The Boxing Glove Big Fight Report: George Groves Fulfils His Dream As Kell Brook’s Homecoming Turns Into A Nightmare

 

Photo: Sky Sports

By Peter Silkov

It was a night of conflicting fortunes for two of Britain’s leading boxers at Sheffield’s Bramall Lane Outdoor Football Ground last night, June 27, 2017. While on his 4^th attempt, George Groves (26-3, 19koes) finally fulfilled his dream of becoming a world champion. Unfortunately, Kell ‘The Special One’ Brook (36-2, 25koes) was deprived of his World welterweight title by Errol ‘The Truth’ Spence Jr (22-0, 19koesl) Today George Groves is looking forward to a wealth of possibilities, with a number of big money title defences ahead of him, on the opposite side however, Kell Brook is faced with an uncertain future in the sport.

Brook and Spence proved to be very well matched in their fight for Brook’s IBF world welterweight title, and the action, if a little messy at times, was tense and lively after a cagey first round. For the first six rounds Brook seemed to hold the edge, with his movement and strength giving Spence problems. The challenger showed glimpses of his speed and power, but at other times also seemed to show his relative inexperience at this level, compared with Brook. However the match began to turn sharply in Spence’s favour in the 6^th, when Brooks left eye began to swell. Soon the eye was swollen grotesquely, and having suffered an orbital fracture in his other eye in his last contest (against Gennady Golovkin) it was clear that this latest injury was bothering Brook, both physically, and mentally.

Photo: Reuters

Spence now took control of the fight and doubled his attacks upon a now often retreating Brook. Yet Brook would not fold easily, he kept fighting back, just when it looked as though Spence was going to overwhelm him. However, the writing was on the wall by the 10^th round when Spence floored Brook with a body shot, an area that the American had targeted from the beginning of the contest. Brook Survived the 10th, but was finding it visibly difficult to defend himself with his injured eye.

Photo: Sky Sports

In the 11^th round, with the challenger putting him under heavy pressure, and constantly landing right hands upon Brooks damaged eye, Brook went down onto one knee after a flurry of shots, and took the referee’s full count, while he blinked and rubbed at his damaged left eye.

Errol Spence is already being hailed as America’s new star performer, but while his talent is not in question, he still has some way to go before he can be labelled as truly ‘special’ at world class level, especially in such a talent-laden division. Hopefully the fans will get a chance to see Spence meet the other big names in the 147 division, if so, then boxing really could see itself on a solid upswing.

Photo: The Sun

Defeat for Brook will be a bitter pill to take, especially in front of 27,000 spectators, made up largely of his home town fans. Whether he would have prevailed if his left eye had not gone in the 7^th, is open to debate. Certainly before the injury, Brook seemed to be comfortable. Now, for Brook, the worry is whether he can come back from what has now been confirmed as another eye socket fracture, just as he suffered in his right eye in his previous fight against Gennady Golovkin. Such injuries are always serious for a boxer, and to suffer one to each eye must leave question marks against Brook's future in boxing. As might be sadly expected, there have been some criticisms for Brook ‘quitting’ in the fight, but surely a fighter has the right to decide that he has had enough when he suspects that his eyesight might be in danger. Brook’s decision to drop to his knee when he did, and take the full count, might well have saved him from further injury so that he can fight again. More importantly, it might have saved his eyesight for the rest of his life, long after his boxing career is done.

After the fight, Brook was clear about what had happened to him:

‘"I remember the surgeon saying last time after the Golovkin fight I could have gone blind if I'd had one more round so I had that in my mind.

"I had to stop. Pride was leading the way but when I got caught in the 11th and it wouldn't come back into line. He was coming on strong and I knew he is a very sharp shooter, a very good fighter and I knew it could be fatal with some of the shots he was chucking in so I went down on one knee.’

"I tried to get the eye back in line, but it wouldn't, and I knew the fight was over."

Photo: The Telegraph

Spence was happy with his victory, yet refreshingly critical of his own performance:

“I came out and I tried to do my best tonight. I’m happy I won, but I’m critical of my performance. I was overshooting my left. I give myself a B minus. I had a little trouble overusing my counter left.

‘Brook is a great fighter, a true champion, but also a tricky fighter. He finds you from tricky angles, and he can fight.’

“I came here to his back yard in front of 30,000. That’s what real champions do. I fought a real champion tonight and I proved non-believers that I can fight. I’ve proven I have a chin and I have true grit.

“This fight was tougher than I thought it was going to be. I showed I can take a punch and I can throw a punch. I can face adversity and I can win.

“Brook went to America to take the title from an American, like a true champion. I came here to his home town to get that title back from him. I wanted to win like true champion, and I did because that is what champions do.

“He was hurt. He was tired. He came firing shots, I came firing shots. But there was a moment I realised I had to step up my game and I did.”

Photo: CBS Sports

Spence will now look towards what could be some huge fights at 147 pounds, with the likes of Keith Thurman, Shaun Porter, and Danny Garcia, and even Manny Pacquiao and Terence Crawford.

For Brook, the future is much less clear, and looks to be at 154 pounds, if he does fight again. Which is no certainty after the injury he has suffered.

While the fickle hand of fate seemed to have abandoned Kell Brook last night, earlier on the bill, George Groves finally made the break through that he has been striving for all his career, when he won the vacant WBA world super-middleweight championship after a bruising encounter with Russian iron man, Fedor Chudinov (14-2, 10koes).

Anyone who has followed Groves' career will attest to the fact that fortune has never seemed to smile upon him during his career. Despite the fact that he has done things the hard way during his career, by facing top quality opposition and scoring notable wins over top fighters, George has always been out of luck when fighting for a world title. In his previous three attempts to capture and world championship, Groves has been beaten twice by Carl Froch in two epic bouts, and then narrowly out-pointed by Badou Jack, after seemingly doing more than enough to take victory.

In his last fight Groves' career has been struck by tragedy, after opponent, Eduard Gutknecht, suffered severe injuries in losing on points to Groves, and is still struggling to recover.

Last night though, it finally all came together for Groves against Chudinov.

The match started at a fast pace, with both men landing some brutal punches from the start. Groves had entered the ring visibly keyed up. This was a fight he had said that he couldn’t afford to lose. Perhaps a last chance at winning a world title. This tension seemed to carry on into the fight, as Groves started the match fast, fighting perhaps a little too much with his heart, rather than his head. Chudinov was constantly coming forwards, with hands high, looking to drag Groves into a brawl. Over the first two rounds Groves was landing more punches, but finding himself constantly pushed onto the ropes by his tank-like opponent. By the 3^rd round, the fight had developed into a toe-to--toe slugfest, with both men looking to break the other man down.

Groves better variety of punches helped him edge the 4^th round, but by now, he was cut over the left eye. For the first half of the 5^th Groves showed some signs of tiredness, and the old questions about his stamina started to resurface. Yet Groves finished the round strong, underlying his determination to win this fight.

In the 6^th round Groves stepped up several gears, unleashing a prolonged attack of brutal punches upon Chudinov. Although the Russian didn’t go down, he failed to punch back for a prolonged period of time, and took several tremendous punches to the head and chin, until the referee had no choice but to step in and halt the fight.

Photo: Reuters

George Groves had finally done it and won a world championship. Despite the proliferation of world titles in boxing today, winning one is still an achievement, and few fighters today deserve it more than George Groves, who has proved his world class credentials repeatedly for more than half a decade. Now finally he can call himself a world champion and look towards some big fights.

Following his victory, it was an emotional Groves who declared:

“I’ve got no words,” Groves said filled of joy. “It’s a lifetime’s work achieved. I’m over the moon. I want to thank everyone who made this happen, Shane McGuigan who has resurrected my career, and now I’m mature enough to admit that he brings the best out of me. In the end, I would have carried on punching until everyone had left and they kicked me out. I wasn’t going to let this belt slip. [Chudinov] was catching me around the back of the head from the start, he has really devastatingly long arms, but I found my feet.”

When asked what he would like to do next, Groves replied:

Photo: Getty Images

“Who wants to fight me? I’m sick and tired of chasing people. I’m sure there’s people that want to have a crack at me now. I’m really looking forward to seeing Callum Smith win a WBC belt, truly believe he’s going to do that. Maybe Paul Smith will pick up a world title, maybe me and him can do it again but right now I’m going to savour my win and spend quality time with my family, and celebrate with my wonderful team.”

Groves victory was very popular with the crowd, and one of those cheering the loudest, and standing on his feet, was Groves' old foe, Carl Froch.

There are a number of possible options open to Groves for future opponents, but perhaps the most tantalizing fight would be a rematch with his old rival James Degale, whom he beat in 2011, and who now holds the IBF world super-middleweight title. Their first fight, for the British and Commonwealth titles, was huge, and this time, with world titles at stake, it would be even bigger.

Follow us on Twitter: @TheBoxingGlove and  

Facebook: www.facebook.com/theboxingglove

If you are an athlete and want us to follow you or tell your story, contact petersilkov@yahoo.com   or theboxingglove@yahoo.com
If you are an author and you would like your book reviewed, contact Peter Silkov at petersilkov@yahoo.com or theboxingglove@yahoo.com

The Big Fight Preview: Kell Brook Vs. Errol Spence, Jr. at Bramall Lane Football Grounds

By Peter Silkov

Boxing has been threatening to make a comeback to credibility recently with some genuinely well matched big fights. Most recent of these was Anthony Joshua’s war with Wladimir Klitschko. Tomorrow we have the latest of what has been a series of encouraging matchups, both here, and abroad. Top of the bill, at the Bramall Lane Football Ground, in Sheffield, England. Kell Brook (36-1, 25koes) takes on his number one challenger, the undefeated Errol Spence Jr.(21-0, 18koes) in what will be the 4^th defence of his IBF world welterweight championship. It will also be Brook’s first outing in the ring since his brave, but ultimately losing effort against world middleweight kingpin Gennady Golovkin, last September. In that match, Brook won praise for his bravery after being one of the few challengers to actively take the fight to the fearsome Golovkin. Yet, his bravery had a price, and he was eventually pulled out of the fight, battered and bloody, and with a broken right eye socket that required delicate surgery. One of the biggest questions ahead of his fight with Spence Jr. is how much of a mark has the Golovkin fight left upon Brook. Although we have been told that the eye injury has been repaired and is as good as new (albeit now with a titanium plate) there always has to be a question mark over a fighter when he is coming back from such a serious injury. The biggest question will be is the eye vulnerable to being re-injured, plus how will Brook react if the eye is injured again, even if only moderately. In facing Spence Jr., Brook is taking on one of the best prospects in boxing, a fighter who has had big things predicted for him. Spence has a similar box-fighting style to Brook, and the two should produce an interesting and exciting match. The biggest question with Spence Jr, is just how good is he, he is undoubtedly a talented boxer, but this fight will go a long way to telling us just how deep Spence Jr talent really goes.

With two fighters who are well matched, both physically and talent wise, this match has all the marks of being a very close and entertaining fight. I see this fight going the distance, with Brook winning a close and maybe controversial points decision.

The main fight on the undercard, is George Groves (25-3, 18koes) against Fedor Chudinov (14-1, 10koes) for the vacant WBA world super-middleweight title.

This will be Groves 4^th attempt at winning a world title, after failed attempts against Carl Froch, (twice) and Badou Jack. This is a fight which Groves should win, Chudinov is very tough, but lacks the higher boxing skills of Groves. He also lacks the greater talent and experience of Groves.

Groves has said that this is a fight he must win, and if he can box to the best of his ability he should be able to claim a close but clear points win over Chudinov, and finally claim that elusive world championship.

Follow us on Twitter: @TheBoxingGlove and  

Facebook: www.facebook.com/theboxingglove

If you are an athlete and want us to follow you or tell your story, contact petersilkov@yahoo.com   or theboxingglove@yahoo.com
If you are an author and you would like your book reviewed, contact Peter Silkov at petersilkov@yahoo.com or theboxingglove@yahoo.com

The Boxing Glove Big Fight Round Up: Joshua Knockouts Breazeale

By Peter Silkov

Last night saw some entertaining boxing action, including two, true blue, slam bang, fight of the year candidates. 

Anthony Joshua knocks out Dominic Breazeale

In London, at the O2 Arena, IBF world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua (17, 17koes) made the first defence of his title, with a one-sided 7th round knockout of a gutsy, but totally out-classed, Dominic Breazeale (17-1, 15koes). 

Despite arriving with an unbeaten record, few gave Breazeale as having much of a chance to derail the Joshua express train, and that’s really how the fight turned out, despite going past the halfway distance.  Breazeale spent most of his time on the defensive throughout the contest, and what punches he did throw in retaliation were slow, and seeming devoid of any significant power.  Breazeale was hurt badly in the 2nd, but managed to last the round, and from then on it looked as if Joshua could end the fight whenever he wanted. 

Joshua kept the pressure on, through rounds 3 to 6, landing some heavy shots on his American challenger, but seemed content to wear down his opponent, rather than go all out for the finish.  Finally in the 7th round Joshua seemed to have finally had enough of what at times resembled a sparring session.  Breazeale was dropped twice by heavy two-handed attacks from Joshua, and ended the fight with right eye, which was almost closed.  Once more it was an impressive display of punching power from Joshua, but despite Breazeale’s bravery, he had failed to provide any significant test for Joshua, and was, quite frankly, exposed as little more than a raw novice.  As someone who is being billed as a ’world champion’ Joshua needs to be matched with genuine world class challengers, but unfortunately many of his fans seem satisfied to see win his fights with explosive knockouts, no matter what the limitations of his opponents.

George Groves beat Martin Murray By Unanimous Decision

 

Other fights on the O2 bill included the match up between George Groves (24-3, 18koes) and Martin Murray (33-3-1, 16koes) in a WBA world super-middleweight title eliminator fight.  This was the fight of the night as the two men took part in some savage exchanges.   It was Groves who forced the pace through most of the fight as Murray tended to fight mostly in spurts.  When Murray did let his punches go he seemed to be the stronger fighter physically, but every time he seemed to get the upper hand in the action, Groves would up his own work-rate and score telling punches of his own.  After Groves had out-boxed Murray from most of the first half of the match, the next 6 rounds became a much more physical fight, featuring some exciting toe to toe exchanges.  Yet Groves belied his reputation in some quarters as lacking durability and stamina, by outlasting Murray in the final rounds.  The fight ended with both men understandably exhausted, but with Groves in control, and scoring some heavy shots.

Groves won a unanimous points decision, by three scores of 118-110, which failed to show how hard fought and competitive the fight had been for much of the time.

George Groves will now most likely go on to fight Fedor Chudinov for the vacant WBA world super-middleweight title, after champion Felix Sturm looks likely to be stripped of his title after allegedly failing a drugs test.

Chris Eubank Jr. defeats Tom Doran

 

Chris Eubank Jr (23-1, 18koes) defended his British Middleweight title against Tom Doran (17-0, 7koes) and handed out a frightening beating on the game Doran.  Eubank Jr. floored Doran once in round 3 and 4 times in round 4, before the match was belatedly stopped in the 4th round.  This was a fight that fully exposed the gulf between British and World class, and there is little doubt that Eubank Jr. is one of the most dangerous fighters in the world now at 160 pounds.  There is talk that Eubank Jr. may be next for Middleweight kingpin Gennady Golovkin, and while he would go in against the G man a clear underdog, he may well have the speed and offense, and the mental attitude, to pull off a huge upset. 

Keith Thurman Defeats Shawn Porter

 

At the Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York, Keith Thurman (27, 22koes) and Shawn Porter (26-2-1, 16koes) engaged in what is a sure candidate as ‘fight of the year for 2016’ as they clashed for Thurman’s WBA world welterweight championship.  Both fighters are known to be good friends outside the ring, but neither allowed this to affect the fight as their clash developed into a to and fro slam bang showdown, with almost every round featuring some violent exchanges.  This became a fight of two styles, with Thurman trying to box and fight at a distance, and scoring with some eye catching counters, while Porter constantly barreled forwards, throwing bunches of punches at the head and body, and constantly trying to drive Thurman onto the ropes. 

While the cleaner shots seemed to be landed overall by Thurman, Porter seemed to be landing considerably more punches overall.  The question is, how many of those punches were really scoring shots, and how many were blocked by the defending champion.  Certainly when Porter bulled Thurman on the ropes and unleashed his two- fisted body attacks, he seemed to be getting the better of things.  Thurman though, often replied to these bombardments with some precise punches of his own which while not matching the sheer volume of punches delivered by Porter, were eye catching to the judges. 

At the end of 12 grueling rounds, Thurman retained his WBA world welterweight title with three scores of 115-113 from the three judges.  The Boxing Glove scored the fight 115-113 for Porter.  Unfortunately for Porter, his rawness seems to make boxing judges overlook much of his scoring punches.  While this was a close fight, and certainly not a robbery of the type that Porter suffered against Kell Brook, when he lost his world title to Brook, he still seemed to have done enough last night to remove the WBA crown from Thurman's head, due to his aggression, better work rate.  One thing which people wont be arguing about following this fight, is the need for a rematch.  This is the type of fight boxing has needed this year, and a revisit before the end of the year would be most welcome. 


Copyright © 2016 The Boxing Glove, Inc. Peter Silkov Art. All Rights Reserved. Peter Silkov contributes to www.theboxingglove.com

The 2015 Boxing Glove Awards: Highway Robbery of the Year: Badou Jack Vs. George Groves

The Boxing Glove Highway Robbery of the Year 2015
Badou Jack W12 George Groves
WBC world Super-Middleweight Championship
September 12, 2015
MGM Grand, Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada.
 

This was a fight, which saw Groves recover from a 1st round knockdown to seemingly dominate the rest of the fight, but the two of the judges didn’t see the fight that way. Jack was given a split decision victory after a fight where Groves had been the most aggressive fighter, the more active fighter, and the fighter that landed the cleaner shots. Unfortunately,  boxing is a funny game and still Groves lost. 

Watch the fight:

 

Copyright © 2016 The Boxing Glove, Inc. Peter Silkov Art. All Rights Reserved. Peter Silkov contributes to www.theboxingglove.com

Carl Froch vs. George Groves Part 2: The Cobra Bites Back

By Peter Silkov

Carl Froch (33-2, 24koes) retained his WBA and IBF World super-middleweight titles against challenger George Groves (19-2, 15koes) for the second time last night, May 31.  Victory came with a spectacular and conclusive finish that left no room for doubt, or debate, unlike the controversial finish to their first match last year. 

Fighting in front of a post WW2 record-breaking crowd of 80,000, at London’s Wembley Stadium, Froch produced the kind of performance, which the great champions are able to pull out when the chips are down, and the odds seem to be stacked against them.  After being written off by many in the run up to this rematch, with everything from his age, technical deficiencies,  to his trainer, being analysed in a negative light, ’The Cobra’ struck back last night to prove all his doubters wrong, and underline once and for all what an outstanding fighter he truly is.

Britain may have produced cleverer, faster, and more athletically gifted boxers than Froch in the past, but there have been few fighters from this country who have been better warriors than ’The Cobra’, in the post WW2 years. Carl Froch has a toughness and warrior mentality that renders things, like superior speed and technique, obsolete.  

 Both fighters entered the ring to the kind of fanfare that seems to be almost obligatory at big occasions such as this.  While Froch’s entrance seemed well balanced, the challenger Groves journey to the ring, (which included an old-fashioned double decker London bus) seemed to be over long, and possibly draining. There had been some talk in the run up to Saturday’s match that Groves, acting as his own manager and promoter, was spreading himself too thin. Today, only Groves will know the answer as to whether all the meetings and public appearances had any bearing upon his performance last night, but one thing for certain is that Froch prepared for this fight with a monkish focus and dedication, and the result of this was clear in his performance on the night. Whereas, Froch fought the first fight against Groves with the harassed and frantic air of a desperate man, last night, he had a focus and a serenity, which never totally left him, even during the challenger’s best moments of the night.

The fight began accompanied by the roar of 80,000 fans; a sound that few modern day fighters will ever experience.  If the fans were anticipating a 1st round explosion, similar to that seen in the first clash between these two men, then they were in for a disappointment, as each boxer started out cautiously, circling each other, and working behind the jab. Groves had stated in the run up to this fight that he would win the rematch by a 3rd round knockout, but he started much more cautiously than he had last November, concentrating on landing his spearing left jab, and barely throwing the right hand, which had Froch down in the 1st round of their first fight. Meanwhile, Froch was cautious, yet, already noticeably sharper than he had been in the previous meeting, and crucially this time, instead of blindly going after the challenger from the start, ’The Cobra’ was working his own jab. Yet, Groves still edged the opening round as his own jabs landed quicker and cleaner than the champion’s did.

As the second round began to unfold, it became clear that this rematch was following the pattern of many such rematches of the past, where, despite all of the well-publicized dislike between the two fighters, both men were taking into the ring a healthy amount of respect for the others fighting prowess, and boxing a cautious, technical fight.  At one point, a clinch resulted in an exchange of rabbit punches, before Groves was forcibly pushed to the floor by the champion. Froch was warned by the referee, Charlie Fitch, but had shown his challenger that he is going to be the boss in the ring this time. It is an almost insignificant incident, but at the start of a contest of intense physicality, such incidences can prove important.

The action continued and Froch’s jab was already working far better than at anytime during the pairs first encounter.  Groves, still edging the round with his own left-hand, which was faster and more frequent, but Froch, his chin tucked into his chest, and his right hand up as a guard, rides and blocks a good many of Groves punches. Groves sealed the round by landing a good left hook near the round’s end, but this was developing into a technical joust for the purist, rather than the kind of barnburner that many were hoping to see.

The 3rd round unfolds in much the same way as the first two stanza’s, with both men fencing with their jabs, and daring the other to make the first move, which could be turned into a mistake. The crowd at this point began to boo, indicating that like many such crowds, it was made up more of people looking for a night’s entertainment, rather than a night of good boxing. As if in reply to the audience’s displeasure, Froch, always the crowd-pleaser, though too often unappreciated, launched forward, and landed a left-right combination upon Groves, who replied with punches of his own.  It is the first real explosion of the fight and the audience, in all their fickleness, responded with a roar.  Both men go back to their jabs, and Froch’s left is visibly upsetting the rhythm of his challenger, while Groves’ jab has reddened ‘The Cobra‘s generous nose.  There was no sign of Groves even attempting to fulfil his pre-fight prediction of a 3rd round knockout, and although he might have won his third round in a row, he is edging the opening rounds, rather than dominating them, and this is not the ideal strategy against a slow starter such as Froch. 

After all of the talk about Groves needing to pace himself for 12 rounds and box, rather than brawl this time round, the challenger had perhaps held back too much in these opening rounds and allowed Froch to fight at his own pace and work himself into the match.     

    

Froch was visibly more relaxed in the 4th round, as if conscious that the fight is following a different pattern to the one last November, a pattern that is favouring him.  Groves was not putting enough pressure onto the champion, and in this round begins to find himself under more pressure himself as ’The Cobra’ begins to dominate the centre of the ring, and is out-jabbing his challenger for much of the round. Groves skirts the outside of the ring pot-shotting, while there was a better flow about the champion’s work.  Groves returned to his corner at the end of the round with a look of frustration about him.

Groves started the 5th round with two stabbing lefts, which fail to land clearly. Froch landed a good right hand and a left hook, which drove Groves into a corner, where he landed some punches to Groves’s body, before the challenger fought his way out. Groves retaliated with punches of his own, but took a combination to the body and the action heats up.  Both men exchange right hands towards the end of the round, but it is Froch who has held his ground in the centre of the ring, while Groves was forced to maneuver around him. 

In the 6th round, Froch seemed to taking control of the match. Starting the round fast, he drove his challenger into the ropes with a left-right to the head, then switches to the body.  Moving back into the middle of the ring, the two exchanged jabs, with both falling a little short of the target. The last forty seconds of the round found Groves driven onto the ropes twice by Froch attacks, as the champion finished the round on the front foot.  

The challenger came out for the 7th round with more

purpose, landing a good jab and then, moments later, a straight left that drove Froch back onto his heels. The champion looked momentarily shaken as Groves threw the left hand now with more venom, catching Froch flush.  Another left, later in the round, provoked Froch to drive his challenger into the ropes, where he unleashed a two-fisted attack upon Groves’ body, but it is the challenger’s round, just at the point where it looked as if Froch was in command of the fight.

Groves tried to carry over his good work of the previous round in the 8th, as he was noticeably more aggressive and continued to fire his jabs with increased intent. Froch looked a little ragged, as Groves tagged him with jabs, and the occasional right hand.  However, the champion stood his ground, while at the same time, not retaliating recklessly. Groves looked more and more confident as the round progressed, as Froch continued to march forward, taking shots, but landing some good body shots of his own.  Most crucially perhaps, Froch was still keeping the centre of the ring. 

With thirty seconds left in the round, as Groves is maneuvered into the ropes, Froch threw a right hand over a Groves’ left hook, and connected to the side of the challenger’s jaw.  It was as potent a single punch as you will ever see, and Groves was out before he landed flat on his back upon the canvas, with his left leg twisted grotesquely underneath him.  Referee Charlie Fitch, who proved to be a good pick for the third man in the ring, waved the fight off without a count. Somehow, Groves, his fighting instincts impressively strong until the last, dragged himself upright, but only to fall onto the referee, then stagger into his own corner, where he collapsed into the arms of his trainer Paddy Fitzpatrick. It was all over for the challenger.

Meanwhile, Froch was being held aloft by his brother and acclaimed by the crowd, his destiny fulfilled, and his legacy as one of Britain’s greatest modern day boxers assured. It was the kind of explosive ending, that would satisfy any crowd of 80,000, and there were no controversies or doubts left this time.

After the fight, both boxers proved that despite their much-publicized acrimony, each retains the class of true sportsmanship. There were no excuses from George Groves, and Froch praised his challenger, while citing his victory as the greatest of his career.

With the challenge of George Groves behind him, Carl Froch can pick his own path from here.  Although another domestic challenge, in the shape of James Degale, seems to be looming, ’The Cobra’ may choose to travel to America and Las Vegas, to end his career in a multimillion dollar showdown with someone such as Andre Ward, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., or perhaps Gennady Golovkin.

For George Groves, last nights defeat will be a bitter pill to swallow, especially in light of the pre-fight talk and predictions, which seemed to be as much as a burden to him in the rematch, as they were a help in the first fight.  Defeats such as these usually prove to be either the making or the breaking of a young fighter. Groves certainly has the talent to move on from here, but may have to learn some hard lessons from this defeat if he is to fulfil his potential in the future.

The night belonged to ’The Cobra’ who showed a crowd of 80,000 (and millions more on TV) what it takes to be a true champion.    

Copyright © 2014 The Boxing Glove, Inc. Peter Silkov Art. All Rights Reserved. Peter Silkov contributes to www.theboxingglove.com and www.theboxingtribune.com