Carl Froch: “I should have known better”

Interview – Declan Warrington

BN: Would this tour be happening โ€“ would you be friends like you are โ€“ if heโ€™d won that night at Wembley?

CF: If Iโ€™d have lost itโ€™d probably have been my last fight โ€“ Iโ€™d have finished my career on a loss. Would George be doing this tour if that was his last fight? Probably not. The same way I probably wouldnโ€™t have. But he was young enough to go and eventually win a world title, so he got his defining moment away from Wembley. If Iโ€™d have lost and not fought again, would I have got over it and thought, โ€œHeโ€™s alright, Iโ€™ll go on tour with himโ€? Maybe not. I do it for my website and to give the fans something back, and I enjoy it. Would I enjoy sitting there listening to me getting chinned in front of 80,000 at Wembley a million times? No, I donโ€™t think I would. Itโ€™s hard to empathise and put myself in that position. But I can understand why George is doing it because it wasnโ€™t his last fight and he had a decent career after.

BN: How much harder would being around him, and revisiting it to the extent you do, be if youโ€™d lost?

CF: It would be [particularly] hard for the first one or two, and then itโ€™s, โ€œWeโ€™ve been here, seen it, done it now; weโ€™ve talked about it a million timesโ€. It would be quite a lot harder; and I think itโ€™s harder for him than it is for me, actually. I go on these tours and I donโ€™t feel at all like it brings any bad memories back, but for him, I sometimes look at him and feel a bit bad when Iโ€™m taking the piss a little bit. Like his podcast โ€“ thatโ€™s me having a bit of a laugh and a bit of a dig. But it [the knockout] did happen. Itโ€™s100 per cent, genuinely, nothing personal.

BN: How much do you cherish the manner in which your career finished, given so few fighters retire off the back of winning?

CF: Iโ€™m really grateful. To myself, for putting in the hard work and dedication, for Rob McCracken for believing in me, and the support I got from my family โ€“ mainly my wife [Rachael]. It was hard for her โ€“ there was a lot of time she was on her own. My older brother [Leeโ€™s] my biggest fan and always had my back; obviously my mum; my dad donโ€™t really give a shit. Heโ€™s a miserable old f**ker. I donโ€™t even talk to him, which is a shame, because my dad got me into boxing โ€“ he loves the sport โ€“ but heโ€™s turned into a bit of a recluse since he remarried. I miss me old man, I love him to bits, but I donโ€™t see him, and heโ€™s never met his seven grandkids โ€“ itโ€™s his other two sons as well. To finish on the crest of the wave โ€“ it was a genuine rival; itโ€™s fair to say we probably hated each other โ€“ with that one-punch knockout on that kind of stage, itโ€™s never, ever going to get any better. Who else goes out on top?

David Hayeโ€™s a proper good mate; to see him end his career on his face with his arse in the air, getting flattened by someone [Tony Bellew] who at cruiserweight would have been a mismatch. To see him go out on a lossโ€ฆย He got paid; he was injured as well.

Itโ€™s one of the reasons I didnโ€™t box again. โ€œImagine losing now. Itโ€™s never going to be as good or as big.โ€ Going out on a loss; getting knocked out. Donโ€™t fancy it. I only lost twice, on points, to top fighters. I finished on a high. I made a few quid along the way. Really, you canโ€™t ask for much more, can you?

BN: How often do you think about that night at Wembley?

CF: Probably nearly every day. โ€˜Cause Iโ€™m always taking the piss out of myself by saying โ€œ80,000โ€; I have my running joke. When you meet people, it always ends up with, โ€œYour last fight at Wembley Stadiumโ€, so I always think about it. I canโ€™t imagine thinking about it as my last fight and getting knocked out every day. Itโ€™d be depressing.

BN: Where does he rank among the best you fought?

CF: Jean Pascal was f**king ferocious. Jermain Taylor was a little bit too quick and too skilful for me but he couldnโ€™t stay with me in the later rounds โ€“ Iโ€™ve always been solid with my fitness. Andre Ward was awkward and horrible โ€“ but he knows how to win. [Mikkel] Kesslerโ€™s a real hard fucker; skilful; quite tricky. Arthur Abraham was solid; I battered him for 12 rounds and he kept coming. Andre Dirrell was mustard, but he had no heart when he fought me. [Groves is] in the top five โ€“ I wouldnโ€™t put him in the top three [but] โ€“ thatโ€™s credit to George.

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Carl Froch is nailed by a George Groves left during his ninth-round stoppage of Groves in 2013 (Tom Jenkins/Getty Images)

BN: Whatโ€™s the most personal moment youโ€™ve shared since youโ€™ve got to know each other?

CF: We had a drink in Edinburgh. We were stood in the bar, and it was quite lively, and people were coming up and having selfies; it was a Guinness and Tia Maria shot. The tour was nearly over and I said, โ€œCheers, George. Iโ€™ve really enjoyed it โ€“ itโ€™s been great getting to know you. I consider you a mateโ€. He went, โ€œIโ€™m the same โ€“ you and your brother โ€“ itโ€™s been brilliant. Youโ€™ve made it really comfortable for meโ€. There was an acoustic guy playing some songs, and quite a few people in there, and I thought that was a really nice moment. We had a โ€œcheers to the tourโ€, and weโ€™ve genuinely become friends. I donโ€™t drink much โ€“ I donโ€™t think he does either. Heโ€™s sensible, and I donโ€™t drink enough [to get drunk].

He said, โ€œWill you come and do me podcast?โ€; โ€œYeah, absolutely, Iโ€™ll come down earlyโ€. It was a bit of a pain to jump on the road three hours early but I made sure it happened, because I didnโ€™t want to let him down. If he asks me to do something I want to do it for him. You want to look after your mates, donโ€™t you? Do the right thing by them. Thatโ€™s just how it is with George. I genuinely think heโ€™s a sound geezer. I proper get on with him. Weโ€™ve got a lot in common. Weโ€™ve both got a missus and kids; we both boxed. I genuinely like George Groves. I wished he lived closer [to Nottingham], because Iโ€™d be phoning him up. โ€œDo you fancy going for a game of snooker or going out for something to eat with the missuses?โ€ Heโ€™d be great company.

BN: Heโ€™s also become friendly with your brother Leeโ€ฆ

CF: Lee was probably a bit harsh with him but he was looking after his little brother. Groves always had a little wind up with him. I donโ€™t think they actually bothered each other that much. Lee was more annoying for George, than โ€œI canโ€™t stand this Lee Froch, f**king idiotโ€. He was always in and around me but he never really did anythingโ€ฆ George stood right in front of Lee at the press conference for the Wembley rematch, and I know that Lee had been drinking neat vodka on the way down. He disguised it in a water bottle. I only found out after, because he used to hide his drinking. When George stood in front of him โ€“ Lee can fight. Heโ€™s had 13 unlicensed fights; won all of them and knocked out 12. Tough men โ€“ hard doormen. People who fancy themselves on the street. Heโ€™s strong as you like; can take a punch. Looking back now, he was pissed โ€“ if that hadโ€™ve kicked off then it could have got messy. โ€œF**king hell, that could have been horrible.โ€ The fight would have been off. I donโ€™t think Lee and George hated each other. I think they were not liked [by each other] by default of [him] being my brother.

It was nice when George first met Lee [in retirement]. Lee actually went out of his way to go and speak to George and say, โ€œGeorge. Alright, mate? Nice to see you. Iโ€™ve not spoke to you since the fight but honestly Iโ€™ve got no problems with you. I think youโ€™re sound โ€“ย a great fighter โ€“ย well done in your careerโ€ฆโ€. Lee was probably five years sober then โ€“ย heโ€™d done his 12 steps and he was fully on it and switched on and humble. I think George was taken back by that, and he relaxed. Them two get on well. I often look round and them two are chatting, and having a laugh.

BN: How do you reflect on that photo from before the first fight, which almost portrays you as a bully?

CF: The reality set in when I was in the ring. I was thinking, โ€œF**king hell, Iโ€™m coldโ€. I didnโ€™t want to warm up; I didnโ€™t want to get going. Cometh the hour, cometh the man as they say. You canโ€™t lie to yourself [at that point]. I was thinking, โ€œI could be in trouble hereโ€. When I was stood in that corner with everyone around me, I was thinking to myself, โ€œYou lot are all getting out of the ring in a minute, and Iโ€™ve got to stay hereโ€. Thereโ€™s only four or five who really mean anything to me. Everybody else is either family wanting to get their face on camera or a couple of close mates whoโ€™ve been in the changing room. โ€œGet out the ring, you twat. What you doing in the ring?โ€ Iโ€™d often look round and think, โ€œWhat the fuckโ€™s he doing in the ring? Whoโ€™s brought him?โ€ As long as Robโ€™s there and I can talk to him, go through the final tactics, thatโ€™s all I need.

I can remember looking over to [Groves] thinking, โ€œCheeky prickโ€. Brazen. Just stood there, full of confidence; full of self-belief. Quite proud โ€“ย chin in the air. I was thinking, โ€œFor f**kโ€™s sakeโ€.

BN: Were you overconfident before those fights, and were you guilty of under-appreciating Groves?ย 

CF: I was overconfident in the first one and guilty of not giving him the credit he deserved, definitely. I should have known better because Iโ€™d sparred with him; I knew he was a good fighter. But the rematch I wasnโ€™t over-confident. I was fully aware that I was in a fight with somebody who was very capable; tough; has got fast hands and can punch a bit. I was really confident I was going to do the job, but I wasnโ€™t overconfident in a disrespectful way where I was taking him easy. I was confident because Iโ€™d trained really hard; had all the sparring I wanted. I was fit; my diet was smack on. I was walking to the ring very confident but with full respect for my opponent, which is the best way to be. I fully believed I was in for a really hard nightโ€™s work, and potentially a really tough fight. I was switched on. Focused.

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