 Carl Froch (left) has won all 17 of his professional fights |
Carl Froch retained his Commonwealth super middleweight title by becoming the first man to stop Ruben Groenewald. Despite some sloppy work in round one, Froch took charge and was the stronger and more polished fighter throughout.
The Briton thrilled his home crowd in Nottingham by dropping Groenewald after a flurry of punches in round three.
Although Groenewald showed bravery and heart to get up, the referee stopped the bout in the fifth round, angering the South African challenger.
"I took my time and picked my punches because I've had surgery on my right hand and didn't want to over-extend it," said Froch.
"Groenewald was a tough, strong and proud man.
"Anyone taking those punches and wanting to continue deserves a lot of respect. But I outclassed him from the start.
"Now I want Joe Calzaghe whether or not he beats Jeff Lacy. I'm 28 and I'm in my prime. I'm ready to step up in class."
MMIX
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