Will Groves become Froch's WBA mandatory?

[Autobarn]

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sp ... roves.html

'“I’ve said before I’m not just going to give him a shot, but if he becomes mandatory — which I think he might do by default because of guys above him being injured or moving in weight — then yes.”'

if froch is to keep both IBF and WBA regular titles, he'll have to defend vs the top contenders. currently groves is #2 but froch hints above that it could becomes groves.

[lefty]

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sp ... roves.html

'“I’ve said before I’m not just going to give him a shot, but if he becomes mandatory — which I think he might do by default because of guys above him being injured or moving in weight — then yes.”'

if froch is to keep both IBF and WBA regular titles, he'll have to defend vs the top contenders. currently groves is #2 but froch hints above that it could becomes groves.

He was talking about the IBF

[Autobarn]

groves isn't ranked in the IBF, is he?

EDIT- gotcha, bute out injured and committed to fighting pascal, #1 and 2 slots empty. what's this Edwin rodriguez doing?

if groves ends up #1 in the organization, and #2 in the other, then this could be a way for froch to get the potentially annoying top contender out of the way, something that can disrupt making the big fights.

and obviously groves is a big enough fight, in its own right.

does this fight tick enough boxes, already?

[Parson Cross]

Groves is the heir apparent.
Hearn will steer a path for him away from Froch then when Carl decides to hang em up ..... Groves takes over.
Why would a Promotor chuck the two of them in right now when there are plenty of alternatives ?
Business is business.

[Horse]

Too early, it's not very appealing at the moment.

[lefty]

Groves is the heir apparent.
Hearn will steer a path for him away from Froch then when Carl decides to hang em up ..... Groves takes over.
Why would a Promotor chuck the two of them in right now when there are plenty of alternatives ?
Business is business.

Yeah but it's also a fight that could make a lot of money.

[ALI]

I agree that its too early. I also think there is a good chance Groves will loose before it can happen, scuppering its chances altogether.

I'm not excited by it at the moment, i think Froch would give him a pasting if they met now.

[Parson Cross]

Columbo,
You're not thinking strategically. Agreed its a value fight now but imagine if it was a unification fight down the line ......

[lefty]

Columbo,
You're not thinking strategically. Agreed its a value fight now but imagine if it was a unification fight down the line ......

True. However there's the risk that Groves might lose before getting to that point which would ruin it! Also, we dont know how long Froch wants to continue for. He might want to do it sooner rather than later.

[btahthezone]

I mean don't want to count my chickens but I could see all belts owned by British fighters. I think Groves will go for Stieglitz in the autumn/winter and I think Degale will get his shot at Bika and lets be honest both winnable fights that leaves us with a fantastic prospect especially if Froch fights someone else other than Ward. Groves v Degale II for WBC and WBO Super Middleweight championship with winner defending all his belts for Froch for IBF and WBA? who wants to call it?

[MarkMcBurney]

I mean don't want to count my chickens but I could see all belts owned by British fighters. I think Groves will go for Stieglitz in the autumn/winter and I think Degale will get his shot at Bika and lets be honest both winnable fights that leaves us with a fantastic prospect especially if Froch fights someone else other than Ward. Groves v Degale II for WBC and WBO Super Middleweight championship with winner defending all his belts for Froch for IBF and WBA? who wants to call it?

I said that on Twitter about a fortnight ago

[Khaosai-Galaxy]

I cant imagine HBO will be rushing to have Froch fighting George Groves.

Froch is entering that stage of his career Calzaghe did. The big Hopkins and Roy Jones fights.


Sorry George, no Froch fight for you.

[Autobarn]

can't imagine froch fighting chavez jr, one of the big names put forth by HBO. nor ward, for another year or 3 fights time, by which time ward could have filled out to light heavyweight.

i'm hopeful for middleweight monster golovkin, should he look like a superstar in his fight with macklin this weekend.

[lefty]

can't imagine froch fighting chavez jr, one of the big names put forth by HBO. nor ward, for another year or 3 fights time, by which time ward could have filled out to light heavyweight.

i'm hopeful for middleweight monster golovkin, should he look like a superstar in his fight with macklin this weekend.

Golovkin is too small.

[Autobarn]

golovkin was linked to super middleweight opponents twice, one of them Thomas oosth from south Africa. the fights never happened, but golovkin's said he'll move up for a big fight. and I think golovkin wants chavez jr next, which bob arum would do at 165 if jr can't make 160 anymore.

re whom froch'll fight next. I don't think it'll be ward or Kessler. I think fighters like Thomas oosth and Stevenson - really dangerous fighters - have that way of creeping up the rankings. I think ward's got these promotional problems, and will end up filling out to 175 where he fought a portion of his career. and if middleweights like golovkin show serious firepower and ability, this is a fight - approved by HBO - that will be called for due to froch's and golovkin's bruising styles.

[squared circle]

I cant imagine HBO will be rushing to have Froch fighting George Groves.

Froch is entering that stage of his career Calzaghe did. The big Hopkins and Roy Jones fights.


Sorry George, no Froch fight for you.

Disagree!

Big difference is that Froch has already fought in US several times, as well as around Europe.

Joe only ventured stateside to beef his pension up when he was 99.99% sure it was safe to do so. History tells us that the Hopkins he fought actually was still very credible, but at the time most thought he was well past his prime. No need to say anything about RJJ.

Froch can choose to do what he wants. The names HBO are lining up around middle/super are all great fights and, an ageless bhop apart maybe, are all live contenders rather than just "names".

Froch likes a pound note, but is also a bull-headed character. I can actually see him taking a groves or degale match, especially if they brought a "world" belt to the table. While there is no doubt he greatly respects Calzaghe, it would almost be a "its a shame Joe wasn't prepared to do what I am doing" type scenario to take on the noisy domestic pretender. (Although I accept froch probably didn't bring as much to joe's table as groves or degale would likely bring to his)

[Autobarn]

in response to that, it's interesting that froch has only just become an "establishment" fighter, with a promoter who has the sought after sky sports contract. since beating bute. and now since revenge over Kessler, he is also a fighter sought after by HBO, as he can deliver in world class, and be exciting at the same time. so, absolutely, froch can choose which way he goes, in Britain and stateside.

it would be interesting if groves was steered toward the WBO belt, which he then wins and tries to unify with froch. would qualify as a british super fight. that fight to get him in the british mainstream of sports, and groves' Olympic medal can be used for hype...

I don't think the ward rematch will happen. froch has a say in negotiations, and will increasingly should he continue to be exciting, and should ward continue with the ugly grappling. reckon the bigger ward ends up at light heavy, leaving froch (as natural to 168 as Hopkins was to 160) to become the main champ (as RJJ did with Hopkins, whom he beat in ugly fashion).

reckon that like Hopkins, froch can wait for some names to move up from 160, namely golovkin the WBA champ - let's see what did does vs macklin first. golovkin won't ever draw like tito or DLH, but he's getting compared to chavez and Tyson for his brutality factor. notice that some very dangerous guys snuck up the rankings for froch's belts, like tommy gunn from south Africa and Adonis Stevenson (who trounced 175 king, dawson). this could be the biggest threat to froch, the non-names who can hit and could be way better than ppl realise.

golovkin and tommy gunn in separate fights tonight, on HBO.