Latest news with #CarlFroch
The Sun
5 days ago
- Sport
- The Sun
‘Nothing was going to stop me' – George Groves reveals the pain of boxing with a BROKEN JAW in dramatic world title win
GEORGE GROVES was never going to let the pain of injury stop him from being champion - whether he had a broken jaw or dislocated shoulder. The die-hard Chelsea fan had three cracks at the super-middleweight world title - twice losing to Carl Froch and later Badou Jack. 8 8 8 So when he got his fourth attempt against Fedor Chudinov in 2017 - for the WBA version - Groves knew it would be his final. But disaster struck in the third round when a right hand cracked Groves' jaw - breaking it instantly - threatening to KO his title hopes for good. Groves told SunSport, courtesy of Midnite: "I knew it straight away. I'd broke my jaw ten years prior as an amateur. "I remember - I think it was the third round - the last punch of the round he wings a big right hand over the top and I hear a loud crack. "I just thought, 'He's broke my jaw!' It was exactly the same as how it broke last time." Knowing it was his last chance saloon - Groves bravely boxed on and was forced to bite down on his gum shield. But he refused to let trainer Shane McGuigan to take it out of his mouth amid the excruciating pain. Groves, now 37, revealed: "I tried to shut my mouth and it wouldn't shut properly. I just thought, I'm not gonna tell Shane, my cornerman. "I didn't want him to behave differently because I had a broken jaw. He goes to take the gumshield out and I just shake my head. "Absolutely nothing could have stopped me - they'd have to have carried me out." George Groves puts Sun Sport through their paces with intense workout Groves knocked Chudinov out at Sheffield United's Bramall Lane to at last become champion of the world. It also earned him a place in the eight-man World Boxing Super Series tournament in 2018 - beating Jamie Cox before facing Chris Eubank Jr in the semis. But once again, Groves' resilience would be tested after dislocating his shoulder in the 12th and final round. He desperately held onto victory, his world title and place in the final, but felt the affects of the injury on the way to the hospital. Groves said: "When the adrenaline's pumping, you've got no pain. The shoulder came out and it just felt really weird. "It wouldn't go back in and I'm more thinking about what's the long-term damage here? "I'm in the semi-finals of the World Boxing Super Series, I might have to box in a couple months. 'It's more painful than childbirth' "So there was the threat of long-term damage. Whereas with the broken jaw it was like, 'You've just got to get through this. You can't lose this bout.' "The fight was won pretty much against Eubank, it was the final round. "But afterwards, the comedown once the adrenaline starting wearing off, in the ambulance with the dislocated shoulder was pretty horrific. "The surgeon told me it's more painful than childbirth!" Groves made it to the final but was beaten in Saudi Arabia by Callum Smith - announcing his retirement at the age of 30 soon after. It came as a shock to many - but for Groves it was always the plan - win or lose, saying said: "I knew it before I'd even boxed Chudinov. "I had an exit strategy. Before I boxed Chudinov we had done a deal to enter the World Boxing Super Series. "It was going to be three fights in 12 months for good money and some belts. He wings a big right hand over the top and I hear a loud crack. I just thought, 'He's broke my jaw!' George Groves "I had to beat Chudinov to do that and I thought after winning the world title, what's the drive? What's the ambition? What's the motivation? "I knew it wouldn't be there but if I've got this tournament where there's some real big characters in there then that's perfect. Then I'm done. "You have to have that because it could've been, win the tournament and 'Oh look, James DeGale's other there. This fella Canelo is coming up to super-middleweight, let's hang around.' "Of course, it would've been wonderful to do that but I was 30 then, my second son had just been born and I was ready to spend some time away from boxing and leave it all on the table." Nowadays, Groves provides expert punditry and analysis for TV stations and radio when he's not training his protege Lucas Roehrig. The former world champ met cruiserweight Roehrig - who is 5-0 - while coaching at his old Dale Youth Amateur Boxing Club. He even took SunSport on the pads - passing down his knowledge - and gave us a few whacks on the body belt - thankfully showing mercy. Adapting to life as a coach, Groves said: "I love it. When I finished from boxing and retired, I thought, 'That's me done. Never watching one more round of boxing.' "But, the truth is it's what you know, it's what you are, it's who I am. I've been fortunate enough to be ringside year after year covering the big fights. "It was only a matter of time before I got back between the ropes and this time in a safe - not always safe - distance of holding pads." 8 8 8 8 8
The Independent
6 days ago
- Sport
- The Independent
Eddie Hearn snubs Anthony Joshua and Lennox Lewis as he names Britain's greatest boxer ever
Eddie Hearn has made a surprise selection for his greatest British boxer of all time. The Matchroom boss gave a few big names who could have taken top spot, but ultimately landed on four-time super middleweight champion Carl 'The Cobra' Froch - snubbing the likes of Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua, Lennox Lewis and Ricky Hatton. Hearn said that based on Froch's toughness and resilience, he had to be given the title of Britain's best. Hearn said on the Let Me Tell You Something podcast: 'Ability-wise and based on record, it would be Joe Calzaghe. From a natural skill and entertainment perspective, it would be Prince Naseem Hamed. In terms of what they did for the sport, it would be Anthony Joshua. But because of how tough he was, I'd have to pick Carl Froch.' Froch campaigned as one of the finest super middleweights of his era for almost a decade, having 12 consecutive world title fights before his retirement in 2014, having accumulated a record of 33-2 (24). 'The Cobra' became famous for his robotic and relentlessly advancing style that wore his opponents down - dragging himself to some unlikely wins against much more technically gifted boxers. Career best wins for Froch came against Mikkel Kessler, Jean Pascal and his 12th-round knockout of Jermain Taylor with 15 seconds left in the fight when he was behind on two of the judges' scorecards. He cemented himself as an icon of British boxing when he shared a hate-fuelled rivalry with George Groves that culminated in a dramatic and devastating eighth-round knockout in the first boxing event at the new Wembley Stadium in front of 80,000 fans.
The Sun
21-05-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
‘It's a f***ing easy win' – Carl Froch makes emphatic prediction for Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua fight
CARL FROCH did not hold back with his emphatic prediction for Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua. Joshua, 35, is coming off a brutal knockout loss to Daniel Dubois, 27, in September and currently finds himself nursing an elbow injury. 4 4 Fury, 36, meanwhile was beaten twice by Oleksandr Usyk, 38, last year, retiring in January only one month after his rematch defeat. But the Gypsy King has fuelled speculation of a comeback with recent training videos and Froch reckons a fight with AJ is easy money for Fury. He said on his YouTube channel: "I think AJ's finished. Honestly, I think he's finished and done. And the only fight potentially for him is the Fury fight. "Forget rematching Usyk, forget Dubois again, because we know what's going to happen because we've already seen it. "But the fight with Fury is safe enough because Fury probably would struggle to knock him out with one punch. "I'm not saying he can't do that, he probably can, but that's a fight I'd probably say, you know what if you're going to come out of retirement - I know Anthony Joshua's not retired - but if Fury's going to come out of retirement that makes sense. "Because for me, it's a f***ing easy win. I'm not being horrible but Tyson Fury, for me, runs rings around Anthony Joshua. "AJ's got no confidence, he got flattened in his last fight and look at the form Anthony Joshua's been on compared to the form that Tyson Fury's been on. 4 CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS "Tyson Fury is naturally talented, very skilful, he's a technician, you see him against Usyk, yes he lost but he was in the fight from round one to round 12. "It was quite a close fight, the right man won, Usyk beat him fair and square but if you're looking at form and looking at the quality and natural ability and the talent and where he is in the mind, Tyson Fury is a massive favourite in my book going into that fight." AJ to have surgery this week as Hearn reveals 'encouraging' Fury fight Promoter Eddie Hearn revealed Joshua plans to fight in 2025 - with or without Fury. Hearn told SunSport: "Next couple of months, if there's no movement, we fight. "I mean there's no way AJ's not fighting this year. So who that will be? I can't tell you. "I mean, that's the million dollar question at all times, but I think more importantly is, do we get any news from Fury in the next four, six, eight weeks? "If we do, we'll fight him this year. If not, we'll fight and then maybe he comes back next year, who knows? "But I'd be lying if I said we weren't desperate to see him return. But, at the same time we can't just wait around and see what happens." 4
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Usyk's Reputation Could Be Stolen By Dubois
World heavyweight titlists Oleksandr Usyk and his archrival Daniel Dubois will face off for the undisputed crown at London's Wembley Stadium on July 19. The unvanquished Ukrainian Usyk bears the WBC, WBA, and WBO titles in his name and is eyeing becoming the four-crown undisputed heavyweight titleholder for the second time. Elsewhere, the British Dubois is the IBF bearer. Advertisement The 38-year-old Ukrainian boxer vacated the IBF crown last year, ahead of a December rematch with Fury, while Dubois upgraded to title-holder and defended the belt against a fellow compatriot, Anthony Joshua last September. 'I'm grateful to God for the opportunity to once again fight for the undisputed championship,' said Usyk, who has a 23-0 record, in the statement released on Sunday. 'Thank you, Daniel, for taking care of my IBF belt – now I want it back.' Daniel Dubois will have the opportunity to avenge his defeat to Oleksandr Usyk when the heavyweight adversaries share the ropes once again. He asserted his status by viciously knocking out Anthony Joshua under the Wembley arch last September, and is hopeful for a similar result as he returns to the same venue for a showdown with Usyk. Advertisement However, with the rematch date now set, former heavyweight champion Carl Froch has a contrary opinion. He believes that Usyk should not be fighting since his legacy may be tainted if he loses the fight to Dubois. 'I don't think Usyk should keep fighting, and I remember saying last time, just retire. Once you've beaten Tyson Fury, just retire, you're done. I'd feel bad for Usyk if something goes wrong, because Usyk is the far superior athlete. Far more skilled, talented fighter, big champion, undisputed cruiserweight champ. For him to live on to 38/39 in the ring. But it would be a terrible end to Usyk's legacy if he lost,' said ex-World Champion Carl Froch in an exclusive interview with
