top quality Southpaws so I was never fazed at fighting them, I knew I would be able to compete with him and it was a great experience for me and one that was massively valuable going onto the Geale fight.

“I’d been to Atlantic City for the Martinez fight, so it wasn’t alien to me and I was driven to right that wrong. We had a similar game plan, to be aggressive but smart, on the front-foot and hold center of the ring. It wasn’t until I got in there that I realized how awkward he was, he had a knack of getting out of range, I was falling short and adopted a different plan to get on his chest and outwork him. 

“The moment I got put down in the sixth round, a lot of people know my brother Gary passed away, he was a very good fighter and if I had have lost that fight I would never have fought again, it would have been a box that hadn’t been ticked and it would have eaten away. So, I was just so prepared to leave everything in the ring that night that a body shot was never going to keep me down, fast-forward to the 12th round and hearing Michael Buffer say, ‘and the new’, I still can’t believe it. I achieved what I set out to do. 

“There were a lot of question marks over my toughness, but I always knew I was tough. You don’t do 12 rounds of sparring with Carl and not be tough! I always knew there was a fight out there to show everyone I was mentally and physically tough.”

Froch and Barker star in the second episode of ‘The Rounds’ and the first episode, featuring Mikey Garcia, Devin Haney and Daniel Jacobs talking about the highs and lows of boxing, can be found on Matchroom Boxing’s YouTube channel.

Over the past two decades, esteemed fight face Mick Hennessy navigated stars such as Froch, Witter, Barker, Eastman and the Fury cousins (Tyson and Hughie) through the fistic jungle and on to international acclaim. Now the innovative promoter’s son Michael Junior is poised to enrich the family’s fighting legacy…between the ropes!

The 19 year old 6ft 1in middleweight is an amateur centurion who served a quality ring apprenticeship on both sides of the Irish Sea and as a spar hand within several of the capital’s most revered pro academies.

Now the angel-faced action man intends utilising dad’s influence to take the outside lane to the top in the paid sphere.

While licences and medicals are due to be issued, the intention is to unleash Michael into the profession on his dad’s show at Manchester’s Victoria Warehouse on May 25th headlined by Hughie Fury’s return to the ring against Chris Norrard, exclusively live on Channel 5.

‘I’ve got a very exciting, TV friendly style. I love to fight and, in future, when I need to, the public will enjoy seeing me go toe-to-toe. Once people see me in action they’ll begin to realise I’ve served a very hard apprenticeship and I belong at this level.” quips Junior in a soft tone that belies the spite and aggression for which he is lauded once his boxing gloves are laced.

The Noble Art has been a fundamental factor in Michael Jr’s existence since before he could recite his alphabet.

‘Boxing’s my life,’ states bright boy Michael, who attained five A Stars and five A grades at GCSE level whilst also competing at the highest level of amateur boxing.

‘I’ve been attending my dad’s shows since I was as young as four or five. Dad’s biggest stars from fighters, to trainers to managers and promoters, were always around. During my teens, Dad paid me to work part-time in his office, where I got a behind the scenes look of how the game really works! I’ve been surrounded by the fight game my whole life.

‘My Dad never wanted me to box but it was inevitable. I started badgering him as young as six or seven but, initially, he always told me: ‘No’. He said if I still wanted to do it when I was 11, he’d take me to the gym and we shook hands on the deal.

‘True to his word, on my 11th birthday, I was taken to the local Sevenoaks ABC gym and also when in Ireland the St. Monica’s club in Newry (where Michael remained for the whole of his amateur career under Owen Murphy). I had my first bout just two months later and was fast tracked. I’d attend the gym on Monday and Wednesdays, then practise on the pads at home with Dad, every other night.’

Over time, the teen terror – who subsequently joined Body Shots Academy later on as his English club, but was coached from the off by his father – evolved into one of the most seasoned starlets on the unpaid circuit, scouring the seas in search of the trials and tests that could accelerate his development.

‘I had well over 100 amateur bouts but at least 60% were in Ireland where my dad’s family are from. I must have won well over three quarters,’ recalls the eldest of Hennessy Senior’s three children.

‘As an amateur, I won multiple Box Cups, and multiple London, Ulster, Antrim and Nine Counties titles. Having got to the semi-finals and finals of a few different prestigious national tournaments, I believe that if there was fair play involved, I would also have national titles on my record.

‘But, truthfully, as an amateur, it was always just about learning and gathering experience to succeed later in the pros.’

Encased in a boxing bubble from birth was always going to bring advantages but Papa Mick, himself a useful amateur during his youth around the Old Kent Road, disclosed that, from his formative years in the sport, young Michael rejected any notion of being ‘silver spooned’ through the sport.

‘As Michael was lying in bed after his third win, aged 11, I complemented him on a brilliant performance. As I went to leave the room, he said with this huge smile ‘Dad, 3 and 0!’ recalls Mick the promoter turned teacher.

‘I returned to his bedside and told him: ‘Son, in amateur boxing, there’ll be a lot of heartbreak; politics and bad decisions. Sure, I can keep you on home shows, where you won’t fight as much and we can go on a long unbeaten run or I can take you on the road where sometimes you’ll lose, other times you’ll get shafted but you’ll certainly learn to fight. What’s it to be?’ Without blinking, he replied: ‘The road, dad!’

‘Consequently, Michael has been boxing at an elite level since the beginning. He’s been very competitive his whole career against National, Commonwealth, European and World medalists, and also holds some notable wins over some of them.

‘For the pros, he’ll definitely need to tighten his defence, mind. He’s very, very aggressive if left to his own devices but I intend for Michael to have a long and successful career.’

Despite his tender years, slender frame and cherubic features, Hennessy Jr is adamant that he possesses the hardware required to flourish within The Hardest Game.

‘Most of the other amateurs boxed pretty much the same, darting in and out, picking points but, from day dot, I had a pro style that distinguished me, set me apart,’ states Michael who now studies Business and Property Development through open study.

‘I’ve been moving around with pros and doing the long rounds, from a young age. I won’t need to make many adjustments for the pros.

‘Despite being tall and slim, I like to work inside, I love the body shots and working up close. Lee Wilkins, trainer and owner of Body Shots gym nicknamed me ‘Miguel Hernandez’ at 14 due to my initials and because I fought like a Mexican. It caught on with all the lads and the nickname Miguel seems to have stuck.’

And this most engaging of young men is intent on making quite a splash when he debuts sans singlet and with the free-to-air Channel Five cameras rolling, in Manchester on Saturday week.

‘I’m not at all nervous about this; just relaxed and excited,’ concludes Michael.

‘I’m going straight into six-threes. Four-threes would be too similar to an amateur fight. We’re unsure on the opponent at the moment,”

‘But whoever it is, I’m looking to put on a spectacular performance and, hopefully get, a kayo victory. It’s going to be the start of an epic journey to the top!

You can follow Michael’s journey on social media: @mhennessyjr

Tickets priced at £40 & £70 are available from http://vipboxing.tv/shop/vip-tickets/hughie-fury-saturday-25th-may-victoria-warehouse/ and 01942 874 241

Leigh Wood is eager to emulate fellow Nottingham fighter Carl Froch by becoming a regular headline attraction in his home city as he prepares to make the first defence of his Commonwealth Featherweight crown against Ryan Doyle at the Motorpoint Arena Nottingham this Friday, live on Sky Sports in the UK and DAZN in the US.

Wood, who went to the same school as former Super-Middleweight World Champion Froch, claimed the Commonwealth belt by halting Abraham Osei Bonsu in two rounds in Peterborough and is promising to deliver another explosive performance as he looks to take over from Froch as the flagbearer for boxing in Nottingham.

“It’s not just about defending my belt successfully,” said Wood. “It’s all about putting in a performance worthy of headlining a show in my own city. It’s vital that I impress everyone attending the arena and watching at home if I want to boost my profile. Nottingham hasn’t had a show like this in nearly seven years so this is a huge chance to revitalise boxing in the city and I’m sure myself and the other fighters on the card won’t disappoint.

“Doyle is big for the weight, he’s got the height and range to cause problems. I think he brings the same thing every time but it’s definitely going to be a hard fight and a good test for me. He’s a former champion so it’s another step up from my previous opponent who I beat fairly comfortably. There’s a bit of pressure on him because if he loses against me it’ll be two on the bounce and he’ll have to drop down a level. If I’m at my best, which I will be, he won’t get anywhere near me let alone beat me.”

Nottingham boxing legend Froch announced his retirement from the sport in 2015 after a hugely successful career that saw him crowned World Champion four times. ‘The Cobra’ championed his home city throughout his career and will be remembered as one of its greatest sportsmen; Wood is determined to make Nottingham a regular fixture for Matchroom Boxing once more.

“He was a role model when I was coming through. He was a real inspiration and he still is. Carl achieved massive things for this city and he’s always been someone that I’ve looked up to throughout my own career. We went to the same amateur club, when I was a kid I remember watching him in the gym and he was a machine. He’s from the same little village as me so we’ve got a lot in common. When it comes to our boxing we’re not very similar, we’ve got different styles, but I definitely draw inspiration from him.

“When Froch retired a lot of fight fans had nobody to follow and they’ve been craving someone to support and get behind for a while now. There’s a big opportunity for me to take over as the flagbearer for boxing in my city so a big performance on Friday is vital for me. I love boxing in Nottingham and I would have every fight here if I could! My ticket sales for this fight have been great, they’ve been flying and it’ll be the biggest fanbase I’ve had yet. I need a performance to reflect that.”

The City Ground, home of EFL Championship side Nottingham Forest FC, will host tomorrow’s final press conference ahead of Friday night’s action and ‘Leigh-thal’, a huge Forest fan, would love to go one better by fighting at the home of his beloved club one day.

“I’ve been down Forest since I was a kid and they’ve always backed me heavily. I’ve been on the pitch a few times but to show off my new Commonwealth belt in March was special and I’m grateful for all of their support. I was taken back by the reception I received, there was plenty of chanting and applause.

“I would love to fight at The City Ground but it would have to be a big fight. It could happen, I’ve just got to keep winning, keep looking good and keep on improving. The only thing in my career that I’ve been missing for the past few years is momentum and now I’ve got the momentum I just want to push on.”

Remaining tickets priced £40, £60 and £120 (VIP) are available to purchase from StubHub (www.stubhub.co.uk), Motorpoint Arena Nottingham (www.motorpointarenanottingham.com) (Box Office tel: 0843 373 3000) and Matchroom Boxing (www.matchroomboxing.com)

Martin Murray says George Groves got his name from losing twice to Carl Froch – and believes he’ll look to shift the blame when he beats him in their clash for the WBA International Super-Middleweight title at The O2 on Saturday June 25, live on Sky Sports Box Office.

Murray believes Groves is too focused on being the ‘a-side’ of their battle, rather than focusing on the fight itself, as the Brit rivals look to move into line for a crack at the World title in the second half of the year.

The St Helens star has fought the best of the best over the last five years in World title fights, meeting Gennady Golovkin, Sergio Martinez and Felix Sturm in his Middleweight World title battles and tackling Arthur Abraham at 168lbs for the WBO World Super-Middleweight crown.

Groves holds three losses in World title scraps – twice at the hands of Carl Froch and most recently against Badou Jack in Las Vegas for the WBC title – and in their ‘The Gloves Are Off’ head-to-head on Sky Sports 1 at 10.30pm tonight, Murray says his resume at elite level outshines Groves’ and that the Hammersmith man passes the buck when he loses.

“I’ve been in bigger fights than him all over the world against better opposition,” said Murray. “The fact that his name comes first means nothing to me – I’m a 33 year old grown man, how’s that going to bother me?

“He got his name by losing twice to Carl Froch and that’s how he’s the a-side. If I’m not established enough as a World class fighter as it stands now, I’m going to get it when I beat George, even though I’ve been in the bigger and tougher fights than him, that’s the way it is. He thinks that the 80,000 tickets at Wembley were down to him, nothing to do with Carl.

“I don’t think he should’ve left Adam Booth. He finds it easy to pass the blame. He blamed the referee after the first Froch fight, he blamed a ‘punch from the gods’ for the second fight and blamed Paddy Fitzpatrick for the Jack loss.

“After Badou Jack I heard he was talking about retiring. He’s come back and had two fights where he’s been firing at sitting ducks where there’s been nothing coming back at him, so he’s got his confidence back now, and that makes now he thinks that this is an easy fight; but it’s not, and when it gets tough he will crumble. I want him to keep thinking that it’s easy, because he’ll find out next Saturday how wrong he is and I can’t wait to prove it.”

Murray and Groves clash on a huge night of boxing at The O2, as Anthony Joshua MBE defends his IBF World Heavyweight title against unbeaten American Dominic Breazeale.

Chris Eubank Jr defends his British Middleweight title against Welshman Tom Doran, John Wayne Hibbert clashes with Andrea Scarpa for the vacant WBC Silver Super-Lightweight title, Brixton Heavyweight Dillian Whyte returns to the fray, unbeaten Birmingham star Kal Yafai is in action, Olympic bronze medal man Anthony Ogogo continues his comeback from injury, Conor Benn fights for the third time in the paid ranks and there’s a debut for Team GB star Felix Cash.

British boxing great Carl Froch says WBO Middleweight King Billy Joe Saunders has the skills to take out Kazakh middleweight king Gennady Golovkin.

Froch, a four-time super-middleweight world champion, refuses to jump on the GGG bandwagon and has backed the undefeated Saunders to prove he is the world’s true middleweight champion.

Speaking to The Sun, the retired super-middleweight supremo said: “I’m not putting Golovkin on this pedestal that everyone has him on. Who has he beaten that Billy Joe couldn’t? His reputation is inflated. He’s obviously a very good fighter and can punch very hard but he’s a small middleweight,

“Beat somebody who is quality, beat him in style and I’ll start talking about you like you’re the next Sugar Ray Leonard or something.”

Froch added: “When I watch Golovkin, I see him getting hit with shots. He walks through them to land his but he’s wide open coming forward.”

The Jimmy Tibbs trained Hatfield star, 23-0-0 12 KO’s, makes the first defence of his world title against Golovkin’s compatriot ‘Mad’ Max Bursak; a man who boasts wins over British Champion Nick Blackwell and Brian Vera.

Saunders has previously expressed his desire to take on Golovkin in a massive summer showdown at the Emirates or Wembley and is now even more determined to nail down a lucrative world title unification fight.

He said: “Since I’ve won the world title I’ve grown in confidence. Having a man of Carl Froch’s experience backing me to win has given me even more of a boost. Carl Froch was one of the best fighters about so for him to say that is something. I already know in myself that I’ve got the beating of Golovkin with the right tactics.”

WBO World Middleweight Champion Billy Joe Saunders makes the first defence of his title against “Mad” Max Bursak and headlines an action-packed card that also features: The Vacant European Cruiserweight title between Ovill McKenzie and Dmytro Kucher; Ryan Walsh defends his British Featherweight Championship against James Tennyson; Anthony Nelson defends his Commonwealth Super-Flyweight Championship against Jamie Conlon. On the undercard fast rising undefeated heavyweight sensation Hughie Fury, Erith super-bantamweight Lewis Pettitt; Chingford super-featherweight Boy Jones Jnr; Indian middleweight sensation Vijender Singh; Chelmsford super-middleweight Billy Long, West Ham super-welterweight Sammy McNess; Sidcup super-featherweight D.P Carr; West Ham super-lightweight Ben Smith; Hornchurch super-lightweight Sanjeev Sahota; Nantwich heavyweight Nathan Gorman and Enfield super-middleweight Barney Joe Jones, all feature.

Tickets priced at £30, £40, £60, £80, £100, £150, £200 are available from See Tickets 0871 230 7148 and www.seetickets.com, Eventim 0844 249 1000 and www.eventim.co.uk, Ticketmaster 0844 8440 444 and www.ticketmaster.co.uk

The Channel Of Champions, BoxNation, will televise live and exclusive on Sky 437/HD 490, Virgin 546, TalkTalk 415 and Freeview 255. Subscribe at www.boxnation.com or watch online at watch.boxnation.com and via iPhone, iPad or Android and Amazon devices.

By Bart Barry-

Last week British super middleweight Carl “The Cobra” Froch announced his retirement, ending an unusually fine contemporary prizefighting career on an unusually high note. Froch’s final instant in a prizefight was his best – spearchiseling George Groves in a full Wembley Stadium on May 31, 2014 – and if Froch needed 14 months to be certain that was so, it’s altogether forgivable.

We like best the athletes to whom we relate best, superficially, profoundly, however – those men who exhibit qualities we like in ourselves but more so. To love Froch, one didn’t have to be an arrogant bastard reveling in expressions of masculinity, no. But it sure did help.

My favorite moment of Carl Froch’s career came not in a fight but a chat with fellow Brit George Groves, whom Froch stopped twice, and came in the leadup to their aforementioned, and in Froch’s case aforereiterated and aforereiterated, rematch. It wasn’t any one word or phrase or look or gesture, the second half of their chat was rich with too many, but rather the way Froch looked inside at himself, a posture he adopts often – for no one is as enchanted by the thought of Carl Froch as Carl Froch – and followed a process like: Perhaps this guy does know something about me that eludes me, maybe I am not everything I believe I am. No, wait, what could I believe – not imagine, but actually believe – I am that I am not? I stand by my belief, I am as I say I am, and I’ll hear no more dissent.

Froch bent where Groves was rigid, Froch examined himself from Groves’ seat, considered himself in an unfamiliar light, then invested his conclusion – he’s wrong about me, and I’m right – with even greater force. Then Froch imposed himself on George Groves, and before 80,000 of his countrymen, a lamplike number summoning its genie no matter how often Froch rubs it, Froch struck Groves with the best punch of his career, reducing Groves from petulant rival to beginner origami.

In an instant Froch had a chance to end his career at its highest moment, something nearly no boxer has done in our sport’s deep history, and one feared he mighn’t – that what he calls the “fighting machine” he makes himself into might cause a sloppy thing with Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., ever a sloppy thing, or a decision loss to Gennady Golovkin (if Golovkin could take Froch’s power in the later rounds, something Golovkin’s resume does nothing to assure). Instead, Froch looked inside at himself once more, projecting the relentlessness and brutality and boredom and doubt of a championship-caliber training camp, and realized there was little in life he desired less than another experience like that.

Boxing has so very few happy endings it should fill aficionados with gratitude much as any other emotion th’t Froch left our sport with wealth and wits, accomplishment and vindication.

The third time I saw Froch fight, his painfully forgettable tilt with PBC prototype Andre Dirrell – 10 parts athlete for every one part fighter – I wrote, “(Froch) really wants to fight even if he often seems not to know how.” That desire to fight, to lower his head and swim forward winging wide punches at a rate proportionate to his fatigue, was what made Froch unique, in large part because it actually worked.

Men who have never fought, who’ve not clenched their hands in fists and punched men square in the face, often beseech others in a fight to race forward with lunatic aggression, consequences to the wind. For reasons psychology understands well as biology, though, a man in a fair fight is more frightened of having his reputation harmed than his person; embarrassment concerns him more than pain. Only fighters who’ve planned to race forward wildly, and prepared themselves for the feat, can turn the trick in hot blood. All the rest of us stall, our frustration steering us towards paralysis, to a point where we approach targethood and view another man’s aggression, another man’s attempt at our unconsciousness, that is, favorably, almost thankfully – like Oscar De La Hoya silently beseeching Manny Pacquiao to knock him out because such an end would be multiples more honorable than quitting in full consciousness like De La Hoya did in his final instant as a prizefighter.

Froch was one man who did what the inexperienced ask every prizefighter to do: No matter how tired he was, Froch pressed forward wildly, not hopelessly, in a bid to take confrontations wholly out of the organized athletic realm and into something more primal. Subsequently, even Froch’s losses ended nobly. Review his 11th round with Andre Ward, when the eventual winner of the Super Six tournament – on a once-excellent network that no longer fears embarrassment – and one of this generation’s great fighters, Ward, desperately clinches, his mouth wide open, his knees softened. The final three minutes of Froch’s only other career loss, when he got decisioned narrowly in 2010 by Mikkel Kessler during the same Super Six, a loss Froch avenged just as narrowly in 2013, are a symphony of blood and violence and will, both men leaking from deep cuts over their eyes, neither man appearing to care who gets rendered unconscious so long as someone does.

During the 3 1/2-year prime of his prizefighting career, Froch went 7-2 (2 KOs) against Jean Pascal, Jermain Taylor, Andre Dirrell, Mikkel Kessler, Arthur Abraham, Glen Johnson, Andre Ward and Lucian Bute. No man with Carl Froch’s talent did more great fighting, no contemporary prizefighter, in other words, wrung more from his natural ability. The Nottinghamshire Cobra will be missed sorely.

Bart Barry can be reached via Twitter @bartbarry

Former Super Middleweight champion Carl Froch announced his retirement according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“I’m incredibly proud of what I have achieved in boxing, but now is the right moment to hang up my gloves,” Froch said. “I have nothing left to prove, and my legacy speaks for itself.”

“Carl Froch should be remembered for the fighter that he is, someone that never ducked anyone, that gave the paying public value for money every single day of the week,” said Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn, who promoted the final 11 fights of Froch’s career. “I’ve learned a lot being around him. He’s an inspirational guy, and he’s not someone that has come from the Olympic background and been given a platform to start on. He’s grafted for every single penny he’s earned and every bit of success he’s had, and for that you have to give him ultimate respect.”

In announcing his retirement, Froch, nicknamed “The Cobra,” also announced he would join Britain’s Sky Sports as an analyst. A subscriptions network in the United Kingdom, Sky Sports televises many of the sport’s biggest fights through its exclusive contract with Matchroom Boxing. Froch fought his biggest fights on Sky Sports or its pay-per-view arm, Sky Box Office.

“Sky Sports is the home of boxing and has followed me throughout my career,” Froch said. “I can’t wait to join the team and help bring fans the best fighters, the best contests and the best analysis. Nothing can replace the thrill of stepping into the ring, but with Sky Sports I’ll be doing the next best thing.”

Said Barney Francis, managing director of Sky Sports, “Carl retires as a legend of British boxing, a true champion, and we are delighted that he will be joining Sky Sports. As the home of boxing in the U.K. and Ireland, we can’t wait for Carl to provide viewers with his insight and expertise and help take our coverage to the next level.”

“He has a lot to offer the sport,” Hearn said of Froch. “He has been a wonderful ambassador for British boxing all over the world, and he should be celebrated for that. He’s never conducted himself in a bad way. He’s always been a positive role model, and I feel he can give back a lot to boxing, and he’s given a lot already.”

Carl Froch vacated his IBF Super Middleweight title due an elbow injury according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“It’s been a frustrating couple of weeks with terms agreed for the Chavez fight only for me to be unable to proceed in camp due to injury,” Froch said. “I know what it’s like to wait for a shot, and I didn’t want to hold James up in fighting for a world title. James is a great fighter, and I hope he can go out and win that title, and who knows, we may even meet later in the year.”

“Talks continue with the Chavez camp regarding a summer clash in Las Vegas, and discussions have taken place with Golden Boy Promotions regarding a bumper clash in [Froch’s hometown of] Nottingham with two-weight world champion legend Bernard Hopkins in the summer,” Hearn said.

James DeGale could face Andre Dirrell for the vacant belt.

Carl Froch has been shortlisted for BBC’s 2014 Sports Personality of the Year.

The Cobra made the list after his stunning KO win over George Groves at Wembley Stadium on May 31 – a night where boxing was centre stage and the Nottingham star’s huge right hand in the eighth round was the defining final act of a compelling night of sporting theatre.

Froch joins nine other British sporting stars in the running for the title; Wales and Real Madrid Footballer Gareth Bale, Dressage champion Charlotte Dujardin OBE, Paralympic gold medal Skier Kelly Gallagher MBE, Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton, Golf’s World number one Rory McIlroy, 10,000 metres European champion Athlete Jo Pavey, Commonwealth and European Swimming champion Adam Peaty, Commonwealth gold medal winning Gymnast Max Whitlock and GB’s only Winter Olympic Skeleton gold medallist Lizzy Yarnold.

The prize will be awarded at a ceremony at The SSE Hydro in Glasgow on December 14, with fans able to vote for the four-time World Super Middleweight champion on the night.

“It’s an honour to be named in the shortlist for Sports Personality of the Year,” said Froch. “It would cap an incredible year to win it but just to be next to those great names that have achieved so much this year is fantastic. I am really looking forward to travelling to Scotland in December and taking part in one of the seminal nights in the British sporting calendar.”

Hamburg/London 26.08.2014 – WBA world champion Jürgen Brähmer can’t wait to get in the ring for the super-duel against the Brit Carl Froch. The current IBF super-middleweight world champion recently announced he is only interested in a really big fight – now Jürgen Brähmer, a famous name on the boxing scene known around the world, is challenging the Brit to a bout. The former WBO and current WBA world champion in the light-heavyweight class intends to defend his title and is even prepared to drop a weight class for the duel. “If Froch is worried he doesn’t stand a chance of taking my title in my weight class, I’ll drop a division or we’ll agree a catchweight,” says champion Brähmer. Hailing from the northern German city of Schwerin, he’s even prepared to go to England to fight the duel: “If things work out, I’d definitely box on the island. A Germany v. England duel in Great Britain – what more could you want. After all, such highlights are why I became a sportsman and they electrify boxing fans around the world.” Promoter Kalle Sauerland considers such a duel as being entirely possible: “I have spoken to Froch’s promoter Eddie Hearn this week about this fight and it is something that we will be discussing in the coming weeks. Obviously there is a score to settle from the amateur days but also would represent a new challenge to Froch to test himself against the best Light Heavyweight in the Division“ says Sauerland.

If it comes off, the fight would actually represent a clash between two veterans of the ring: Between them, Jürgen Brähmer (35) and Carl Froch (37) have over 40 years’ experience in the ring. And with so much ring-time experience, it promises to be an epic duel particularly as the two have only suffered two defeats in their long, record-winning boxing careers and especially as both are feared owing to their high KO rates.
That said, a duel between the two world champions wouldn’t be the first time the two have come to blows as both set foot in the ring against each other during their amateur careers. Things look positive for Brähmer who, as an amateur, has already enjoyed victories over Felix Sturm and Ricky Hatton. “Jürgen was an outstanding amateur and an even better pro. I believe he can be victorious over Froch again as an amateur,” says Peter Hanraths, Jürgen Brähmer’s manager. If the duel actually happens depends mainly on Froch and his team.

According to Dan RaFael of espn.com, IBF Super Middleweight champion Carl Froch may defend his title against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr on January 24 in Las Vegas.

“Talks have re-opened with Top Rank regarding a proposed Froch versus Chavez fight with a date of Jan. 24th penciled,” Matchroom Boxing’s Eddie Hearn, Froch’s promoter, told ESPN.com on Tuesday. “Obviously, we have the potential to make another big domestic fight against [mandatory challenger] James DeGale and even a third fight with Mikkel Kessler, but either way we have given ourselves a deadline of 10 days to two weeks to map out Carl’s future.”

“We’re well on our way to making that fight for Jan. 24,” said Chavez promoter Bob Arum.

“I’m convinced we can get it done,” Arum said. “I made a proposal that I don’t want to get into, but I think it would be acceptable.”

“Business is business. They know this would be a big event there, and what happened with Pacquiao is not an issue that would affect Chavez and Froch,” Arum said, adding that his stepson, Todd duBoef, Top Rank’s president, had smoothed things over with Bill Hornbuckle, the president and chief marketing officer of MGM Resorts.

LONDON (June 21) – British middleweight ace Martin Murray is hoping to follow in the footsteps of four-time world champion Carl Froch.

The St Helens star battles Ukrainian Max Bursak in Monte Carlo tonight, live on BoxNation, and has told the channel he is hoping to emulate the formidable Nottingham assassin.

Prior to Froch’s stardom on British shores he was often on the road as he looked to make his name by taking on the super-middleweights very best, a path which is becoming a familiar one for the 31-year-old Murray who has fought abroad in three of his last four fights.

“[Fighting outside of the UK] was Froch’s path and it’s looking like this is my path too. Everyone has their own path and I’m taking it as a positive, I’m flying all over the world and it’s a great pleasure doing something that I love,” said Murray.

“It’s my journey and I’m loving it but the idea would be to come home as a world champion, like Froch, and sell out venues and arenas – that would be great. However, I’m under no illusions that that is what’s going to happen.

“All I can do is keep working my hardest, get my hands on a world title and hope that does eventually happen. But sometimes people don’t get what they deserve so all I can do is keep working hard and hopefully things will work out the right way,” he said.

The sturdy 160-pounder looked like he may have claimed his first world title last year when he took on Argentine hero Sergio Martinez for his WBC middleweight crown.

However, despite knocking down Martinez and finishing strongly, the judges ruled in favour of the hometown man who kept his belt in front of a hostile Buenos Aires crowd.

Murray’s gallant display proved that he was more than a match for the world’s best middleweights, however, with his career expected to flourish, a split with Hatton Promotions saw him sidelined without a fight for seven frustrating months.

“I was buzzing in the gym and put the [Martinez] fight behind me and took it as a learning curve. I couldn’t wait to get back fighting and pushing on from there but seven months later it was horrendous,” Murray told BoxNation.

“I was buzzing right after [the Martinez fight] and kept myself motivated for months but eventually got frustrated with everything that went on, with the fights that were happening and then weren’t happening and all that stuff.

“By the time I fought in December I hadn’t recovered from a virus so I was still a bit run down. Towards the end I got fed up with things that happened. I’m a firm believer that if you work hard things will happen, that’s how I motivated myself.

“But they didn’t [happen] and I was a little bit sad and kind of lost the love for boxing coming off the high of the Martinez fight. I’ve got a great team around me now and just loving boxing at the minute and am looking forward to this fight,” he said.

Murray, who has accumulated a record of 27 wins with one loss and one draw – that being against the then WBA Super middleweight world champion Felix Sturm in 2011 in Germany – is convinced that he will eventually achieve his dream of becoming a world champion.

His fight with Bursak this Saturday night represents a stepping stone for him as he looks to put right two blemishes on his record that he believes were unwarranted.

“I don’t care what anyone says, the two losses on my record none of them were convincing. I’ve said the Sturm fight the decision was a draw but the Martinez fight I thought I won it,” he said.

“I’ve mixed it with two of the best middleweights over the past couple of years so I know I’m up there at the elite level and that I will eventually become a world champion and get my hands on the belt – I just need to keep working hard starting this weekend,” Murray said.

Murray’s clash is followed by a mammoth Golden Boy Promotions bill later that night with Robert Guerrero making his ring return against Japanese banger Yoshihiro Kamegai, rising stars Gary Russell Jr and Vasyl Lomachenko battling for the vacant WBO featherweight world title and Devon Alexander taking on Jesus Soto Karass in a ten round contest.

Murray vs. Bursak/Guerrero vs. Kamegai is live on BoxNation (Sky 437/490HD & Virgin 546) this Saturday night. Visit www.boxnation.com to subscribe.

-Ends-

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By Bart Barry–

Saturday at London’s Wembley Stadium British super middleweight titlist Carl “The Cobra” Froch stood before 80,000 of his countrymen, and across from a particularly obstinate one named George Groves, and told them to set aside the ample achievements of a career he casually calls “unbelievable” and judge his legacy on one criterion: How he acquitted himself in what 36 minutes followed. And then in the final 20 seconds of round 9, roughly 27 minutes into a pitched rematch, Froch struck Groves with a right cross so pure that in a flash it made Froch the historic sports figure he desperately wishes to be.

Whatever aficionados opined of him Saturday morning or opine of him today, Carl Froch knows what he is about. That attribute distinguishes him much as another. It is what allowed him to take his talent to a place his athleticism did not anticipate, an athleticism that suffered no loneliness, there: Who seeing Froch for the first time across from Andre Dirrell, in their memorably awful 2009 fight, anticipated the run Froch concluded Saturday?

Froch has been for the most part unabashed about conceding his use of a sports psychologist, which is likely not his first psychologist nor his last, and that sort of disinterested observation, reportage and maintenance from another can be quite a boon for an athlete who seeks an advantage of any kind over an athletically superior opponent – especially since many if not most of the men Froch has vanquished since 2008 have been, on paper, or in a gym, or on a track, or anywhere other than a prizefighting ring, superior to him. If Froch’s self-belief is by definition absurd it is nevertheless held deeply enough to be unreachable by any punch or word.

When Froch’s identity, not his shtick but his identity, is challenged – and unlike many an American athlete, Froch is exact in his separation of identity and shtick, knowing where they overlap and where one is devoid of the other, as evidenced by his self-deprecation about using the autobiographical title “international superstar” before his November match with Groves, a touch of self-awareness Floyd Mayweather couldn’t find on Freud’s couch itself – Froch looks upon his inquisitor not with contempt so much as incredulity: If you told Carl Froch his comportment is not the finest example of such in contemporary prizefighting, he’d not give you a look reserved for the enemy so much as a three-headed extraterrestrial.

Because Froch knows what he is about he can be vulnerable in moments that strike unpredictably as his jab, he can kneel before Rachael Cordingley, the model and mother of his children, minutes after the greatest moment in his storied career and sheepishly ask her hand in marriage, and then, sitting mashed on the apron against a man he put in an oxygen mask not a half-hour before, confess even more sheepishly he’d gone and asked his “sneaky question” and that she’d said yes. That vulnerability is what makes his courage and confidence and arrogance still more fascinating, especially when presented to American ears not accustomed to the mother tongue spoken well by athletes.

That fascination came through in Paulie Malignaggi’s voice, Saturday. The man voted by the Boxing Writers Association of America 2013’s best broadcast journalist was part of a three-man Sky Sport’s telecast that offered more insight between rounds than HBO’s four-man crew offered in the month of April, and he was not timid in his praise of Froch, saying Froch had done something exceptional – an observation no doubt aided by Malignaggi’s presence in Wembley Stadium, where, coincidentally, the biggest prizefight of 2014 happened approximately a continent and an ocean away from HBO’s nearest production truck. Malignaggi is a real dude, oftentimes too real, a man whose struggles for an unshakeable identity have happened publicly – who does not remember what befell his coiffure when last Malignaggi graced a British boxing ring? – but a man whose self-belief, too, is more settled than most, and a man who captured with his words and voice what every man who watched Saturday felt: Right now, I wish I was Carl Froch.

It strains one’s imagination to think the man who fought Albert Rybacki in 2008 would be fighting before 80,000 of his countrymen six years later, and it is exactly impossible to imagine that same man in that same situation would land the punch Froch did to take his rematch with Groves, instantly, from competitive scrap to sympathetic spectacle. Who that saw Groves reduced from a man to an accordion in round 9 by Froch’s perfectly leveraged right cross did not for a second or two feel remorse for the cruelty that felled Groves, the unrelenting self-promoter?

It was not Froch’s 3-2 combo, left hook-right cross, that ended Britain’s largest post-war prizefight so perfectly, or at least not just Froch’s combo. No, it was the feint that did it, too, the threatened malice, fortified by what 3-2 combos Froch landed imprecisely in rounds 5 and 6 and 8, that froze all but Groves’ rear guard, allowing Froch to step deeply into Groves’ space and connect flush with the hardest righthand thrown by a Brit since heavyweight Lennox Lewis nearly decapitated Hasim Rahman with the same combination in 2001.

Froch should retire on that perfect punch, and he acknowledged such on Sky Sports’ telecast, conceding nothing he does for the rest of his life will surpass what he did Saturday, but he’s a fighter, all fighter, and that means his retirement timing is necessarily poor as his courage is long, and he’ll come to the late-arriving artificiality of a Las Vegas prizefighting crowd sometime before he’s done and “see my name in lights” – whatever exactly he means by that. If his options comprise a beating of Mexican Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., a rematch with American Andre Ward, or a tilt with unproven Kazakhstani middleweight Gennady Golovkin, Froch ought choose Chavez – allowing Ward the ongoing joy of semiretirement and telling Golovkin first to prove himself at least George Groves’ equal.

It matters little, ultimately, as this truism will persist: If every prizefighter were like Carl Froch, ours would be the world’s most popular sport.

Bart Barry can be reached at bart.barrys.email (at) gmail.com

Carl Froch silenced any critics as he stopped George Groves for the 2nd time in eight months, this time in front of over 80,000 spectators at Wembley Stadium in London to retain his IBF/WBA Super Middleweight titles.

Groves boxed well over the first four rounds as he was quicker with the jab and landed an occasional right hand against Froch, who looked lethargic as he did not turn up his energy. Froch started landing with some solid shots in round five and began to slowly dictate the action. In round six and seven, Froch continued to come on strong by mixing in body shots.

In round eight, Froch landed a booming right hand that sent Groves down. With Groves’leg bent underneath him, referee Charlie Fitch immediately waved the fight off at 2:43 of round eight.

Froch, 167 1/4 lbs of Nottingham, England is now 33-2 with 24 knockouts. Groves, 166 1/4 lbs of London is now 19-2.

Follow all the action when Carl Froch and George Groves get it on in an highly anticipated Super Middleweight title rematch that will take place in front of over 80,000 fans in Wembley Stadium. The action begins at 4 PM ET / 9 PM in London.

REFRESH EVERY COUPLE MINUTES FOR LIVE UPDATES

12 ROUNDS–WBA/IBF SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHT TITLE–CARL FROCH (32-2, 23 KO’S) VS GEORGE GROVES (19-1, 15 KO’S)

Round 1 Both guys jabbing…Groves lands a jab..Froch lands a jab..right…10-9 Froch

Round 2 Exchange of rights..quicjk left from Groves...19-19

Round 3 Froch lands a hard right…Groves lands a better right..jab to the body..right over the top…2 good left hooks…right..29-28 Groves

Round 4 Right from Groves…Left and right from Groves…good 1-2…1-2…left hook from Froch..left…Froch lands to the body…39-37 Groves
GRound 5 Hard right by Froch..wobbles Groves to the ropes..Groves lands a right..Hard right..Hard body shots from Froch…48-47 Groves

Round 6 Froch lands a right…Froch lands a combo on ropes...57-57

Round 7 Hard left from Groves…another left..Froch lands a flurry of body punches..Good right…67-66 Froch

Round 8 Froch lands a right…Body shots..HARD RIGHT AND DOWN GOES GROVES AND THE FIGHT IS OVER

By Norm Frauenheim

London’s Wembley Stadium will be the stage Saturday for what figures to be a terrific rematch in the second edition of Carl Froch-versus-George Groves and an even better lesson for what ails the business in North America.

It’s pretty simple, obvious enough to be embarrassing. Give the fans what they want. From New York to Las Vegas and Los Angeles, that market fundamental has been lost, or perhaps ignored for all the tired reasons that have been reported ad nauseam for the last few years.

It’s an era that should be remembered for Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather Jr. and maybe a rematch or two. Instead, it’s marked by the deadly Top Rank-Golden Boy feud that denied customers what they have wanted the most.

The Wembley crowd is expected to be 80,000, a UK record, for a fight between two very good super-middleweights. Yet, neither Froch nor Groves will ever be Mayweather and Pacquaio, who were and perhaps still are the best of their generation. If Froch and Groves can draw 80,000 to an arena for a grudge match-turned-spectacle, imagine what Mayweather could have done, or perhaps can still do.

Froch-Groves is essentially a UK story full of tension between the two and controversy about a debatable stoppage that allowed Froch to win a ninth-round TKO last November in Manchester. But their rematch is also a snapshot look at what could have – should have – been. The world has wanted Pacquaio-Mayweather.

The good news in Froch-Groves is that it is a sure sign business can thrive if it’s done right, which simply means that the customers are always more important than promotional egos. After all, Froch could have walked away, or hid behind some marketing spin or manufactured social polls in an attempt to fight somebody else. But that would have been running away from what the market demands. That would have been stupid. Froch isn’t. A record crowd is about to thank him.

The bad news, at least in North America, is in declining television numbers for major bouts over the last few months. HBO’s pay-per-view buy rate for Pacquiao’s rematch victory over Timothy Bradley on April 12 at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand was reported to have been between 750,000 and 800,000. Solid, yet short of the million milestone. As of Thursday, there was still no official word on Showtime’s PPV buy rate for Mayweather’s majority decision over Marcos Maidana on May 3, also at the MGM Grand. Fair or not, a slow count means Showtime is no rush to report disappointing numbers, which have been speculated to be about 900,000, also short of the million marker.

Numbers can be twisted into equations that serve just about any agenda. But the last two from Pacquiao and Mayweather point to the same result: Exasperation at no Mayweather-Pacquiao is beginning to add up to fewer customers.

A further red flag was raised Saturday in light-heavyweight Adonis Stevenson’s surprisingly difficult decision over Andrzej Fonfara in a non-PPV bout in Montreal. In his first fight since jumping from HBO to Showtime in late March after signing with advisor Al Haymon, the Stevenson-featured card drew an average audience of 672,000, according to Nielsen. The rating peaked at 800,000 for Stevenson-Fonfara.

Stevenson’s last fight on HBO — a sixth-round stoppage of Tony Bellew in November – drew a reported audience of 1.3 million, also for a non-PPV bout. Some difference was expected, because HBO has a bigger universe (29 million) than Showtime (23 million). But even at the 800,000 peak for the victory over Fonfara, the audience for Stevenson was down by half-a-million.

Forget the marketing spin, which will try to explain away the decline. Like the latest returns from Pacquiao and Mayweather, the Stevenson numbers are rooted in what the customers have been denied. Before Stevenson jumped to Showtime and Haymon, there was momentum for a Stevenson-Sergey Kovalev fight.

Kovalev-Stevenson wasn’t Pacquiao-Mayweather, but it was a good alternative for fans weary of not getting the fights they wanted the most. Just when it looked as if the bout would happen late this year, Stevenson walked away from the blockbuster. A lot of customers joined him.

Many more will walk away from a lot more if feuding promoters don’t pay attention to Froch and Groves to a London primer in basic business sense.

Below are quotes from today’s Froch vs. Groves II Final press conference in London. Froch vs. Groves II happens Saturday, May 31 live on HBO beginning at 4:00 p.m. ET/PT.

Carl Froch
“I still can’t believe that we’ll be walking out in front of 80,000 fans, boxing fans and non-boxing fans.”

“I’ve prepared for this fight like no other fight before. Unbelievable shape. Just perfect shape.”

“I’m extremely confident and I put a lot of my confidence down to my…boxing career.”

“I think every fight in every professional boxer’s career is equally as important. This one, because of the stage in my career, because of these two world titles, because it’s an immediate return against George Groves, has an air of importance.”

“This is by far the biggest fight of my unbelievable career.”

“Hardcore boxing fans know what I’m about. And when I turn up in the shape I’m in now, you’ve seen it time and time again against top competition, I’ve proved I can perform.”

“I know what I need to do and I know how to do it.”

George Groves
“This couldn’t be more perfect really. I’m going to become World Champion in London.”

“56 hours seems a little too long for me right now.”

“I’m fortunate that I’m in that situation. Saturday night I will arrive, fully, properly. No stone will be left unturned. We are fully prepared.”

“It will be the left hook that finishes Carl Froch on Saturday night.”

“I could’ve gone 12 rounds the first time. The referee shouldn’t have stopped the fight. That’s why we’re here right now.”

By Bart Barry-

In a “Gloves Are Off” prefight conversation more entertaining than a highlight reel of every eerily scored “Face Off with Max Kellerman” episode HBO has aired, British super middleweight George Groves, dangling awkwardly in a frame hung by his opponent as a man who makes mysterious predictions profound to him alone, assured Sky Sports host Johnny Nelson of victory this Saturday in his rematch with Carl “The Cobra” Froch:

“I will knock Carl Froch out on May 31st,” said Groves, diverting briefly his eyes from staring in disbelief at Froch. “And I’ll tell you which punch I’m going to do it with – on fight week.”

“Let me guess,” said Froch in a belittling deadpan. “It’s going to be a left or a right.”

It was fine an example as any of Froch’s singularly unflappable comportment in the face of other men’s threatened aggression. Froch’s approach to insulting opponents, prefight, is more devastating for its calm and often eloquent expressions of contempt so deeply set that his heart rate doesn’t quicken even in self-amusement. Like the wrastlers of bygone years, Froch’s self-belief hails from parts unknown. It is the most essential element of what will almost assuredly be our sport’s largest event in 2014 – one made between British fighters by a British promoter in a British stadium by a British cable network, evidence, perhaps, of how much healthier our sport is when kept out American hands – an event that will sell more tickets than the aggregate of Mayweather-Maidana, Mayweather-Alvarez, Mayweather-Guerrero and Mayweather-Cotto.

Froch’s self-belief, an entity that ranges liberally in the large field between confidence and arrogance, was once merely amusing to American aficionados. In his first trip to our continent, Froch came within 14 seconds of losing to a diminished Jermain Taylor. Six months later, in a dreadful start to a wonderful concept, Froch decisioned American Andre Dirrell in the inaugural match of Showtime’s “Super Six” tournament, a snakebitten arrangement that nevertheless got both its creator, Ken Hershman, and its winner, Andre Ward, promoted to HBO, and made an international star of Froch, the colorful runner-up. Froch won a hometown decision of sorts over Dirrell by revealing the American was an athlete, not a fighter, while warming to the idea of a fight even if not knowing how properly to perform one. Froch then lost a close decision to Mikkel Kessler in Denmark, before defeating Arthur Abraham and Glen Johnson – when both were more highly considered than we may remember.

Froch’s stature and confidence grew disproportionately, making him quite likable to strong-character types: For once a man claiming to be more than appearances indicated was more than appearances indicated. Froch has proved many times more than a sum of his parts in a prizefighting ring; his reflexes are good, as is his chin, and he has power enough that no one engages him straight away or else gets iced, but his defense is porous and his footwork is ungainly and his punches’ effect appears to derive more from his belief in their effect than anything resembling effective technique.

He was outfought and given his first defeat in 2011 by Andre Ward, a transcendentally good fighter before his semiretirement as an HBO commentator, but even in that fight it was Froch, not Ward, who appeared stronger in the latter 18 minutes. Then in a twist only American cable television could devise, the winner of Showtime’s super-middleweight tournament, Ward, was unable to fight Showtime’s super-middleweight house fighter, Lucian Bute – for whom crowning a suitable opponent appeared to be the entire point of the tournament. Froch signed-up to fight Bute instead. Froch went through Bute like a roller-coaster train through a pile of shaving cream, stopping the undefeated Romanian in round 5 and denying boxing’s legion of malcontent fans one more match, Ward-Bute, they were never going to get anyway. Six months later, Froch made a homecoming to Nottinghamshire and flattened Yusaf Mack in three rounds. Then he decisioned Mikkel Kessler a year ago in their rematch in London.

Six months after that, Froch took on an undefeated Londoner who’d once acted as his sparring partner, George Groves, in a match so lightly considered in the United States it didn’t land on a network called AWE till a month before opening bell – with neither Showtime, who introduced Froch to American audiences, nor HBO, who finances Andre Ward’s semi-retirement with commentating gigs, bothering to carry it. Had more than a handful of Americans been able to see the match, they’d have seen Froch conclusively outclassed for nearly every minute of the match, getting drilled with righthands, and getting made to look fragile by righthands, in a way few would believe.

Worse yet were Froch’s punches. They appeared, in the opening two or three rounds, like open-handed cuffs. The Cobra looked like nothing so much as a man alternately slapping either end of a large watermelon while staggering drunkenly forward in a head-lowered rage. And that was before Groves put the stopwatch to Froch’s every hung jab, blasting the titlist with even more righthands, blasting him enough not only to drop and wobble him in round 1, to hurt him in a way no one had before, but also to make Froch throw the sort of push-off jab that invites an opponent’s fury and incites aficionados’ contempt. There was contempt everywhere in that ring, and finally it was contempt – that which Froch felt for the usurper Groves – that caused Froch to surge obdurately forward in round 9, catching Groves with clean shots enough to make referee Howard Foster interfere with the match and call-out a TKO victory for Froch.

The fans were displeased as Groves was, though Foster’s comportment was not dishonorable, however the honorable International Boxing Federation ruled shortly after considering what sanctioning fees it might collect for a mandatory rematch. And so we have one, a fight expected to sell 80,000 tickets and fill London’s Wembley Arena for what knowledgeable British commentators are openly calling one of the largest prizefights in the history of their island.

It appears Groves may have Froch’s number in a way reminiscent of Antonio Tarver having Roy Jones’, or in keeping with the sparring partner tradition, in the way Paul Williams had Antonio Margarito’s. Froch has even gone so far as to hint it may be his final prizefight. It won’t be, of course, but it is noteworthy nevertheless as a reminder: Sporting characters original as Froch appear so rarely on American television screens it behooves us to watch and appreciate them whenever we’re granted the access.

Bart Barry can be reached at bart.barrys.email (at) gmail.com

American boxing fans can catch a highly anticipated UK rematch and a title fight from Macau when HBO BOXING AFTER DARK®: CARL FROCH VS. GEORGE GROVES II AND SIMPIWE VETYEKA VS. NONITO DONAIRE is seen SATURDAY, MAY 31 at 4:00 p.m. (ET/PT). The HBO Sports team will be calling both events, which will be available in HDTV, closed-captioned for the hearing-impaired and presented in Spanish on HBO Latino.

Other HBO playdates: June 1 (8:30 a.m.) and 3 (1:00 a.m.)
HBO2 playdates: June 1 (3:15 p.m.) and 2 (11:00 p.m.)
Just six months after their first encounter, two of the UK’s favorite sons, Carl Froch (32-2, 23 KOs) of Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England, and George Groves (19-1, 15 KOs) of Hammersmith, London, England, clash in a 12-round title rematch before more than 80,000 fans. Groves dominated the first eight rounds of their Nov. 2013 bout, and appeared well on his way to a unanimous decision, but Froch launched a tireless barrage of shots midway through the ninth in a dramatic turn of events. While the hurt yet gritty Groves remained on his feet, Froch’s attack compelled the referee to end the fight in controversial fashion. This highly charged 168-pound bout will air on HBO at 4:45 p.m. (live ET/tape-delayed PT).
The action begins at 4:00 p.m. (ET/PT) with full same-day coverage of the scheduled 12-round featherweight title fight between challenger Nonito Donaire (32-2, 21 KOs) and titleholder Simpiwe Vetyeka (26-2, 16 KOs) from Cotai Arena at The Venetian® Macao in Macau, China. In his season debut, Donaire, who has won titles in four divisions and was the sport’s 2012 Fighter of the Year, seeks a new crown. A native of General Santos City, Philippines, now living in Las Vegas, he started a new winning streak last fall on HBO with a ninth-round KO victory over Vic Darchinyan in their rematch. Vetyeka, of Mdantsane, South Africa, will be making the first defense of his 126-pound title.
Later that evening (11:15-11:45 p.m. ET/PT), HBO presents the first episode of “24/7 Cotto/Martinez,” the latest installment of the Emmy ®-winning series. The show profiles superstars Miguel Cotto and Sergio Martinez as they prepare for their June 7 blockbuster encounter on HBO Pay-Per-View®.
At midnight (ET/PT), HBO Latino presents a special edition of “HBO Latino Boxing” from the Tropicana Casino Hotel and Resort in Las Vegas. Javier Fortuna (24-0-1, 18 KOs) of the Dominican Republic takes on Mexico’s Juan Antonio Rodriguez (26-4, 23 KOs) in a super featherweight event scheduled for ten rounds, while Luis Rosa (16-0, 7 KOs) and Luis Orlando Del Valle (18-1, 13 KOs), both of Puerto Rico, open the show with a scheduled ten-round super bantamweight fight. Subscribers can also catch the action with English-language commentary on HBO2 at midnight (ET/PT).
HBO2 and HBO Latino will replay FROCH VS. GROVES II after the action from Las Vegas concludes.
All HBO boxing events are presented in HDTV. HBO viewers must have access to the HBO HDTV channel to watch HBO programming in high definition.
Follow HBO boxing news at hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/hboboxing and on Twitter at twitter.com/hboboxing.
The executive producer of HBO BOXING AFTER DARK is Rick Bernstein; producer Thomas Odelfelt; director, Johnathan Evans.
® HBO BOXING AFTER DARK is a registered service mark of Home Box Office, Inc.

Team Sauerland are proud to announce the signing of George Groves (19-1, 15 KOs). The 26 year-old super middleweight star has put pen to paper and signed a long term promotional contract with Europe’s leading boxing promoter ahead of his Wembley Stadium mega-fight with Carl Froch for the WBA and IBF World Super Middleweight Titles.

‘’I am extremely pleased to have signed with Team Sauerland,’’ said Groves. ‘’I have boxed on their shows in the past and have known Kalle and Nisse (Sauerland) for years. The shows they put on in Europe are phenomenal. This is definitely a step in the right direction for me as I look to build my name not only across Europe but all around the world. I feel that now I have the right team in place to help me achieve everything I need to in boxing.’’

Said promoter Kalle Sauerland: ‘’We are proud to have won the race for George’s signature and look forward to guiding one of the most exciting talents on the planet. We are sure that George will write boxing history and delighted that we will be a part of the journey on a personal and business level.’’

Groves joins Team Sauerland’s stable of champions which includes former five-time world champion Mikkel Kessler, WBO Super Middleweight Champion Arthur Abraham, WBO Cruiserweight Champion Marco Huck, IBF Cruiserweight Champion Yoan Pablo Hernandez, WBA Light Heavyweight Champion Juergen Braehmer and British heavyweight star David Price.

HAYWARD CA, (May 19, 2014) – Gary Shaw Productions and Antonio Leonard Promotions undefeated Super-Middleweight contender, Brandon “Flawless” Gonzales (18-0-1, 12 KOs) ranked IBF # 3, is in beast mode for his upcoming showdown with IBF # 4 James DeGale (18-1, 12 KOs) for the IBF mandatory position. The 12-round bout is set to take place at Wembley Stadium in London, United Kingdom on May 31, 2014, on the undercard of Carl Froch (32-2, 23 KOs) vs. George Groves (19-1, 15 KOs).

Gonzales on the current status of his career…
“My promoters Gary Shaw and Antonio Leonard, along with my manager James Prince are doing a great job with my career. I’m in a big fight and I can’t ask for anything more. Now it’s up to me to bring home the victory. I’m very happy with the current standing of my career.”

Gonzales on training with Virgil Hunter…
“Virgil and I got a great game plan for this fight. We see some weaknesses in Degale’s defense that I’ll be taking advantage of. Sparring is almost wrapped up and I got good work with elite level guys. I’ve been training extremely hard for this fight. My mind is in beast mode and I can’t wait to get in the ring.

Gonzales speaks on traveling overseas to fight in hostile territory…
“I know my back is against the wall traveling to DeGale’s home turf and getting a decision will be difficult, but I’m confident that the judges will be fair. With 80,000 people rooting against me, I’m going to be extra motivated to silence the crowd. I’ll be looking to end the fight early but if I need to go all the way then I’m prepared to go the distance. ”

Gonzales comments on his match up with James DeGale…
“I’m anticipating a very strategic approach from DeGale but that won’t matter because I’m going to be dictating the pace and setting the tone. He’s accomplished winning an Olympic Gold Medal so we know he has great boxing skills that got him to this point in the pros. So with that being said, I’ll have to implement my game plan and make adjustments as the fight goes on.”

Gonzales addresses his hunger to be a world champion…
“This is the biggest fight of my career. A win puts me in the mandatory position with the IBF. I know if I come out on top, I’ll most likely be fighting the winner of Froch vs. Groves for the IBF Middleweight title. I’m a hungry fighter and nothing is going to stop me, I’m on a mission to be the best. My dream of becoming a world champion is so close I can taste it.”

MONTREAL (May 6, 2013) – Nothing has ever been handed to undefeated world lightweight contender Ghislain “Mani” Maduma (16-0, 10 KOs). Unable to get a world title shot, the Congo-born, Montreal fighter is forcing the issue, fighting “Mighty” Kevin Mitchell (37-2, 27 KOs) in his backyard on May 31 in an International Boxing Federation (IBF) title eliminator, on the Matchroom Boxing-promoted Carl Froch-George Groves card at famed Wembley Stadium in London.

The 29-year-old Maduma is world rated by the World Boxing Council (WBC) at No. 3 and No. 4 by the IBF. Only IBF No. 5-ranked Mitchell, who has failed in two previous world title fights, stands between Maduma and his ultimate goal of a showdown with IBF 135-pound champion Miguel Vazquez.

“This is a very, very big fight for me,” Maduma said. “I want to be known in boxing circles and this fight in front of 80,000 fans in the stadium and so many others watching around the world will be a good publicity shot for me. I had a plan for this year. The first step is winning this fight, the second is to be world champion. That’s why I’ve trained so hard to give an exciting performance.

“I have to thank my promoter, Camiile Estephan, and coach, Mike Moffa, for what they do for me on a daily basis. In only 3 ½ years, they have me in this position and not many boxers can say the same. I also want to thank everybody on my team, Eye of the Tiger Management, my teammates and sparring partners, and the people of Quebec for their support.”

The largest crowd Maduma has fought in front of has been 8,000 at Bell Centre (Montreal) earlier in his professional career. He realizes that, as a hometown favorite, Mitchell figures to greatly benefit from fans there for Froch and Groves alike.

“I know 80,000 people will be screaming for him and booing me,” Maduma remarked. “It will be just me and him in the ring, my skills against his, but I think my skills are better. We’ll find out in the ring. He is a very good fighter with good skills and experience. I appreciate the opportunity to fight him. He’s a proven, world-class fighter and I need to beat him to show that I’m ready for a world title shot.”

“Ghislain is an amazing athlete,” Maduma’s promoter/manager, EOTTM president Estephan noted. “His level of fitness is unparalleled in comparison to any other Canadian fighter. Of all the big names who’ve come out of Montreal lately, Ghislain is definitely, pound-for-pound, the fastest and best conditioned. He is totally committed and his fitness level rivals any elite athlete in the world, no matter the sport, and in addition to his incredible physical shape, Ghislain is also a tremendously gifted boxer with an extremely high boxing IQ. We believe he is ready to take on the best lightweights in the world, causing a lot of damage on his way to the top. Ghislain Maduma is a major star in the making. He finally has an opportunity to prove he’s the best lightweight in the world by winning the May 31st title eliminator and then defeating Vazquez for the IBF world title.”

Maduma is the reigning WBC Continental Americas champion and he recently relinquished his North American Boxing Federation (NABF) crown.

Mitchell has lost world title bids to Ricky Burns (TKO4) and Michael Katsidis (TKO3) but he has defeated, among the more notables, world title challengers John Murray and Walter Estrada, as well as Amir Khan and Richard Abril-conqueror Breidis Prescott.

“Mitchell is a complete fighter,” Maduma’s trainer Mike Moffa commented. “He has speed, a good chin and can hit. This may not be the fight we wanted. It’s a big risk fighting him in England in front of 60,000 to 80,000 fans, which will be a challenge for me and Ghislain, but it’s the fight we needed to get on top. Mitchell is a very smart fighter; he waits and counters with an amazing jab.

“Ghislain’s speed has gotten him here. He puts his power behind his speed and jab as he throws combinations. We’ve been working with him to try and take away Mitchell’s jab to back him up. Ghislain is very serious, dedicated to the sport. When controlling a fight he can make it easy with his speed but, he’s also in top condition and he’ll need to be to take the fight to Mitchell.”

For further information about Maduma visit www.eottm.com, follow him on Twitter @GhislainMaduma.

Kevin Mitchell will battle Ghislain Maduma in a Lightweight title elimination bout on the May 31 Carl Froch – George Groves rematch undercard at Wembley Stadium in London according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“This fight carries huge risk but also huge rewards,” said promoter Eddie Hearn. “I strongly believe that Kevin can beat Vazquez but he has a massive test in Maduma first at Wembley. Maduma is technically very good and can punch with both hands, but Kevin has boxed four times in seven months and is ready to enter deep waters. It’s going to be a cracking fight.”

The rematch between Carl Froch and George Groves could be fought in front of 80,000 spectators as the fight at Wembley Stadium had more seats made available according to Dan Rafael of espn.com

The fihght sold out of the 1st 60,000 available seats in one hour.

“It’s fantastic that we have managed to ensure even more fans will be in Wembley for this monumental occasion,” said promoter Eddie Hearn. “We have worked hard with the (city) council, Wembley and Transport for London and I am delighted that we have come to an agreement to get as many fans as possible into the stadium to create an incredible atmosphere.”

NEW JERSEY (April 10, 2014) – Gary Shaw Productions and Antonio Leonard Promotions is happy to announce that their undefeated super-middleweight contender, Brandon Gonzales (18-0-1, 10 KOs), will fight James DeGale (18-1, 12 KOs) on the undercard of Carl Froch (32-2, 23 KOs) vs. George Groves (19-1, 15 KOs) at Wembley Stadium in London, United Kingdom on May 31, 2014. The 12-round bout will be for the IBF mandatory position.

Gonzales is currently ranked IBF # 3 while DeGale is ranted IBF # 4. Both fighters are looking to capitalize on this momentous opportunity with victor most likely to challenge the winner of Froch vs. Groves.

Gonzales, who is managed by James Prince, feels he’s the better fighter. With an undefeated record and the right people behind him, Gonzales feels his time is now.

“I’ve been working hard my whole life to get in this position,” said Brandon Gonzales. “I never had anything come easy to me in this boxing game. I had to work my way up the rankings the hard way with little support. Now that I have Gary Shaw and Antonio Leonard promoting me, I feel I have all the necessary pieces to become a star. James Prince and I had a vision and now it’s coming to fruition.”

“DeGale is a very good fighter with a lot of heart. His only lost is a controversial majority decision defeat to George Groves. Most people thought he won that fight so in my eyes he’s going to be coming at me like an undefeated fighter looking to redeem himself. I’m ready for the challenge. DeGale stands in my way of becoming a world champion and I must take him out. One thing I know is I’m coming to win and show the world that Brandon Gonzales is the real deal.”

Gary Shaw, who recently signed Gonzales with Antonio Leonard, is thrilled to get his fighter an opportunity to make a major push in his career.

“I told Brandon when we signed him to be ready to go because I really want to get him a title shot,” said Gary Shaw. “Now he’s in position to really do something special in his career. A win against DeGale will get him the world title shot he’s worked so hard to achieve. He must come out victorious to make his dream come true and I believe he has the talent to be something special in the division.”

“Brandon is hungry to show everyone in the super-middleweight division that he’s the man,” said Antonio Leonard. “He’s undefeated for a reason, because he’s got immense skill. I believe in him and Gary and I got his back moving forward. This fight will be one the fans will not want to miss. It’s going to be all action from the opening bell.”