WBSS super-middleweight competition update - Groves vs Eubank Jr set

How did Jamie Cox get in there?

 

Smith will fight for the WBC diamond belt, while Dirrell fights with someone else (likely Benavidez) for the full belt.

 

You ask me ... and meanwhile Korobov sweating over whether he gets in.

I guess the WBSS want to work closely with Hearn.

 

Really appreciate the WBSS threads by the way. Really good stuff.

 

Thanks!

 

Benavidez is gonna destroy Dirrell, this will be lovely to see.
Actually it makes sense for Smith to enter, most participants are from Europe and this is a great way to raise his profile rather than facing Dirrell in US.

 

So it seems the field will be:

Groves
Eubank Jr / Abraham winner
Smith
Braehmer
Yildirim
Brant
Skoglund
Cox

Korobov likely to miss out.

 

Not Alexander Brand surely?

 

Sorry, my autocorrect. It's Rob Brant (22-0), #21 on boxrec

 

Ahhhh not too bad I guess.

 

I'd far rather have Korobov, but Brant is OK. He's better than Cox

 

Eubank /Abe easily have hardest road only blokes who have to fight to get in

 

Brant's actually pretty good, he was Jacobs sparring partner for the GGG fight. I hear it was pretty even.

 

Still can't see him doing much, early exit i reckon.

He's from same camp as Spence and Jermell and spars them regularly too

 

Yildrim is a very live dog in this, he's the guy who completely beat up DeGale and busted his teeth out 2 weeks before the Jack fight.

Groves/Eubank/Smith are all similar level I feel maybe with an edge to Groves, they are the three favourites out of the lineup.

Brant is pretty good, done a lot of work with Jacobs but I feel he may fall short.

Cox is okay but still an unknown quantity, I feel he just isn't going to turn out anywhere near as good as Hearn initially thought. He's been sparring with Kell Brook but again that's a WW/LMW vs SMW.

Don't know much about Skoglund so can't comment, but Braehmer is definitely shot or close to shot. Didn't look great pulling out against Cleverly and moving down a weight at his age is never good.

I don't really mind that Korobov isn't in it but really feel like we need one of Benavidez/DeGale/Ramirez to give the tournament some extra credibility.