Who will you blame if Froch-Groves II doesn't happen?

[Citizen Koba]

Groves for me - he kicked up a stink and got his way, but the ball's in his court now. He's the hungry young challenger - he can get the big paydays down the line if he wins.

In his position he should be jumping at the 15% - that should still be around £600K - coming on for a $mill to get a title shot which could make him one of the top guys at 168. That ain't bad for a 25yo 20 fight challenger with his career in front of him.

Kid seems to think he's already a superstar. If he walks he ain't gonna look good.

[Citizen Koba]

To give you a face full of Americanisms, the bottom line is that the buck stops with Froch.

He's the one in a position to make this fight happen or not. All the noise that he's made thus far indicates that he doesn't want it, and I can understand that. Nor does McCracken want to put his man back in there with Groves, and rightfully so, his job is to protect his fighter.

Froch would do well to think long and hard about the damage that his reputation will take if he chooses to fight Chavez Jr. instead. If he truly believes that he's the better man then re-matching Groves is a win/win situation. He'll receive a monumental payday and silence his critics in the process whilst restoring his standing with the general public and casual fight fans whose attention he so desperately courted.

The fight only doesn't happen if Groves thinks he's too big a name to take his 15%. The ball is squarely in his court now - how much does he want that title?

The offer's on the table - if Groves doesn't want it, there's no one else to blame.

[Earl-Hickey]

2:40

[soul_survivor]

It's gotta be Hearn and I hate to say this, Froch too.

Yes Groves should get some stick for not being happy with a 15% slice of the pie but at the end of the day, when Hearn offered him more money, he had some stipulations, namely a multi-fight deal and rightfully so Groves turned it down. Why should he get ***d for a fight he looked to be winning?

Froch too because it's quite obvious, that for the first time in his long and illustrious career, this is the only time I've seen him unwilling to fight someone. Even Ward didn't do to Froch what Groves did. I think the entire team of Hearn/Froch/Kraken have had their confidence jolted.

[LacedUp]

The fight only doesn't happen if Groves thinks he's too big a name to take his 15%. The ball is squarely in his court now - how much does he want that title?

The offer's on the table - if Groves doesn't want it, there's no one else to blame.

He obviously brings more to the table than 15% - it's not as simple as that.

In my opinion, it would be Hearn's fault for not paying Groves' his worth. Mandatory 15% or not. Froch will make heaps more taking 60% of this fight than any other fight out there for him - so it will go down to principle if this fight doesn't get made.

[- Ram Raid -]

He obviously brings more to the table than 15% - it's not as simple as that.

In my opinion, it would be Hearn's fault for not paying Groves' his worth. Mandatory 15% or not. Froch will make heaps more taking 60% of this fight than any other fight out there for him - so it will go down to principle if this fight doesn't get made.

I agree.

The minimum opening offer that should be brought to the negotiating table is 30%. Anything less is offensive. This may well be the biggest grossing fight in either man's career so to expect Groves to settle for 15% is unreasonable.

[yoz]

Groves for sure; he's backtracking.

[yoz]

He obviously brings more to the table than 15% - it's not as simple as that.

In my opinion, it would be Hearn's fault for not paying Groves' his worth. Mandatory 15% or not. Froch will make heaps more taking 60% of this fight than any other fight out there for him - so it will go down to principle if this fight doesn't get made.

Groves is the architect of his present situation. He appealed to the IBF for a mandatory shot. Given all the **** he's said in the past few months, Froch/Hearn should offer 15% and nothing more.

All this talk about American promoters picking this up is BS. If it goes to purse bids, it'll be between Warren and Hearn. The latter, of course, being the more lucrative route for both fighters.

[Citizen Koba]

He obviously brings more to the table than 15% - it's not as simple as that.

In my opinion, it would be Hearn's fault for not paying Groves' his worth. Mandatory 15% or not. Froch will make heaps more taking 60% of this fight than any other fight out there for him - so it will go down to principle if this fight doesn't get made.

I can see your point and agree that Groves is probably worth considerably more, and I also don't blame him for not taking the 25% with options. In the end though he went to the IBF to make sure options couldn't be stipulated, but that means 15%.

15% is what's on the table, no matter how much he's worth - if he wins it makes him a major player and he can earn plenty of money - the kid's only 25.

As I said 15%, that's about £600k is on the table - what's more important to Groves I wonder - his principles or becoming a world champion?

TBH I think Froch is digging his heels in because Groves is trying to call the shots, I think 25%-30% (no options) is probably fair, but to me that ain't the point - life ain't fair.

Groves has got a mandatory World title shot, which could earn him millions in the long term - if he chooses not to take it, he can't blame Froch for being mean.

[Citizen Koba]

I agree.

The minimum opening offer that should be brought to the negotiating table is 30%. Anything less is offensive. This may well be the biggest grossing fight in either man's career so to expect Groves to settle for 15% is unreasonable.

It was never going to be 30% given their relative status in the boxing world. Reasonable or not.

Groves needs Froch, not the other way around - people are moving on already, and in the US no-one really gives a damn, it'll hurt Frochs earning power not at all if Groves walks away from a mando, but it'll make Groves look like he just didn't want it enough and will do nothing good for his career.

Groves has a second shot at a world title at 25 years of age, for a payday that's already 5 or 10 times what he's used to - if he takes it and wins he becomes a major player and the big money will come.

If he walks, he can go back to domestic and second tier international fights and work his way back up to a title shot (unless Ward decides he needs an opponent) earning 50 or 100K a time. Guess it's up to him...