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Carl Froch's trainer Rob McCracken doesn't downplay the performance that George Groves put in in his first fight with Froch last November, but the ex-fighter also believes that Groves, while deserving of the rematch, was going to be beaten even if the fight hadn't been stopped prematurely in round nine.
McCracken says with the rematch, Froch (32-2, 23 KO) will look to set the record straight in this rivalry:
"You could argue all night about the stoppage and whether it was a premature stoppage or not, but this is boxing and it has created massive interest in a rematch that everyone is excited about. Carl is now determined to put the record straight. ... [The rematch] was always going to happen. After Groves' performances in the first fight, he deserves a return. I also think Carl deserves the opportunity to finish the job off that he was doing in round nine."
Groves (19-1, 15 KO) believes he has the mental edge heading into the rematch, as he claimed this week that Froch can't even look him in the eye, and that the IBF and WBA super middleweight champion has shown fear heading into the May 31 bout at Wembley Stadium.
McCracken's thoughts echo those of many boxing fans. The rematch should happen, because we were robbed of a truly conclusive finish the first time around, either from Groves rallying and storming back against the surging Froch, or Froch putting the finishing touches on his own comeback performance that night. Hopefully on May 31, we'll get the finish we should have gotten the first time around, whatever it is.