BoxRec

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528, ... 43,00.html

Carl Froch has denied James DeGale's assertion that he knocked out George Groves during a sparring session.

The WBC super-middleweight champion was responding to the claim of British champion DeGale, who has branded his fellow unbeaten rival 'chinny' ahead of their fight on May 21.

"That's rubbish," Froch told boxingfutures.com. "I didn't knock him out - if I knock somebody out, that means they're out cold and don't carry on fighting.

"I put him over in about round two or three of our spar and he got up and carried on for another couple of rounds, he was alright.

"I've already said DeGale is kidding himself if he thinks this fight is a formality. For me it's a lot closer than everyone seems to think.

"People say DeGale hasn't been tested yet but that's because he's outboxed everyone he's been in the ring with, but don't write off Groves.

"He's got the perfect sparring partner in Andre Dirrell, he's fast, hard to hit and comes back with good shots. It's great preparation for someone like DeGale."

Hahha i wonder how our american uncles take to their second coming andre dirrel being in carl frochs mind nothing more than a sparring partner and stepping stone to degale

mugabi wrote:Hahha i wonder how our american uncles take to their second coming andre dirrel being in carl frochs mind nothing more than a sparring partner and stepping stone to degale

Not sure if you're joking, but that's not how I read his comments at all.

I asked Carl about these comments yesterday and he said he had no recollection.

Whilst on the matter, he just thought Degale was using the sparring incident as a way to get inside Groves' head and nothing more. That there were a dozen random people around and so it's not something he could've hid.

Carl poleaxed a known sparring partner once which i caught on camera and he made me delete it. He believes sparring is for behind closed doors only and hasn't ever bragged about it.

Gomez, given you seem to know Froch, do you know if he ever reads this forum or whether he has ever posted here?

He's somebody who comes across as extremely articulate in his interviews and seems to be the type to like a bit of banter and a debate.

I don't think he'd have to put up with a huge amount of stick if he were to ever come on here (apart from an expected minority) but I wonder why some fighters such as Carl have no interest in discussing the ins and outs of the sport on a regular basis when they're not in training.

Boxing is one of few sports imo where fans and the sportsmen themselves can engage in meaningful discussion. I just can't imagine a football BB, or darts, cricket, snooker etc. where fans, sportsmen, journalists and people involved in the industry can have intelligent back and forth communications like what (mostly) goes on here.

Anyone else playing "guess the poleaxed sparring partner"....

stujones wrote:Anyone else playing "guess the poleaxed sparring partner"....

Joe Calzaghe.

I don't really see theres much bragging-rights in KO-ing a 'known sparring partner' anyways.

Sparring with another well known boxer .. Maybe. But is sparring meant to be about KO-ing the guy there to help you?

jameswilson wrote:

stujones wrote:Anyone else playing "guess the poleaxed sparring partner"....

Joe Calzaghe.

how didn't i guess it was the well known sparring partner Joe Calzaghe???
heres me thinking the other well known sparring partner Richie Woodhall ...

tonyevs wrote:I don't really see theres much bragging-rights in KO-ing a 'known sparring partner' anyways.

Sparring with another well known boxer .. Maybe. But is sparring meant to be about KO-ing the guy there to help you?

I think it was meant to mean a well known boxer who was sparring - not a Sherman Williams or Corrie Trex Sanders who are well known Sparring partners.

tonyevs wrote:I don't really see theres much bragging-rights in KO-ing a 'known sparring partner' anyways.

Sparring with another well known boxer .. Maybe. But is sparring meant to be about KO-ing the guy there to help you?

Spot on, I also don't like the fact that if something does happen in sparring why is it not kept there!! Sparring means nothing, it's for learning and trying new things! I firmly believe the only people who should be witnessing the sparring are the coaches and there assistants!! Possibly some management too, people should never be judged on sparring in my view, getting under the bright lights is a totally different ball game! ;)

G0mez wrote: Carl poleaxed a known sparring partner once which i caught on camera and he made me delete it.

I NEED to know who it is instantly

Agree with you there Bomber, definitely. It wasn't you in there with him, was it?! Have you ever sparred with Froch and if not, who is the boxer with the highest profile you have sparred with?

Bomber 1 wrote:people should never be judged on sparring in my view, getting under the bright lights is a totally different ball game! ;)

A while back I heard Chauncy Welliver talking about the various guys he'd sparred and there were some top heavyweights in there. He said Audley Harrison was actually one of the most talented guy he'd sparred and put him on the same level as Juan Carlos Gomez. He said he just couldn't understand why Audley couldn't translate what he did in sparring to the big occasions. I guess that's an example of what you were talking about.

It was Evander Holyfield, he couldn't step up.

J-C wrote:

Bomber 1 wrote:people should never be judged on sparring in my view, getting under the bright lights is a totally different ball game! ;)

A while back I heard Chauncy Welliver talking about the various guys he'd sparred and there were some top heavyweights in there. He said Audley Harrison was actually one of the most talented guy he'd sparred and put him on the same level as Juan Carlos Gomez. He said he just couldn't understand why Audley couldn't translate what he did in sparring to the big occasions. I guess that's an example of what you were talking about.

That's spot on mate, it's just totally different on the night ;) some buckle some shine and some are just totally different..

tonyevs wrote:

jameswilson wrote:

stujones wrote:Anyone else playing "guess the poleaxed sparring partner"....

Joe Calzaghe.

how didn't i guess it was the well known sparring partner Joe Calzaghe???
heres me thinking the other well known sparring partner Richie Woodhall ...

What the hell are you babbling on about, seriously.

tonyevs wrote:I don't really see theres much bragging-rights in KO-ing a 'known sparring partner' anyways.

Sparring with another well known boxer .. Maybe. But is sparring meant to be about KO-ing the guy there to help you?

Your right it's not but there's alot of boxers try and ko spar mates I think it's ridiculous

jameswilson wrote:

tonyevs wrote:

jameswilson wrote: Joe Calzaghe.

how didn't i guess it was the well known sparring partner Joe Calzaghe???
heres me thinking the other well known sparring partner Richie Woodhall ...

What the hell are you babbling on about, seriously.

Who, with an ounce of brain power would even seriously think that Calzaghe had sparred with Froch
Ummm .. I`m pretty sure it would have been mentioned by Mr Froch by now ... not sure if you knew? but they had a bit of a public spat sometime ago .. .. if they had previously sparred - if Froch had KO-ed him - if Calzaghe had even once been employed as a sparring partner for Froch ... we would have known

tonyevs wrote:Who, with an ounce of brain power would even seriously think that Calzaghe had sparred with Froch
Ummm .. I`m pretty sure it would have been mentioned by Mr Froch by now ... not sure if you knew? but they had a bit of a public spat sometime ago .. .. if they had previously sparred - if Froch had KO-ed him - if Calzaghe had even once been employed as a sparring partner for Froch ... we would have known

I'v just sat reading that smiling and shaking my head at your inability to notice sarcasm. I was directing my comment to Stu because he is a Calzaghe fan, if you thought I was being serious you need to lay off the smack. Your the only one whos jumped down my throat in the thread because your the only one who couldn't see I was being sarcastic.

jameswilson wrote:

tonyevs wrote:Who, with an ounce of brain power would even seriously think that Calzaghe had sparred with Froch
Ummm .. I`m pretty sure it would have been mentioned by Mr Froch by now ... not sure if you knew? but they had a bit of a public spat sometime ago .. .. if they had previously sparred - if Froch had KO-ed him - if Calzaghe had even once been employed as a sparring partner for Froch ... we would have known

I'v just sat reading that smiling and shaking my head at your inability to notice sarcasm. I was directing my comment to Stu because he is a Calzaghe fan, if you thought I was being serious you need to lay off the smack. Your the only one whos jumped down my throat in the thread because your the only one who couldn't see I was being sarcastic.

Is that double irony there James? I've been labelled "anti" Calzaghe on here on many occasions.

jameswilson wrote:

tonyevs wrote:Who, with an ounce of brain power would even seriously think that Calzaghe had sparred with Froch
Ummm .. I`m pretty sure it would have been mentioned by Mr Froch by now ... not sure if you knew? but they had a bit of a public spat sometime ago .. .. if they had previously sparred - if Froch had KO-ed him - if Calzaghe had even once been employed as a sparring partner for Froch ... we would have known

I'v just sat reading that smiling and shaking my head at your inability to notice sarcasm. I was directing my comment to Stu because he is a Calzaghe fan, if you thought I was being serious you need to lay off the smack. Your the only one whos jumped down my throat in the thread because your the only one who couldn't see I was being sarcastic.

my mistake then

sorry

Calzaghe has started warming to Froch a little though.....he was quite complimentary about him recently

johnswan1 wrote:Gomez, given you seem to know Froch, do you know if he ever reads this forum or whether he has ever posted here?

Occaisionally he will have a gander, but forums just aren't really his thing. He normally has a run, eats breakfast, hits the bags and then goes about doing odd jobs on his rental properties around Nottingham to stay busy. A few times he's had a tennant in who is a bit of a fan, then before you know it he is grouting their bathroom.

I set his twitter up and showed him how to go on with it, he's got the hang of that and has a bash once or twice a week on it. But for the most part is happy being pretty anonymous, rather than chasing every last fan. Possibly to his detriment but he's not overly fussed.

G0mez wrote:hits the bags .

At least have the decency to call them 'old women' Gomez, all this street slang is doing my head in.