Groves: Fight me or retire

George Groves has told Carl Froch to fight him again or retire as the fall-out from their controversial world title fight continues.

Groves was pulled out of their super middleweight scrap in Manchester on Saturday by referee Howard Foster, who deemed the ninth-round punishment he was being subjected to was too much.

Groves – ahead on the scorecards and with a knockdown of Froch in his favour — was furious, insisting he had been fit to continue.

Having started the night as the villain after some inflammatory pre-fight behaviour he left the ring to cheers, with Froch the one being booed.

A rematch was immediately brought up and Groves – who now has a first career loss to reflect on – has told the 36-year-old to put up or shut up.

“All he can do is retire, which wouldn’t surprise me, or fight me again,” the Londoner said. “People are already tweeting it – retire or rematch. I am his only opponent or his credibility is shot. Nobody is interested in fighting him other than me.”

Froch has earned a reputation as a gladiator because of a series of thrilling and punishing fights and Saturday’s was no difference.

He has rarely looked in so much trouble, with Groves sitting him down in the first round.

“After the fight he didn’t even remember it,” Groves added. “He sat down in my corner and I don’t know what they told him. In my opinion he was scared.

“Carl has banged on about a legacy. If he wants to be remembered as a great he has to give me a rematch.

“There is no other fight for Carl that people would be interested in and his credibility would be shot if he didn’t give me a rematch.”