George Groves Observations

First of all, credit to Groves tonight he proved me wrong, but also proved me right again on a few things also (I'll get into that in a bit) I expected Glen Johnson to show a bit more than he did in all honesty, and he really did show his age tonight. Although I did expect him to throw a bit more and land something really meaningful, but it didnt really happen and many were right on the mans decline. He really doesnt need to carry on now, he has got nothing to prove. But instead of sour grapes because I failed in my prediction, credit to George Groves tonight. :good

Now to my "observations", after watching Groves' last few fights I've started to concentrate a bit more on what he is doing. I have taken some notes tonight, but some of these notes were things I have noticed in previous fights also.

- Groves strikes me as a fighter who doesnt know in his heart what to do, it doesn look natural, a lot looks forced. When I say, "he doesnt know what to do" I mean in terms of, he has to be baby fed step by step and told what to do by Booth and his corner. Either mid-rounds, or during a fight. If this lad was left to his own devices, he'd have been finished by now. He has to be spoon fed every single little precise detail for it to send a trigger of in his head to work. MOVE GEORGE!.....DING! "OK I do this in 2 seconds from now" he has to be shouted at like a child during a round, for it to send the trigger in his head to adjust or get out of a situation he finds himself in. If nobody was there to scream that advice, I dont think he would even think to make those changes TBH.


- Another thing I have noticed, is that he seems to wobble whenever he takes a half decent shot? Now there is a few possible explanations for this tonight and in other fights. 1) It could be that he has been slightly hurt by the shot. 2) It could be a problem with nerves making him feel the shot more. 3) Or it could be that he takes the shot and trips over his legs trying to run away from any more punches. 4) Or could it be just playing possum? Is it something Booth is telling him to do to lure the fighter in thinking he is hurt? :huh

I cant put my finger on what it is, but time and again I've seen it, its very weird and unusual. I just feel that way about him, something bad about him I cant work out, I could be cruel and say ******edness? But I think that is extreme.

- I admire the lads work rate, but for me he throws to many punches with putting everything he has in them, and he seems to tire himself out in stupid positions, where he could be made to pay badly in return. (Possible explanation for tonight: Was this just more prevalent tonight because Johnson was encouraging that sort of over-work and happy to take the shots?)

He seems to tire out a lot, but he causes it himself by throwing to much and putting far to much into every single punch. While it is fantastic to see and fantastic on the eye. He only seems to have 1 gear. That will help him in fights like tonight, but in others he will be destroyed. He can commit to much for his own good sometimes!

- Groves has some serious defensive gaps, that I dont think Booth or David Haye shouting advice or working in the gym are gonna fix. He is far to open coming in, while throwing, AND when stepping out of an attack, he stands tall, chin out. The only times he seems to use head/neck and upper body movement is when he is static, on the back foot, up against the ropes, and when his opponent is trying to work on the inside. Groves doesnt turn defence into attack, and he doesnt utilize any defence when coming in to have an attack. - I dont think this has anything to do with tonight, I've seen these flaws near enough every fight. I can see him getting taken out a few times. If Johnson was 10 years younger, tonight would have been a different story IMO. Johnson doesnt have the speed, output or the pop like he used to. This is obvious, what happens when he fights someone that does?


Basically, all of this adds up to that, I personally dont think George Groves will ever reach the highest level. :good

 

Cheers mate.

When I watch Groves, I see the same alarm bells that I get with Amir Khan especially. Very similar fighters, although Groves seems to have better footwork pivoting away. George Groves is a spoon fed baby, he has to be told to do everything and how to do it, he hasn't got that world champion ability to think for himself when he needs to in the heat of the moment, while it may work, its bound to backfire one day. There were times tonight where he took a semi OK punch (not many at all from Johnson) and the same mechanism Khan has got kicked in and only when Haye and Booth screamed at him for 5 seconds, did he change it. Those 5 seconds is still to much, it only takes 1 to knock somebody out.

I think Groves will win domestic belts and maybe a world one of an average champion, and he'll probably get a shot against someone really good at world level, but I think he will get destroyed. If not before depending on who he fights.

Booth cant save him all the time. There comes a time where Groves has to fight on instinct, but can he?

 

@ Baz and SPB : Cheers guys :good

Unfortunately I think he naturally has the Khan syndrome, Booth can try his best to cover that up, but it will always be there. If Groves had the common sense, he would fight of the back foot using his athletic ability, behind a jab, and run for 12 rounds. He'd win every single fight. But fighters like these lack one key ingredient, and it gets overlooked massively, fighting common sense.

Groves lacks it, just like Khan. They dont fight the way they should do and make use of all the tools, yes it would be a boring watch, but they'd have a 99% chance of winning the fight. Isn't that what they want?

They always drop the ball at some point and go all guns blazing with no regard for human life, their opponents, or their own and this is when they make mistakes, leave themselves open and get caught.

Its normally when they take a punch. It starts the self-defence mechanism of, its called "give it back x2, my cojones are bigger than yours."