SWINDON trainer Paddy Fitzpatrick believes Carl Froch is no longer a box office ticket seller.

Fitzpatrick claims Froch’s popularity has plummeted since his controversial world title success against George Groves.

A premature stoppage saw Froch retain his WBA and IBF super middleweight titles but it left the boxing world crying out for a rematch against Groves.

Groves’ trainer Fitzpatrick claims a rematch is the only fight involving Froch that would attract pay per view customers but fears the Nottingham boxer would prefer to dodge a return contest.

“It’s really important that people understand I am not mocking Carl Froch because I am not,” said Fitzpatrick. “He is the champion and he is entitled to call the shouts.

“He has the right to fight whoever he wants.

“Immediately after the fight Carl Froch said to his promoter Eddie Hearn ‘Eddie, maybe we can get the rematch?’ then just minutes later in the post-fight press conference he was saying why should he give George a rematch. It’s comical the comments he comes out with.”

Fitzpatrick told the Swindon Advertiser that Groves will not wait indefinitely for a rematch with Froch and says his boxer has far more options than the champion.

He also suggested Froch’s promoter Matchroom and Sky Sports are likely to pile on the pressure for him to face Groves again.

“Sky want the rematch. Matchroom want the rematch. 95 per cent of the fans want the rematch. The only person who does not want it is Carl Froch,” added Fitzpatrick.

“The only person stalling is Carl Froch. I 100 per cent agree that Carl Froch is entitled to make his own decision, but as a business and that’s what he is as a boxer, he has business partners like Matchroom and Sky who have invested in Carl Froch.

“He has every right to say he doesn’t want to fight George again.

“But as a business how can he turn down £5million to fight George Groves in a rematch?

“That’s not good business and I think Sky and Matchroom would want to have a say in that.

“Let’s look at who he could fight if he’s not going to fight George.

“His next fight has to be pay per view to please Sky and Matchroom.

“But Carl Froch is not pay per view he needs a dance partner for his fights to become pay per view.

“Carl Froch has to come out with a definitive answer about what he is or isn’t going to do.

“We are going to wait two weeks and then we move on. George Groves has more options than Carl Froch.

“Andre Ward wants to fight George or we could fight Mikkel Kessler. From a business point of view, Carl Froch’s only option is to fight George Groves.

“We have a cut off when we will no longer wait for Carl Froch and that is in two weeks time.”