Can we talk about Smith's rabbit punch on a downed Groves?

A DQ certainly would have been acceptable possibility. Groves was already on the floor, way to late. Not quite Roy Jones late, but still late nonetheless.

 

I thought it was a good demonstration of Smith's brutality and viciousness, which is necessary in the ring.

 

It was an illegal blow no doubt, but I don't think it changed the outcome. The bodyshot is what kept Groves down, as he said himself in the post-fight interview.

 

This is a non-issue.

 

i thought that, was a bit dirty, he was quite clearly down, needs to watch that. so does Anthony Fowler now i think of it, he did it in the amateurs and he's carried on doing it in the pros

 

tell that to Prichard Colon

 

If you do that against a home/featured fighter, you're getting DQ'd for sure.
If you're the home/featured fighter you'd come off with a warning or a continued count.

In this case, according to the rules, Groves should have gotten up to 5 minutes to recover and Smith either a warning or a point deduction.

 

Heat of the moment, adrenaline pumping etc etc, no big deal it happens, it shouldn't but it does.

Look at Benn Barkley that was blatant.

Anyway its done, not a fan of smith to be honest but I do congratulate him on his victory, regardless of the final give me your giro shot!!!

 

He isn't a weight bully, as he easily makes weight.

 

i didn't see it as malicious. I just suspect when a boxer pours it on to get the stoppage - when their mind-set is to keep punching until the opponent falls or the ref jumps in - it's very hard to turn that tap off when they are in a kind of punching auto pilot...

 

I do agree with this, however. He could have been DQ'd....

 

I'm not a fan of the term 'weight bully' either. He makes weight... but not easily from what I have read. It's a real battle and I suspect he doesn't have too many more fights in him at 168. Which is good, really. Gives him the chance to move up to LHW and take on boxers of similar dimensions and test his boxing skills more....

 

Agreed - that's how I interpreted it as well. However as you say he was lucky that no action was taken about it.