Carl Froch and George Groves are set to face-off in a rematch on Saturday, May 31.
The Wembley Stadium fight comes after Froch defeated Groves in a controversial decision in November 2013 in Manchester.
The 36-year-old Froch — arguably Britain’s top boxer of the past five years — was knocked down in the first round and exposed for more than half the bout by an upstart 11 years his junior. In the ninth round, Froch finally landed some meaningful punches of his own to leave Groves wobbling, but the challenger was still on his feet when the referee stepped in to end the fight.
With the crowd howling in derision, it was an unfortunate way to end a memorable fight. It was no surprise that the IBF ordered a rematch after Groves made a complaint, but the clamor for Froch-Groves II was already irresistible.
There will be unfinished business in London, with Groves intent on sending Froch into retirement.
“If I was a betting man,” Groves said, “I’d say this will be the end (for Froch’s career).”
Froch was riled by the in-your-face approach of Groves during the buildup to the Manchester fight, but he clearly underestimated his rival. He ended the fight with a bruised and puffy face, his reputation slightly damaged but still with a win on his record.
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Highlights from the last match via Sky Sports
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Robert McCracken, Froch’s trainer, revealed after the fight that he knew Froch would have trouble with Groves’ awkward style and fast start. Groves dominated the center of the ring, hounding Froch, and will look to do the same again on Saturday.
“I gave him the advantage in the first fight, allowed him to get comfortable and let his shots go,” said Froch, who has a 32-2 record, including losses to Mikkel Kessler and Andre Ward, and is contesting his 12th world title fight.
“I took too many steps back but I won’t be taking a backward step in this fight.”
The rematch has been dubbed as the biggest fight in British boxing history as 80,000 or so fans are expected to attend in person at Wembley. It will be the first fight at the stadium since it re-opened in 2007.
The undercard is slated to start at 6 p.m. BST. James DeGale (18-1, 12 KO) is facing Brandon Gonzales (18-0-1, 10 KO) in a 12-round IBF eliminator. The winner of this match could face the winner of Froch vs Groves.
Also on the undercard are lightweights Kevin Mitchell and Ghislain Maduma (16-0, 10 KO); heavyweights Anthony Joshua and Matt Legg; and Jamie McDonnell vs Tabtimdaeng Na Rachawat, which is for the regular WBA title.
The main fight (Froch vs Groves) is slated to start at 10 p.m. BST. It will be available via pay-per-view on Sky Sports Box Office in the United Kingdom and HBO in the United States. The actual time may be later depending on the length of the undercard fights.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
