IBF super-middleweight champion Carl Froch has said that he is willing to fight George Groves after the reigning Commonwealth titlist was named mandatory challenger for his strap.
The 36-year-old shunned any prospect of vacating the belt he won by destroying Lucian Bute inside five rounds last year.
"George Groves is next in line for the IBF title and, you know me, I defend my title rather than vacate it - I'll fight anybody," Sky Sports News quotes Froch as saying.
"I've not been officially asked to vacate the title but I've been made aware of the situation that Groves is mandatory and I'm not in a position where I want to give a belt up.
"I took that belt off an unbeaten fighter so I'm not going to just give that belt away, unless there's a good option for me and a good road for me to go down. I'm in this game because I love it and I'll fight anybody, including George Groves."
Matchroom Sport promoter Eddie Hearn, who represents both camps, revealed earlier this month that talks were underway following Froch's victory over Mikkel Kessler.
Michael Penkman
