Carl Froch believes his world super-middleweight title defence against George Groves in Manchester tonight will go down alongside the great domestic grudge matches.
Froch has made no secret of his dislike for the unbeaten Groves in a fiery build-up to a fight which appears to have caught the public’s imagination despite the champion’s insistence Groves does not belong in the same ring.
The Nottingham 36-year-old believes the fight’s popularity is due less to the challenge Groves brings to the table and more because the British public have always relished a good-guy, bad-guy clash.
Casting himself firmly in the former category, Froch, who will put his WBA and IBF titles on the line, said: “It’s goodie versus baddie and I’m willing to be the good guy.
“George Groves has very much made himself the bad guy because of his disrespect and the way in which he’s conducted himself during this build-up.”
Froch is convinced he is in for one of the easiest nights of his career against Groves and few could begrudge him a straight-forward assignment having consistently sought out the best in the business during his five-year period in world-class company.
Groves brings a 19-fight unbeaten record to the table but arguably his most notable win remains a tight majority decision over his former amateur rival James Degale in May 2011.
The Londoner, who is 11 years Froch’s junior, has been mocked by Froch for publicly revealing what he insists are his detailed plans to beat the champion, but claims he affords him plenty of respect.
Groves said: “When I get in the ring with Carl Froch I don’t know anything about him and it will be strictly business.
“I always like being the underdog. I like people writing me off and I love it when they come up to me afterwards and tell me they thought I was going to get knocked out in a round and it didn’t happen.”