There is a wistful look on the chiselled features of Carl Froch as he holds his year-old daughter Natalia on his lap.
George
Groves would be unwise to seize upon the tender mood of this
photograph, taken by Froch’s partner Rachael Cordingley, as indication
that the man he is about to fight in front of 80,000 people is going
soft in his sixth year as a world champion.
The
moment is poignant because Froch has been rationing his cherished
family time to the barest minimum during his two-and-a-half months of
preparation for the re-match which will fill Wembley Stadium to
throbbing capacity on Saturday night.
Family time: Carl Froch takes a break from
training to spend time with his baby Natalia ahead of his re-match with
George Groves at Wembley next weekend
Baby
Natalia was a distraction for the Nottingham Cobra prior to his
controversial first fight with Groves in November. Now she has grown
into an intense, additional incentive for him to put down the abrasive
challenge from his fellow Englishman, this time for good and all.
‘I
don’t like being away from Rachael and the kids,’ says Froch. ‘I didn’t
think that sacrifice was necessary for the first fight with Groves so I
stayed at home while training.
‘That
was one of the corners I cut which made that night more difficult for
me than it should have been. I’m not making that mistake again.’
The
holder of the IBF and WBA super-middleweight titles has been spending
most of his nights in spartan accommodation in Sheffield, submitting
himself to the punishing regime devised by his trainer Rob McCracken.
The
diet is as disciplined as the extreme physical demands and the absolute
concentration on the tactical and technical details of their fight
plan.
At
the end of a hard day spent with him in the gym at the English Sports
Institute, where McCracken also nurtures the British Olympians who
landed a shoal of medals at the London Games, he allows himself a visit
to a local Italian restaurant.
This
rare treat amounts to half a chicken breast ‘grilled plain, no oil’ and
a small side salad ‘no lettuce, one ounce of vinegar dressing on the
side just in case’ washed down with chilled water.
Not
that this man o’ war ever has difficult scaling on or below the 12
stone limit: ‘Nah, I could come in on the weight in the morning and wish
I could fight him tomorrow night.’
Rather, he keeps himself lean and hungry as he continues to consolidate his family’s future.
The
Forbes Rich List estimates Froch’s net worth as between $20 to $30
million (£12m-£18m). Whatever the exact figure, the record Wembley gate
for boxing and Sky pay-TV sales will boost it by at least £5m.
He has
earned every penny and dime the hard way. This second encounter with
Groves is his 12th consecutive world championship fight and he has
slugged it out with all the finest super-middleweights on earth, beating
all but one of them.
On the back foot: Froch admits he was not at his best when he fought Groves last year
Flat on his back: Froch was put on the canvas by Groves in the first round last time
Yet it took him time to catch the public imagination and build his earnings base.
He
recalls: ‘I got about thirty grand for each of my first couple of title
fights. But I didn’t waste the money. I bought two small houses in a
part of Nottingham which wasn’t very fashionable at the time and rented
them out. They’ve paid for themselves now.’
The
Froch property portfolio has grown in parallel with his rise in
purse-power and he says: ‘First I had Rachael and myself to look after.
Then my great lad Rocco came along and now we have Natalia as this
lovely extra reminder to me to provide for them for the rest of their
lives.
‘I’m fighting for the future of the whole family and I’m not done yet. Not by a long chalk.’
Nor
is money the only spur. Fighting passion burns deep inside this man of
war-hardened Polish descent, as does pride in being a world champion.
Warrior spirit: Froch clawed his way back into the fight and put pressure on Groves
Controversial ending: Referee Howard Foster stopped the fight in Froch's favour in the ninth round
It
is those professional instincts which reinforce the most resilient chin
in the prize-ring, that granite jaw which enables him to get up from
sledge-hammer punches like the one with which Groves floored him in the
first round in November and hit back to win.
As
Froch is pushing himself in training Anthony Joshua, Britain’s
super-heavyweight Olympic champion, arrives at the sports centre to help
prepare some of McCracken’s GB team for this summer’s Commonwealth
Games in Glasgow.
Joshua is excited to be on the Wembley undercard but he jokes with Froch: ‘Not getting as much as you.’
Froch
grins and says: ‘Don’t worry about the money yet Big Josh. I wasn’t
earning a lot when I became world champion. I’m getting my rewards now.
Concentrate on the prize. For you that’s the world heavyweight title.
Get that and everything else follows.’
Start of the journey: Anthony Joshua has set out on his quest to become heavyweight champion of the world
But lose those belts and Froch, at coming up 37, knows it would be a hard road back to the summit.
That is one reason why he is pounding the Tarmac with dervish zeal.
The
furore over his somewhat premature stoppage of Groves, when Saint
George of London was ahead on the scorecards going into the ninth round,
has resulted in a return bout which will smash to smithereens all box
office records for boxing in Britain.
The controversy also drives Froch on and up the lung-bursting hills of his regular dawn runs. And no corner-cutting this time.
Showing his class: Froch beat Danish boxer Mikkel Kessler in their re-match at the O2 last year
Brutal: Froch beat Lucian Bute in emphatic style back in 2012
He says: ‘Groves tries to make fun of me keeping my charts and diaries. Well, sport is a science now, George.
‘Before
our first fight I didn’t get close to my best times. Now I’m going five
or six seconds faster, partly by accelerating to the top of the
steepest gradient of all, a 1 in 4.
‘I couldn’t believe it when I broke my own records.’
If you don’t apply the science, Froch discovered five months ago, the human fighting machine slows down.
‘I
have to be honest with you,’ he says. ‘I did most of my running last
time on the treadmill. No matter what anyone tries to tell you, it’s not
the same.
Hold it together: Groves tries to get into Froch's head by whispering in his ear
Push off: Froch's head to head with Groves turned physical at Wembley earlier in the year
‘I
took Groves for granted. I was only at 80 per cent of my best. If he
thinks it will be the same fight over again he’s in for a big surprise.
‘My
resting pulse rate is back down to 36, I feel again the way I’ve
usually felt since I became world champion. Like never mind 12 rounds,
I’m your old-fashioned 15-round fighter.
‘Not
George. He did well for six rounds against me but then the tide
turned. He weakened as I got back into it. He can’t take the pressure.
As I began hitting him with big shots he crumbled. Maybe it was stopped
early but it was only a matter of time.
‘He’s
one of those who goes into the 10th, 11th and 12th rounds seeing the
finishing line and hoping to get through it. Not when you’re a world
champion. Not me. That’s when I’m coming to get you.’
Froch
admits allowed Groves to get under his skin with his mind games, lost
his temper and his focus. He has responded by employing a sports
psychologist to ensure he fights with his brain not his emotions on
Saturday.
Support: Froch is backed every step of the way by his partner Rachael Cordingley
Glamour couple: Froch and Rachael have been together for a number of years
What does Groves keep whispering in his ear?
‘He
keeps telling me to try to hold it together,’ says Froch. ‘Hold it
together? How many world title fights have I had? He’s had the one and
even at my worst I found a way to beat him.
‘So I'm cool now. He no longer bothers me. I’m only interested in being on top of my game and boxing a smart fight.’
Groves has come across as bright and articulate - Machiavellian even - during their grating exchanges.
Froch
is intelligent, too. That depth is evident when you ask if he thinks
Groves is truly convinced when he says he is certain to win second time
around.
The Cobra hisses: ‘I like this quotation: You can’t get a fool to question his wisdom.’
Other
questions were left hanging in the chill Manchester night air when
referee Howard Foster abruptly interrupted their violent dialogue.
Froch believes he has all the answers.
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