George Groves: Future World Champion, really?

for the first few rounds groves fought like a scared cat,each time degale unleased his combos close up groves was holding on for dear life .groves won but if they fought again i would favour degale the guys a tosser but hes got good skills and speed.

 

He won those early rounds despite De Gale's speed and skillset and he was still trading at the end of the fight.

Many people said Groves didn't have the ability to live with De Gale who was being heralded as the future of the SMWs not only in Britain but the world.

Maybe we are seeing the best of De Gale. A good domestic level operator but lacking that something truly special that seperates good from great.

 

Dave Parris has the best scorecard of the lot

I'll have another look at round 12, I scored it to DeGale originally.... but it's also worth noting that it was the most contentious of all the rounds collectively awarded to DeGale on the scores collated on the thread (great work btw).

I think the talk about being influenced by the crowd is a moot point, when the influence of it being a Frank Warren fighter on a Frank Warren promotion is considered.

At the end of the day, DeGale can't really cry robbery after that, it was a ****ing close fight.... interesting that most posters on here gave it to Groves, as did most on Boxrec too.

Would be interesting to see a collated list of scorecards from journalists and boxing people alike that were at or close to ringside.

 

good man:good

 

I think Rob makes a valid point about it being only his 13th fight.

Look at who he's beaten....

Paul Samuels
Kanstantsin Makhankou - who took Konecny 8 rounds immediately after
Charles Adamu
Alfredo Contreras
Kenny Anderson
James DeGale

That's six very good opponents in that time..... look at other British fighters with a similar number of fights and there's nowhere near the depth on that record.

I'd say DeGale is a better fighter than anyone Burns has fought bar Martinez, and would be among Cleverly's best opponents too.

I picked DeGale to stop Groves based on their recent form, and got it wrong..... as for Groves becoming world champion (and not just a beltholder) I've got reservations, particularly over his stamina and chin. He's proved that he can fight in a couple of different ways and box to a plan, which is unusual for a British fighter at such a young age.

But he does need some strength and conditioning work, his legs aren't the best, and he was manhandled at times by DeGale. If he can sort those out he's got every chance, despite having a questionable chin.

 

Wow, well there you go! Warren & co can have absolutely no complaints, when Dave Parris scores against a Frank Warren fighter on a Frank Warren Promotion then you the last thing anyone can cry is robbery:deal

 

I've watched round 12 again..... it's a closer round than I remember it being but still scored it to DeGale.

Wouldn't be unreasonable to score it even or to Groves though.

 

I agree, look how padded out most prospects fight records are especially those who work with Fwank...
He definitely needs to work on his conditioning, but I think he is with the best people to do that with. Look at Haye 5 or 6 years back to just before he stepped up in weight, his conditioning improved massively. Groves is only 23 so I think he will definitely fill out a bit over time. He said he made weight with ease for the DeGale fight which suggests he will probably find it easy to bulk up a bit.
If they put some emphasis on his physical devlopment now and dont rush him back into the ring I think we will be seeing a far more fromidable fighter than we see beat 'Chunky'

 

yes, I definitely think he has the chance to get to world level, even more so after the weekend. I agree with Big Dunk's point on how hard he has been matched by only his 13th fight- the fact he hasn't lost yet despite them tough tests is encouraging.

However, I think he needs to develop a style that he is confident of using in every fight. It caught him out vs Anderson when trying to box on the back foot completely failed and he won by resorting to standing his ground and backing Anderson up, like he should have done from the start. The Degale fight was certainly a good example of his adaptability and I thought his tatics were spot on there.

But I wouldn't employ them for every fight. Groves is better on the front foot at mid range where he can set himself and get the right balance to make use of his good power. Against someone with the skills of Degale this may not always work so the adaptability he showed was impressive but I just feel that he was not really playing to his strengths there and that if he continues with that style, eventually he will be caught out.

For example, people have mentioned Stieglitz. I think down the road that is a winnable fight for him. But if he fights like he did vs Degale, I would see him losing. Stieglitz's jab is excellent and against someone who is so much better adept at fighting on the front foot than Degale, I doubt Groves would succeed with a counter punching style

 

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Whatever happens with Groves in the future I'll definitely be cheering him on.

When I watched the fight live I thought Groves caught DeGale with a big shot in the 1st and it made DeGale wary of going too gung-ho in chasing down Groves. Did anyone else see it that way, or was Groves just too slippery?

I gave the 12th to DeGale as well, but could easily see an argument to give it to Groves.

 

DeGale may have won 3 of the last 4 rounds but he lost 6 of the first 8. DeGale may have been coming forward but his punches didn't land. Groves threw more punches, landed more punches and dictated the pace of the fight thats why he won.

 

At the end of the day Groves won fair and square credit where credit is due.

If DeGale "thought" he was so superior he would have won, but he couldnt cope with stick and move fighter.

 

When looking at some of the current champs. I think it is very possible. I see him outpointing Stieglitz. Obviously he can't expect to beat someone like Andre Ward or Kessler.

 

Can he box the "perfect" fight off the backfoot all the time?