By Nick Halling

With the buildup to Saturday’s big British grudge match between Carl Froch and George Groves intensifying almost by the hour, Scott Quigg is the latest to throw some fuel on the fire by suggesting that Groves has the style to cause an upset.

The WBA super bantamweight champion is chief support on the Manchester bill, defending his title against Argentina’s Diego Silva. But looking ahead to the main event, the Bury man thinks timing could be everything.

“George Groves can definitely hurt Carl Froch,” he said, “because Froch will be coming on strong, very aggressive. That means that it could double the impact (of any Groves counters), because George has excellent timing. This is not going to be a stroll in the park for Carl. He cant just walk in – he’ll have to work his way in or he could be in for a shock.”

A keen student of the game, Quigg has seen plenty of the WBA and IBF champ in action, and believes there are weaknesses the underdog can exploit. “Carl has had trouble with straight shots in the past. Look at how he struggled with (Andre) Dirrell and (Jermaine) Taylor,” he said. “Carl has a tendency to work in straight lines, and that makes him easy to catch. Groves has good timing, and timing always works the best when someone’s coming onto you. Straight shots are the key for George.”

Not that Quigg is planning to bet the house on a big upset in Manchester come Saturday night. “When I first looked at it, I had it 70-30 in favour of Carl. Then thinking about it, I brought it down to 60-40, and right now I’d have it 55-45. I’m still siding with Froch, but this isn’t going to be a breeze for him.”

Quigg himself is looking to make a statement when he defends against Silva, having received some criticism for a slow start in his first defence last season, when he forced a majority draw with Cuba’s Yoandris Salinas.

“I’m just looking forward to getting back in the ring and proving that I deserve to be world champion,” he said. “I have to be switched on for this guy. He’s aggressive, a totally different style to Salinas, but I’m happy about that as I like come forward fighters. I don’t get flustered under pressure.

“He’s a little unorthodox, sometimes I think he’s not even sure what he’s doing himself. I have to keep it tight defensively, and work behind the jab. I cant just whale away and turn it into a shootout. I’m not looking past him, because one punch can change a fight.”

Quigg adds that while a stoppage is always a bonus, he doesn’t go out looking for it. However, the smart money in Manchester this week expects the champion to make short work of his South American opponent. Quigg is saying all the right things, and is clearly extremely confident. “He (Silva) doesn’t look phased at all, but he will be when I hit him.”

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Former IBF bantamweight champion Jamie McDonnell is looking forward to putting months of frustration behind him when he faces French former world title contender Bernard Inom on the Froch Groves undercard.

McDonnell won the belt in May, thereby making history as the first world champion to come from Doncaster. But subsequent chaos behind the scenes led to the IBF stripping him of the title. However, McDonnell remains in physical possession of the belt, proudly displaying it at this week’s press conference.  The glint in his eye suggests it will be a bold IBF representative indeed who attempts to take it from him.

“It’s been a stressful and frustrating few months,” the former British, Commonwealth and European champion admitted. “To have the title taken away from me was heartbreaking, but there’s nothing I can do about it now. Mentally, I’ve been able to put it to one side, and when I’m in the gym, its easier to forget about it.

“It can get you down if you let it, but you have to be mentally strong in this business. All boxers have to be able to deal with that side of the game. If I let it get to me, and I get beaten, that will put me back to square one.”

McDonnell’s mindset is that he is still a champion in all but name, and he expects to look good against Inom. The plan is to box again next month, then push on in 2014. “I’m hoping a big year,” he said. “I’m looking at summer at the latest for another crack at the world crown. I will win my title back.”

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The withdrawal last week of British lightweight champion Martin Gethin meant that a mouthwatering domestic duel with former champ Anthony Crolla had to be scrapped. However, Gethin’s replacement, Stephen Foster, has quickly stepped into the void, creating a potentially spicy local derby.

Former European super featherweight boss Foster has dropped off the radar in recent months. A year ago this week, he lost a British title challenge to Gary Buckland, when he was stopped in eight (the only time Foster has been stopped), and has had just a routine four rounder in May since then.

“I’ve been doing labouring for the last three months, basically just carrying bricks around,” said Foster. “But when I got the call on Saturday night, I jumped at it with both hands. They told me to sleep on it, but I knew what my answer was going to be. This is a great opportunity for me.”

Things haven’t been easy for the 33-year-old in recent months, with ring appearances extremely thin on the ground. He has been forced onto the building sites simply to provide food for his family. Training has been fitted in around work, although he insists he has never been far from the gym and remains in good shape.

In particular, he has been working hard over the last few weeks in preparation for a potential meeting with Michael Katsidis. That fell through, but he will certainly enter the ring on Saturday night in excellent condition.

Just to add an extra dimension, Foster was trained as an amateur by Crolla’s current trainer, Joe Gallagher. Together they picked up ABA honours, and boxed in the world championships. For that reason alone, Gallagher had mixed feelings about taking the fight.

“Stephen is a really good kid, and I’ve got a lot of time for him,” he said. “And he’s better when he’s the underdog. When he’s been the favourite in the past, he hasn’t always been able to perform.”

Foster, who has been training under fellow-Mancunian  Jamie Moore,  will certainly be a massive outsider on Saturday, but should expect plenty of local support for a fight which has the potential to turn into a quality tear-up. But coming in on short notice, Foster also has little to lose, and a lot to gain.

“This could be a career changer for me,” he admitted. I’ve lost a few fights, and the opportunities just haven’t been there for me. But a win on Saturday could get the ball rolling again.”