Glenn McRory gives us his thoughts on Froch v Groves II: The Rematch at Wembley Stadium
1. Do you think the pressure of the 80,000 crowd will get to the fighters? Well, I think it’s bound to affect them and give them some thought, obviously you know they’re used to biggish crowds, crowds of 20,000 and stuff like that. This is going to be something else altogether. I think it could, there’s a real possibility that either one could freeze a bit.
2. Will Groves have an advantage fighting in his home town?
No I don’t think so, it’s a national stadium, just by that sheer point it’s kind of neutral, I don’t really think it will affect the fight. London is a big, big city so the fact that George lives in a little area of it, I think it’s neither here nor there.
3. We know that this is the biggest domestic fight, capacity-wise since the war but do you think it has the biggest hype that you can recall?
Yes, most definitely. You know obviously there have been some great match ups, some great names in the past. Who’s to say if they had such a big stadium in the past, Lennox or Frank Bruno I’m sure would have sold that, but there wasn’t. So you know this is the biggest post-war British fight, I think that’s what makes it so big, the fact that both contestants are from England, it’s happening in England and the sheer personalities of the guys, makes it. You know you’re going to get drama, you know you’re going to get a fight.
4. What’s next for each boxer? If Degale fights Groves can it get as big?
I mean for me I’m backing Groves so I think that will be the next fight, if Degale comes through this one, but I feel neither will be looking at anything ahead, because Degale’s got a massive fight and obviously Froch won last time and although he did great, Groves must reverse that.
5. So as you just mentioned you’re betting on Groves to win?
I am yes, I think Groves, I think he will win quick. He was in the lion’s den last time, nothing was right he had a new trainer he was having fallouts; it was a terrible terrible time for him. He was written off, he wasn’t given much chance at all, he was badly insulted by Carl Froch, yet he came out with a superb performance and now things are different. He has a conditioning coach, he’s more at home with his trainer, he’s much more confident with his game. He also knows now, he’s not in unknown territory he now knows what Carl Froch is all about, he now knows he can hurt him, he now knows he can put him on the floor, so he’s now coming in not just with a confidence he’s coming in with a certainty.
6. So have you got a feeling on which round?
No I just think, it could be any, I just think it will be early, um, inside six. The way all the drama happened last time in the first six rounds, I just think he needs to do the same fight, he just needs to do it more.
7. So you’ve been here before, what will the fighters be thinking with just 2 days to go, what will be in their mind?
Well they will just want to get it on now you know, the last couple of days are the worst, you’ve done all your training you’re in condition, your primed, your mentally tuned, everything’s ready. You just want to make the weight that’s all your concerned about, monitoring the weight, that’s all you want to do, it’s just counting down the minutes.
8. What’s next for the fighter that loses?
You know, if Groves did lose he can come back again with another fight. I think a lot of it depends on how they lose. For me, I feel, if Froch loses, he’ll lose big and this is a very lucrative pay day, so I think this would be the end of the road.
9. And obviously he’s getting on a bit?
Yes, to be honest I think Froch should call it a day now, how you walk away from the biggest pay day, the biggest event, the biggest fight there’s been ever in this country.
10. There’s a lot of speculation about the relationship between the two fighters, do they really hate each other do you think?
No, no I don’t think they hate each other, at this moment they will dislike each other immensely, I don’t think they will ever be friends in the future, but you know, most boxers fight each other and all the rest of it. I’ve fought Lennox but you know I think the world of him he’s a great guy Lennox, but that’s the business, that’s the sport you just get on with it. I’ve fought my brothers day in and day out I still love them to bits; I’m not sure they like me though.
11. With the hype around the two British boxers in this fight and the likes of Anthony Joshua, would you say that British Boxing is on a high?
You know, British boxing has been on a high for some time, it’s getting bigger and better all the time. You’ve got to say the Olympic Games for the amateurs and then coming to this point now, this is a fabulous peak for boxing, but with the strength and depth of talent coming through and with some of them on the up, you know the weight of Anthony Joshua who I just think has stormed off on a road that will match Lennox’ career, could even be bigger than Lennox’ career, I just think boxing is in a great, great place and ready to go bigger and better.
