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| Carl Froch fells George Groves in eighth round to win Wembley rematch | Carl Froch fells George Groves in eighth round to win Wembley rematch |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Carl Froch has had many great nights but knocking George Groves out in the eighth round of their rematch in front of 80,000 people at Wembley Stadium was, as he repeated a few times afterwards, “the best night of my whole career”. | Carl Froch has had many great nights but knocking George Groves out in the eighth round of their rematch in front of 80,000 people at Wembley Stadium was, as he repeated a few times afterwards, “the best night of my whole career”. |
| There should be more to come – either against the mandatory challenger for his IBF title, James DeGale, who was impressed stopping the unbeaten American Brandon Gonzales inside four rounds on the undercard, or on a glory night in Las Vegas. The odds are on the latter. | There should be more to come – either against the mandatory challenger for his IBF title, James DeGale, who was impressed stopping the unbeaten American Brandon Gonzales inside four rounds on the undercard, or on a glory night in Las Vegas. The odds are on the latter. |
| Either way, the champion, at 36, will look back on his 35th bout with lingering fondness for years to come, brought to a conclusion beyond dispute by what he described as “the best punch I have thrown in my life” – a right hand from hell. | |
| They toyed and sparred and prodded and poked for all but a few scattered and thrilling moments until the world super-middleweight champion from Nottingham, in his 13th straight world title fight, crashed a peach of a punch from middle range on to the unprotected jaw of Groves, who sailed south like Captain Cook and stayed there until he was helped groggily to his feet. | They toyed and sparred and prodded and poked for all but a few scattered and thrilling moments until the world super-middleweight champion from Nottingham, in his 13th straight world title fight, crashed a peach of a punch from middle range on to the unprotected jaw of Groves, who sailed south like Captain Cook and stayed there until he was helped groggily to his feet. |
| Just as Groves could not avoid the finisher, after two minutes and 34 seconds of the eighth round, there was no ignoring the spiking of the hubris – that belonging to the young Londoner, who had predicted he would stop Froch in three rounds and had declared, in the ugly tradition of the business, that the champion was like “a man on death row”. | |
| Froch was not overly concerned about that. He was here to take care of business, having failed to do so to his satisfaction when he stopped Groves in the ninth round six months ago, with the assistance of the referee Howard Foster. | Froch was not overly concerned about that. He was here to take care of business, having failed to do so to his satisfaction when he stopped Groves in the ninth round six months ago, with the assistance of the referee Howard Foster. |
| No arguments this time. No controversy. And, sadly for the challenger, no rematch. But, after all the poison that seeped into the narrative beforehand, the winner was both proud and generous. | No arguments this time. No controversy. And, sadly for the challenger, no rematch. But, after all the poison that seeped into the narrative beforehand, the winner was both proud and generous. |
| “This was a legacy fight,” Froch said. “Unfortunately in boxing, people remember you for your last fight. I didn’t want to go out to be remembered as being a loser, and I would have retired if I’d lost tonight.” | “This was a legacy fight,” Froch said. “Unfortunately in boxing, people remember you for your last fight. I didn’t want to go out to be remembered as being a loser, and I would have retired if I’d lost tonight.” |
| His promoter, Eddie Hearn, shed a little light on his plans when he said: “Carl has had back-to-back mandatories forced on him by the IBF. James definitely deserves his shot. And Carl does deserve his night in Vegas. I will go away and look at the landscape. It’s just my job to present the opportunities.” | His promoter, Eddie Hearn, shed a little light on his plans when he said: “Carl has had back-to-back mandatories forced on him by the IBF. James definitely deserves his shot. And Carl does deserve his night in Vegas. I will go away and look at the landscape. It’s just my job to present the opportunities.” |
| What unfolded on a mild summer’s evening was the cool exposition of a plan that relied on Froch closing down space on his opponent – after a few more mind games. In the final seconds before they faced off, Robert McCracken was drilling instructions into Froch. He did not want a repeat of his indiscretions in the first fight. The champion turned his back to the challenger for as long as he could during Michael Buffer’s introductions, as Groves prowled and stared, never taking his eyes off his prey. The touch of gloves was perfunctory. So was first blow, a long, light jab from Groves, as they mapped out their territory. | What unfolded on a mild summer’s evening was the cool exposition of a plan that relied on Froch closing down space on his opponent – after a few more mind games. In the final seconds before they faced off, Robert McCracken was drilling instructions into Froch. He did not want a repeat of his indiscretions in the first fight. The champion turned his back to the challenger for as long as he could during Michael Buffer’s introductions, as Groves prowled and stared, never taking his eyes off his prey. The touch of gloves was perfunctory. So was first blow, a long, light jab from Groves, as they mapped out their territory. |
| The stadium, rammed but for a fringe of red seats along each side, buzzed and hummed. A woman somewhere near the halfway line screamed for no apparent reason. | The stadium, rammed but for a fringe of red seats along each side, buzzed and hummed. A woman somewhere near the halfway line screamed for no apparent reason. |
| They tangled, Froch threw Groves to the ground, and the referee, Charlie Fitch, was mildly irritated with the champion. Froch already looked sharper than in December, but Groves scored with a right to have them fairly even after six minutes. | They tangled, Froch threw Groves to the ground, and the referee, Charlie Fitch, was mildly irritated with the champion. Froch already looked sharper than in December, but Groves scored with a right to have them fairly even after six minutes. |
| Paddy Fitzpatrick, Groves’s interesting and hitherto unheralded trainer, sported an orange bandana, giving him a distinct piratical loo, and he urged his man to increase the tempo. Groves, feinting and flicking, legs wide, did not seem inclined to venture too close, however, especially when clipped with a flurry of head shots. | Paddy Fitzpatrick, Groves’s interesting and hitherto unheralded trainer, sported an orange bandana, giving him a distinct piratical loo, and he urged his man to increase the tempo. Groves, feinting and flicking, legs wide, did not seem inclined to venture too close, however, especially when clipped with a flurry of head shots. |
| Froch’s nostrils flared, turning his normally impassive features into a sneer, and Groves disturbed his mien with a long right. After three rounds, Froch had a slight edge, and not many would have expected that. This might be a night of many surprises, we reckoned. | Froch’s nostrils flared, turning his normally impassive features into a sneer, and Groves disturbed his mien with a long right. After three rounds, Froch had a slight edge, and not many would have expected that. This might be a night of many surprises, we reckoned. |
| Froch banged his gloves and stalked. The crowd grew impatient, but the boxers did not. There was way too much at stake. Besides, they now knew each other far better than they did six months ago, Groves claiming the greater understanding of their relationship. | Froch banged his gloves and stalked. The crowd grew impatient, but the boxers did not. There was way too much at stake. Besides, they now knew each other far better than they did six months ago, Groves claiming the greater understanding of their relationship. |
| He asserted beforehand he would put on a performance to outdo his first effort, yet after a quarter of an hour he was yet to make a defining statement. Could he find a right to match the one he delivered in the first round in Manchester? The first hint of a tear-up arrived in the last third of the fifth round, and the champion emerged from it grinning. | He asserted beforehand he would put on a performance to outdo his first effort, yet after a quarter of an hour he was yet to make a defining statement. Could he find a right to match the one he delivered in the first round in Manchester? The first hint of a tear-up arrived in the last third of the fifth round, and the champion emerged from it grinning. |
| Groves needed to be a round or two clear at the halfway stage, but it was Froch who had established a slight lead and he was boxing with controlled fury, eager to punish but waiting for the gaps to stay open longer. | Groves needed to be a round or two clear at the halfway stage, but it was Froch who had established a slight lead and he was boxing with controlled fury, eager to punish but waiting for the gaps to stay open longer. |
| There was more drama in nearly every round of their last encounter than there had been to this point in the whole of the rematch – then Groves, who had promised he would finish this fight with a left hook, threw his first of the fight and caught Froch flush. He budged, but not much. Groves, boxing with more urgency, paid the price, though, when Froch rocked him with a scorching right to the side of the jaw to level the seventh. | There was more drama in nearly every round of their last encounter than there had been to this point in the whole of the rematch – then Groves, who had promised he would finish this fight with a left hook, threw his first of the fight and caught Froch flush. He budged, but not much. Groves, boxing with more urgency, paid the price, though, when Froch rocked him with a scorching right to the side of the jaw to level the seventh. |
| The younger man’s reflexes were a tick ahead of Froch’s, but not alarmingly so for the Nottingham man, whose level of concentration remained high. He knew the second half of the fight would be where he felt most comfortable, where he grew stronger by the minute, and he judged that his opponent still had a stamina problem. | The younger man’s reflexes were a tick ahead of Froch’s, but not alarmingly so for the Nottingham man, whose level of concentration remained high. He knew the second half of the fight would be where he felt most comfortable, where he grew stronger by the minute, and he judged that his opponent still had a stamina problem. |
| Well, when that concluding blockbuster arrived, all debate became staggeringly academic as Groves crashed into the ropes in front of us, his head a sea of muddied pain, his left leg stuck awkwardly under his now starched body and the referee kneeling over him like a paramedic on a battlefield. | Well, when that concluding blockbuster arrived, all debate became staggeringly academic as Groves crashed into the ropes in front of us, his head a sea of muddied pain, his left leg stuck awkwardly under his now starched body and the referee kneeling over him like a paramedic on a battlefield. |
| To his great credit, Groves tried to right himself but Mr Fitch was correctly having none of it, and steered him back to his stool, where the British Boxing Board of Control doctor took a close look at his glazed eyes before allowing him to stand and wobble towards his conqueror. | To his great credit, Groves tried to right himself but Mr Fitch was correctly having none of it, and steered him back to his stool, where the British Boxing Board of Control doctor took a close look at his glazed eyes before allowing him to stand and wobble towards his conqueror. |
| They sort of hugged, ever so briefly, these two fine fighters who probably will never be friends, for all that they have shared for our entertainment. | They sort of hugged, ever so briefly, these two fine fighters who probably will never be friends, for all that they have shared for our entertainment. |
| As the big screen rolled replay after replay, and the crowd oohed and aahed their appreciation, the winner stood centre ring, vindicated and plainly overjoyed, in that quiet, awkward way of his. | As the big screen rolled replay after replay, and the crowd oohed and aahed their appreciation, the winner stood centre ring, vindicated and plainly overjoyed, in that quiet, awkward way of his. |
| And how he drank in those familiar words of Michael Buffer: “And still …” | And how he drank in those familiar words of Michael Buffer: “And still …” |
| Gold tinsel showered on to the pitch. Hearn acclaimed his man, content in the knowledge that the fighter he admires more deeply than any other with whom he has been associated was still in position to earn them both a lot more money. | Gold tinsel showered on to the pitch. Hearn acclaimed his man, content in the knowledge that the fighter he admires more deeply than any other with whom he has been associated was still in position to earn them both a lot more money. |
| But spare a thought for DeGale, who destroyed his vaunted opponent. He has done his business with Groves. There will not be a return to that scenario for a while; no, Froch will appeal to him more. He is, as he said later, the sort of predictable fighter he can make look silly with his youth, vigour and ring wit. Was that, though, not exactly what Groves thought before he entered the ring on Saturday night? | But spare a thought for DeGale, who destroyed his vaunted opponent. He has done his business with Groves. There will not be a return to that scenario for a while; no, Froch will appeal to him more. He is, as he said later, the sort of predictable fighter he can make look silly with his youth, vigour and ring wit. Was that, though, not exactly what Groves thought before he entered the ring on Saturday night? |