Froch-Groves Domestic Showdown Gathering Momentum

It was all too glaring and obvious to see.

For those present for the final presser for the Carl Froch-Mikkel Kessler super-middleweight unification showdown, the top table wasn’t going to be shared with a domestic rival.

Froch taking center stage at the final press conference for Saturday's showdown with Mikkel Kessler. PIC: Daily Mirror

George Groves, fighting on the undercard, wasn’t invited. Not this time at least and Matchroom organised two separate press conferences – one for the main event – hosted by Hall of Famer MC Michael Buffer – and a separate presser for the undercard fighters.

It appeared Froch didn’t want a ‘young pretender’ stealing any of his limelight on arguably the biggest fight of his career, and perhaps rightly so.

But it highlights the simmering feud between 168lb rivals Froch and Groves with neither having too much of a liking for one another.

Froch sees himself as 'the main man’ a champion and British hero, who can sell out arenas by fighting the very best and sees Groves, 18-0 (14), as the up and coming pretender to the throne.

Remember that time when Froch tried to gain exposure when he was coming through off the back of Joe Calzaghe? The shoe is now on the other foot.

Groves is proving himself with every fight but lacks a highly ranked fighter on his ledger. A fight with Germany’s Robert Stieglitz would change all that, that’s of course he gets past the small matter of unheralded Uruguayan Noe Gonzalez Alcoba, 30-2 (22) on Saturday.   

Froch is at the top and Groves is on his way up and not that far behind as he continues to pass every test handed to him by Frank Warren and now Eddie Hearn.

With Froch and Groves now being promoted by the same stable this fight looks increasingly likely to happen within the next 18 months. It will be the first time in promoter Eddie’s fledgling career he has matched two of his fighters together. And if the money is there, then you sense he won’t hesitate in making that fight.

It will be a fight that will get British fight fans pulses racing and between now and fight night lets see this rivalry flourish into a massive domestic showdown for world titles at 168.

On this occasion a table wasn't bigger enough for the two of them, but I'm sure the squared circle will be more than accommodating.