T h e f i g h t e r s e n t e r t h e a r e n a !

F r o c h l i n e s G r o v e s u p …

… a n d o f f e r s e n c o u r a g e m e n t !

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C ongratulations on a great victory, carl.

How does life feel witHout george groves in it?I’ve got the biggest smile on my face! I’ve had to endure some serious abuse, silly games and unnecessary antagonising over the past year, but we live 130 miles apart and now I don’t have to talk to or see him any more.was saturday nigHt tHe greatest nigHt of your career? It was phenomenal, but it didn’t sink in on the night because

“I closed the show in brutal fashion!” EddiE, havE you EvEr bEEn involvEd in a grEatEr night of boxing?It’s difficult to really enjoy it when you’re working, but the response I’ve had since the show tells me how good it was. People have told me that it was the best sporting event they’d ever been to; not just boxing, but best sporting event!What Was thE viEW likE from thE bEst sEat in thE housE?Ha! The one time I got to look around and go “f**king hell” was during the ring walks. They were brilliant and a reflection of the fighters’ mentalities. George was soaking up the moment, as you would at 26 in the biggest fight in British boxing history. Carl was just pure business, as he was a man on a mission.it lookEd likE you had to gEt grovEs out of his drEssing room to gEt it all startEd…Groves has got that Hayemaker team in his blood, so it’s not unusual for them to keep you waiting. But we had 80,000 screaming fans, and Sky Sports

had an 11pm curfew to keep. That’s why I steamed over to his security to get him out.Could you havE WrittEn a bEttEr sCript?It was a brilliant night all round. Kevin Mitchell looked like he was out of it and somehow forced a stoppage, James DeGale was sensational, Jamie McDonnell won the world title and Anthony Joshua was Anthony Joshua! from thE look of you thE morning aftEr, it must havE bEEn a good party?We got back to the hotel at 1am and I didn’t turn in until 5am. I woke up to calls from Sky Sports asking to do a piece and I rarely turn down interviews, so I ran down straight away. It was only when I saw it back I realised how bad I looked.Can british boxing hold morE nights likE that?I believe so. I’m not saying every event is going to be like that, but it shows the potential if you’ve got the right product. We did a great job promoting it, so did the fighters. Few sports can attract that audience. We’re in a great place.

“Forget boxing. That’s the best sporting event ever!”

I was so focused on getting the job done. After watching it back, I think satisfying is the word I’d use. I did the job that I wanted to do and put the whole saga behind me. I just feel like the weight of the world has been lifted from my shoulders.you called tHe knockout puncH tHe best of your career…I lined him up perfectly and I think he set himself up for it by talking about knocking me out with a left hook. With my career and legacy on the line, I closed the show in brutal and conclusive fashion

– and that’s what makes it the best.can you even begin to describe tHe atmospHere inside tHe stadium?I had to block it out. I do remember there was a lot of unnecessary booing for both fighters. But I left to cheers. wHat did you say to george after tHe figHt?I was very complimentary. I told him to keep his chin up.is tHat a bit tongue in cHeek, carl?It’s probably not the best advice because you have to keep your chin down! But I told

him to stand proud and don’t let this defeat finish him because he’s a young man and he can potentially come again. It depends how he responds.do you tHink He can come back?George is young and a quality fighter. He can

come back stronger and win a world title, but that’s all down to him and his character. He played his part in the fight and between us, we created what happened at Wembley Stadium. For that, we should both be proud.wHat’s next for tHe cobra?I’m going to have a great holiday and then think about my options. I’m not going to rush into anything, and I don’t think anything will top Wembley. But with everything I have achieved in boxing, I would still like to

fight in Las Vegas, the fight capital of the world.so your next opponent is more likely to be Julio cesar cHavez Jr tHan James degale?Chavez Jr is a big name in America and has a big Mexican following. A fight like that in Vegas with the world watching is something that excites me. I’ve fought two mandatories in a row, so now I can fight who I want. James DeGale got a great win against a limited opponent and George Groves beat him. He’s got to earn his stripes before he can become a serious challenger.

Eddie Hearn reviews the af termath of the meg a match-up

After two f ights, months of verbals and 17 rounds of toe- to- toe act ion, Carl Froch has the f inal word

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