So, again, a promoter announces “The biggest domestic fight in history”. This time it’s different faces, but the same old schtick is still there like an itch right in the middle of your back – just between the shoulder blades. This time, going against the grain of the Promoter, they could well be near the mark. I’m referring to the May 31st bout between Carl Froch and George Groves.

Froch/Groves 1 was a great piece of entertainment and some consider it one of the best UK boxing events for many, many years. I’m no different in that regard; for my part, and from the viewing position of my kitchen, I found the fight a real roller-coaster of all that can be great about boxing. From the early knockdown, to the early stoppage and the abject fickleness of the largely partisan crowd, the bout had all the hallmarks of a fight destined to be contested again; which meant leaving itself open to the wild vagaries of building more hype, tackling money in oak paneled offices, and planning the future – whatever the outcome.

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By Nathan Laryea: A professional prize fighter can be slave to many things. Commercial interests, fan pressure and promotional greed will push fighters into situations, and opponents, they may not have chosen for themselves. The power to choose, then, is a rare and valued commodity in this most dangerous of sports.

Few genuinely hold it. The pantomime surrounding Floyd Mayweather’s next choice of opponent is perhaps as clear an example there is of a fighter calling the shots in own career. Mayweather’s unique ability to bring masses of revenue into the sport has rendered him master of his own destiny, but that situation is significant because it is rare.

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