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| George Groves signs Sauerland contract before Carl Froch showdown | George Groves signs Sauerland contract before Carl Froch showdown |
| (1 day later) | |
| George Groves admits he has gambled by signing with Sauerland Promotions in the buildup to his rematch with Carl Froch at Wembley Stadium on Saturday week but he is determined to take the risk out of the equation by stopping the champion in three rounds. | George Groves admits he has gambled by signing with Sauerland Promotions in the buildup to his rematch with Carl Froch at Wembley Stadium on Saturday week but he is determined to take the risk out of the equation by stopping the champion in three rounds. |
| Groves on Tuesday confirmed he had contracted to a long-term deal with the German promoters, even though he might have been able to negotiate better terms if he were to take Froch’s super-middleweight belt. | Groves on Tuesday confirmed he had contracted to a long-term deal with the German promoters, even though he might have been able to negotiate better terms if he were to take Froch’s super-middleweight belt. |
| Over lunch in Hammersmith in west London, not far from where he was born 27 years ago, Groves (who sticks to water) looks and sounds as relaxed as he always does. | Over lunch in Hammersmith in west London, not far from where he was born 27 years ago, Groves (who sticks to water) looks and sounds as relaxed as he always does. |
| “I think three rounds,” he said when pressed for a prediction. “Paddy [Fitzpatrick, his trainer] is talking about five. So, never go against the coach.” | “I think three rounds,” he said when pressed for a prediction. “Paddy [Fitzpatrick, his trainer] is talking about five. So, never go against the coach.” |
| Such an unequivocal statement of intent will not surprise students of Groves’s predictions. He shocked everyone – most of all Froch – when he carried through on his promise to put his opponent down in the first round when they met the first time in December. This time he is just as confident, perhaps more so. | Such an unequivocal statement of intent will not surprise students of Groves’s predictions. He shocked everyone – most of all Froch – when he carried through on his promise to put his opponent down in the first round when they met the first time in December. This time he is just as confident, perhaps more so. |
| “They’re superconfident I can do the business,” he said of the Sauerland brothers, who have been courting him for weeks. “My value is there. The deal I have signed now is the equivalent of having knocked Carl Froch out next weekend. | “They’re superconfident I can do the business,” he said of the Sauerland brothers, who have been courting him for weeks. “My value is there. The deal I have signed now is the equivalent of having knocked Carl Froch out next weekend. |
| “I went into the first fight [when Froch stopped him in the ninth round] on my own, all on my own, and I felt I paid a price for that, to a certain extent. I’m in a much stronger position and I have a much stronger promotional team behind me. Not that that will make any difference in the fight, because that’s not how boxing works. | “I went into the first fight [when Froch stopped him in the ninth round] on my own, all on my own, and I felt I paid a price for that, to a certain extent. I’m in a much stronger position and I have a much stronger promotional team behind me. Not that that will make any difference in the fight, because that’s not how boxing works. |
| “I don’t need to have my career built now. I’m an established fighter, not a fighter who needs steady progression. I’m going to be world champion next week and then all I needs is someone to negotiate fights, which I’m going to be part of anyway – and still be on Sky – and take over the world. | “I don’t need to have my career built now. I’m an established fighter, not a fighter who needs steady progression. I’m going to be world champion next week and then all I needs is someone to negotiate fights, which I’m going to be part of anyway – and still be on Sky – and take over the world. |
| “Kalle [Sauerland] will make me a high-profile fighter here in the UK and I think he will certainly open a lot of doors to have big fights across Europe and in the States. | “Kalle [Sauerland] will make me a high-profile fighter here in the UK and I think he will certainly open a lot of doors to have big fights across Europe and in the States. |
| I’ve been pretty good at negotiating. People might disagree and think I’m trying to cash out early, but if I don’t win next week then I essentially don’t really have a deal with. But I know what my value is once I win. | I’ve been pretty good at negotiating. People might disagree and think I’m trying to cash out early, but if I don’t win next week then I essentially don’t really have a deal with. But I know what my value is once I win. |
| That’s the equivalent of what I’ve got now with Sauerland, because they’ve shown that commitment to me. I had similar offers from other promoters, and I was very tempted. | That’s the equivalent of what I’ve got now with Sauerland, because they’ve shown that commitment to me. I had similar offers from other promoters, and I was very tempted. |
| “I think Carl will come out, hang on and, if he gets past six rounds, maybe get a bit of confidence. If it gets towards rounds 10, 11, he might think I’m going to blow up. He’s been there before [coming from behind to stop Jermaine Taylor in the last 14 seconds]. Even against me. But I think he will make too many fundamental mistakes. He will explode and – without giving away too much – followed by an implosion. That will come very early. Once he walks on to shots, he won’t get up. Paddy’s saying five, I’m saying three.” | “I think Carl will come out, hang on and, if he gets past six rounds, maybe get a bit of confidence. If it gets towards rounds 10, 11, he might think I’m going to blow up. He’s been there before [coming from behind to stop Jermaine Taylor in the last 14 seconds]. Even against me. But I think he will make too many fundamental mistakes. He will explode and – without giving away too much – followed by an implosion. That will come very early. Once he walks on to shots, he won’t get up. Paddy’s saying five, I’m saying three.” |
| Groves said he imagined Froch, who is 11 years older, regards him as a pesky child. “He’s spending a lot of time coaching himself not to lose his rag with me. But ultimately that’s taxing. It takes a lot of energy. If you’re driving home and your kids are playing up in the back seat, I’m pretty sure that’s taxing. You’re trying to hold your composure, you’re trying not to shout at them. | |
| “And that’s how Carl sees me. He thinks I’m a petulant kid playing up in the back seat, and he wants to turn around and tell me to behave. But he knows if he does that, it’s going to be embarrassing. So he’s sitting there, trying to be calm. He’s in the same situation now.” | “And that’s how Carl sees me. He thinks I’m a petulant kid playing up in the back seat, and he wants to turn around and tell me to behave. But he knows if he does that, it’s going to be embarrassing. So he’s sitting there, trying to be calm. He’s in the same situation now.” |