November 23rd will see the widely fancied Carl Froch take on compatriot George Groves. Many boxing betting fans have taken the view that Groves is simply cannon fodder and will be easily quelled by Froch, but as we all know boxing is never that straightforward. So, does Groves stand a chance?
Froch is priced with Paddy Power at 1/5 and is the huge favourite to win the bout. Groves is clearly a talented boxer but the vast majority believe he has made the step up too quickly; Groves is stepping up from mediocre opponents to fight a double world champion.
Froch has been quick to highlight this, pointing out that Groves has never fought anyone ranked above number 15 in the world; this inexperience could lead to Groves’s downfall. Froch comes into this fight high on confidence after overcoming Mikkel Kessler in May. The Nottingham man is more of a battler than a boxer and if Groves turns this bout into a straight-up fight then Froch will beat him within four rounds.
Young George Groves has the perfect record with 19 wins from 19 bouts as well as serving up an impressive 15 knock-outs. Boxing analysts believe that he has a chance against Froch if he doesn’t get involved in an all-out fight; Groves needs to box clever and pick his moments if he is going to pull off an upset.
Priced at boxing odds of 10/3 by Paddy, this outsider status could actually work in Groves’s favour. If Froch becomes over-confident then he could lose focus on the task in hand; we all remember Buster Douglas knocking out Mike Tyson in 1990 and he was priced at 42/1!
With his huge underdog tag he could have the voracious backing of the audience which could unnerve Froch and instil Groves with more confidence. If Groves can keep his head and box smart then he has a chance.
Despite the odds being against him Groves does have a chance. He will need some luck but if he can out-box Froch and defend well then he could score a huge points victory.
