Wednesday nights behind the ropes Froch - Groves

Just watching tonight's episode, they showed a good amount of Froch sparring Eubank Jr. I thought Eubank was very comfortable to say the least. Also McCracken is telling him to do things and he's not doing them. Then he's pissing about warming up or down on the exercise bike and talking to his Missus on his mobile! When I go in my local gym, I fuckin hate people half heartedly peddling away and talking or texting on their mobile and I'm a fatty. He's a World champion for fuck sake.
Maybe I'm reading too much into this, but Either he has a cunning plan to make Groves watch it and think he's had a crap preparation and Groves then get complacent or Froch is in a World of trouble!!!

it didn't look good, did it. I was more surprised by their matter of fact admission of his corner cutting during training for their last fight .... And I was shocked by the disclosure he was down to weight so early.

Also, training at the Sheffield sports institute isn't really proper fighters training!

Groves mentioned on Sky Sports News about the clip of sparring they showed not putting Froch in a good light. Despite his cool exterior , I really hope Groves isn't consuming himself with what Froch is and isn't doing. He needs to ignore it all because it's all negative energy.
Could Froch be playing mind games really well? or is he just not very good?

I wouldn't read too much into him being on his phone during a cool down cycle... The whole point of it is to pump waste products put of the muscles by doing repeated, liw intensity movements.

Froch was struggling against Eubank jnr and took some big right hands then didnt wanna mix it at all.
Big rumours that Froch has been decked a few times in the last week too ;-)
Paddy Fitzpatrick nailed it when he said that McCracken didnt want this fight at all and surely Froch is gonna pick up on this vibe.

I think I saw enough of that sparring footage to think that Froch is gonna struggle on Saturday. He looked slow, very hittable and did not wanna stand and trade at all.

Smoke Screen? Nah not for me.

Groves will stop him I think!!

Also think Sky are clever with the editing. They probably want to tip the balance slightly into Groves favour as more people will probably buy the ppv if it looks like he could pull off the upset, albeit a slight one

Does anyone remember the timeline of the Taylor fight? Froch suddenly dropped in the first with a right hand, severely outboxed for 6-7 more rounds before clawing his way back and wearing Taylor down. I hope Groves isn't resting on his laurels too much as I think if the 1st fight hadn't been stopped it would have ended the same.

Let's hope for his sake he's as motivated AND his stamina is better.

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Originally Posted by ono

Also think Sky are clever with the editing. They probably want to tip the balance slightly into Groves favour as more people will probably buy the ppv if it looks like he could pull off the upset, albeit a slight one

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That's a good point, but I reckon both fighters would have a bit of a say about the editing of it. After all, we can all get a bit paranoid about how we come over, especially if it's on the telly.

If Froch has any say in the editing, he wouldn't show his hand before the fight.
Most camps don't even allow footage of sparring to be filmed, let alone released.

Having the handful of people that see sparring footage think you look bad for 30 seconds isn't as important as looking good on the main event.

I think you're all reading into it a bit much, sparring is done with purpose, you don't try to 'win' sparring. For all we know he's sparring Eubank Jr. to get accustomed to having a fighter with fast hands leading off on him. You do what you're bad at and purposefully put yourself in positions where you're vulnerable. If Groves is smart he'll be having bigger, stronger sparring partners bully him - and if he's training and not posing he'll look bad doing it.

I'm not saying that froch is in good or bad form, just that it's foolish to read too much into sparring footage, I hope george groves saying froch looks bad sparring is a bluff.

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Originally Posted by AdamGB

Does anyone remember the timeline of the Taylor fight? Froch suddenly dropped in the first with a right hand, severely outboxed for 6-7 more rounds before clawing his way back and wearing Taylor down. I hope Groves isn't resting on his laurels too much as I think if the 1st fight hadn't been stopped it would have ended the same.

Let's hope for his sake he's as motivated AND his stamina is better.

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Agreed, but just being a pedant I think it was about the 3rd or 4th he was dropped against Taylor.

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Originally Posted by Primo Carnera

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Originally Posted by ono

Also think Sky are clever with the editing. They probably want to tip the balance slightly into Groves favour as more people will probably buy the ppv if it looks like he could pull off the upset, albeit a slight one

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That's a good point, but I reckon both fighters would have a bit of a say about the editing of it. After all, we can all get a bit paranoid about how we come over, especially if it's on the telly.

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To be honest, the sparring seemed fairly even to me. Eubank Jr has a style that would give Froch problems anyway. Because of how Froch fights, any quick handed, speedy contender could make him look bad at various points throughout a fight or a sparr. I don't think he will care too much about what Sky have put out there anyway, as he will know full well that Sky are trying to sell the fight, and the better it sells, the more he gets paid. ;D

It is probably for the cameras and you are reading too much into it. Froch looks in great condition. I think he is deliberately making out that he is not training hard.

...sharpest froch has looked since Abraham... :cool:

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Originally Posted by AdamGB

...sharpest froch has looked since Abraham... :cool:

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I thought he was behind, also the crowd were booing at times.

I had him up a round, they were all pretty nip tuck.

It took Groves too long to figure Froch's awkward jab out, Froch controlled the distance really with it and scored woth a lot more commitment. Can't say he was outboxing Groves but his timing and range were much sharper tonight. You would never have expected it if you get excited over sparring footage ;)