George Groves v Martin Murray JUN 25

First of all, sparring is where the tools are sharpened isn't it, can never read too much into it can we. Perfect example here - Froch sparred over 50rds with Luke blackledge & "couldn't shake him" the week later Rocky Fielding knocked Blackledge out inside a round... Means nowt in the gym does it.

Second, if groves has been put down by those you said , where is the shame? We have no idea how good Johnson is yet.. Aston not so much, but you tell me a Smw who can trade with a cruiser comfortably, and Ggg well he's a law until himself... CEJ, well there's a million stories of him in the gym isn't there.. No shame if he put him down either.

Fact is, Groves has gone down and got back up & done an ok job..went distance with Jack didn't he!

 

Groves Jab which when he gets going is wonderful should win him the fight. It's groves to lose if he gets reckless he will make it difficult for himself if he keeps to his jab and moving he will take majority of the rounds.

 

I watched the jack fight again last week and couldn't believe how much groves neglected his jab. He was just throwing right hand after right hand trying to bomb jack out of there.

Under mcquigan it looks like he's finally got back to using that jab. Will be interesting to see if he can keep composed when murray catches him or if he gets reckless and goes to war again. This fight is down to if groves wants to win it the boring way or the hard way. If its the hard way it could go either way.

 

I still scored him the winner of the jack fight. The facts are groves has been beat off froch x2 and jack (on a SD) and now groves isn't at call um smiths level. Fickle game

 

I actually think this fight does tell us something about groves. As Daydorail just said, I think it helps show whether this is a genuinely world class guy that has been unlucky/adopted the wrong game plan three times (bear in mind Froch is a world class operator too)... or whether he is just short of genuine world class level.

Cardio let him down in Froch 1, a bingo punch (could be anyone) in Froch 2, and the wrong gameplan in Jack 1.

I still think his biggest problem is cardio - he looks ragged later on in fights and is just one of those boxers who does not look good when getting hit, or throwing when tired. He becomes all legs and arms and hunched shoulders, head lolling about. He advertises the fact he's been hit, and it makes a difference to observers and scorers, as well as the ref.