Groves an over-or-underachiever?

Consider what happened outside the ring in the Froch fights, break-up with his long time coach right before first fight, including a legal fight, then ends up with the questionable fill-in coach for second and leading to Jack fight, when do you see that happening at world title level? That was very bad timing/luck for him. It's pretty clear his shoulder wasn't ready for the Smith fight also, and it was a freak injury. So another major fight he had bad luck in. Bad luck making that guy into a vegetable too, which clearly spooked him and led to this decision to retire now.
So retires at 30, a very short career. In this day and age 30 is young to retire from pro sport. Golovkin only got his big break at that age. Groves underachieved for his obvious talents all things considered.

As for his chin, not sure it was bad, took a lot of damage in the first Froch fight. Obviously doesn't have a cement head like Froch/Eubank/Abraham etc. but not many do. I think for an explosive puncher his stamina was decent, I mean, compare to an explosive sharpshooter like Conor Mcgregor who can't do six rounds. A power guy like Groves isn't built for endurance, so he did pretty well stamina wise, really.

 

The kid done well, simply as that really. There have been fighters that have had double the ability and skill of Groves but achieved F all. He has won all the belts he could possibly win at Domestic level and topped it off with European and World honours. He has earned a fortune, can still speak and walk, everything intact.

 

Personally I think if anything, he over achieved.
Beat DeGale when Degale was believing his own hype. Cleverly engineered a rivalry to Froch by sparring Kessler in the run up to their seconds fight, really irritating Froch. Came out of that with plenty of money, then won a world title in the easiest route he could find, easy night v Eubank Jnr, but once again beaten comfortably when having to step up. Great career, but not a true world level champion. You either loved him or hated him.

 

He achieved what he should have.

He wasn’t china chinned, but he was physically less durable than many world level fighters, both in terms of punch resistance and stamina. Not necessarily huge liabilities against most fighters, but if you’re in there with physical freaks like Froch and Callum Smith being “alright” in key areas isn’t quite good enough.

He had the type of career where he beat everyone worse than him and lost to everyone better than him. That indicates he was neither an under or over achiever.

 

I think an underachiever.. Which isn't meant to be disrespectful .. I really like groves... When he was on the way up I thought despite him potentially having a fragile mandible . They're was a chance he cluld go onto be an all time great .. Quite slick fantastic jab .. Serious power... Good boxing brain

Then the first froch fight happened Where he looked sensational .. I actually had money on him to bang froch out in 3....didnt look a bad bet in the first round.. But after that **** stoppage I don't think he ever looked the same again .. Something was different .. Maybe him not being with Booth anymore....but he just wasn't the same fighter

Im glad he got that world title. He deserved it and he seems like a great guy outside the ring .. Wish him all the best just think he had the potential to be so much more

 

Pretty much this. Is it surprising that in this four belt era, a guy with his all round skill set picked up a world title belt? No. Was he ever likely to have a long reign given his flaws (questionable stamina, not great chin and tendency to get ragged and resort to brawling when tagged clean)? No.

I will say that he just didn't look at the races at all against Smith. All of his other defeats, he's at least been competitive. But whether it was the shoulder injury, the memories of the Gutknecht fight, too many hard bouts, Smith stepping up or all of the above, he was well beaten. The kind of loss that maybe doesn't leave a man too many places to go.

 

You have to go off his own train of thought



I liked groves was a fan to start with but it soured with time
Good fighter nothing special

 

If you look at the results of his fights, his popularity and his career earnings, you would probably say it looks about right.

But overall I would still say underachiever. For his ability his CV should be looking better. He was never going to retire undefeated, but there should be a couple more signature wins on there, a few more names.

Arthur Abraham would have been a good fight when he was WBO champ (they both beat P Smith and Murray), or even Ramirez after he beat Abraham. Then there was Stieglitz, Bute, Dirrell, DeGale rematch etc etc. There were plenty of good tests at SMW.

He went the Froch route probably too soon, then after that he went the WBC route and Badou Jack. Those years don't look so great on paper. Some of his prime years, but not a high class win to write about. Thankfully his next venture down the WBA route is where he did himself some justice.

Either way, he still provided us with plenty of entertainment over the years, and he retires with a lot to be proud of.

 

I think when you compare him to Degale, James will have a better long-lasting legacy in terms of his wins and his amount of time a world champion. Is Degale naturally that much better Groves, I don't personally think so. In that sense, he has underachieved.

 

Oh, Kenny who?

 

About right I,d say. Would have had a more fulfilled career with booth and without froch a little too early in his career. Good fighter with some fantastic attributes but the weaknesses meant he probably achieved as much as he could. Loved groves as a fighter but felt between the froch one and froch 2 fight was when he began struggling on the scales. He was never quite as quick as that first fight again. He looked a good bit slower, a little bit more lethargic that second fight. Froch improved for it....but groves wasnt quite as athletic that second fight. From there they turned groves into a bit of a weight bully. Instead of using the speed of earlier in his career. They got results with it but it was always going to be limited compared to the potential of early groves. A groves of the froxh one fight if he didn't have the vulnerabilities he had would have been a match for anyone. He was a hard guy to handle. Was always a bit similar to haye. They made the opponent wary to throw due to there speed/power and countering. Groves changed that style into by relying on coming in heavier and outworking the opponent usually being the bigger man. Don't think you,d have fulfilled groves potential in the weight class they ended up staying at. Although going up earlier had other problems....in terms of his vulnerabilities.

 

I think he’ll return. 30 is too young to retire tbh. Haye said the same thing.

 

I doubt it after the shoulder. He's a strong and principled guy, and very interested in business. I recall before he was in a world title fight he was talking about becoming a promoter. Thankfully never came off as would have been an even bigger distraction, but George seems done with fighting for good.

 

I think for Groves personally, he achieved exactly what he set out to do which was to become a world champion and earn some nice wedge. In terms of losing to Froch twice and the second in front of 80,000. then a SD to Jack, and with what happened to Gutknecht what he has achieved is fantastic. That would have mentally have wrecked many a fighting man all that. I think he underachieved in terms of boxing ability. However, he has done the right thing retiring, there was nowhere for him to go. He could have won another title at 168 but he was struggling at the weight. 175 is a very tough division especially when your desire has dampened somewhat.