The Boxing Rumble

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Prediction Time #4 - Groves vs Eubank Jr

It’s finally here.

‘Saint’ George Groves will face Chris Eubank Jr in the second defence of his WBA Super World Super-Middleweight championship at the Manchester Arena this Saturday.

In what you’d have to say is a ‘crossover’ fight, Eubank Jr is facing not only the toughest challenge of his career, but the most pressure he has ever been under. Although, it’s safe to say, like most, I was deeply impressed with how he handled the lions den against Avni Yildrim in his quarter final. That was cold, sir. Stone cold!

George Groves has been here before, and his attitude this week reminds us of that. Whilst Eubank Jr seems intent on dragging Groves into some trash talk, George seems content in himself and confident the fight will sell itself.

So who is going to win? Will it be the experience and nous of Groves? Or the exuberance of youth in Eubank Jr? 

Read on to see what i think...

I believe there are three key areas in this fight, and they all point directly to one winner for me. Let’s go through those three points now...

Weight

The weight was a huge issue before George Groves’s last fight against Jamie Cox, with people pointing to the fact Jamie boxed as low as at lightweight in the amateurs, and that George would have the natural size advantage.

That proved to be the case, as Cox was energetic and aggressive in the opening rounds, but as soon as Groves planted his feet and landed a solid shot he was out of there. There are weight classes for a reason, folks.

160lbs to 168lbs isn’t much of a jump though, surely? Unfortunately for Chris Eubank Jr, it is. 

When you’ve got a guy like Groves, who at this point is killing himself to make the limit, and will walk into the ring somewhere in the region 185lbs upwards, whereas Eubank Jr will probably come in at around the Super-Middleweight limit, 168lbs.

I’ll say it again, there are weight classes for a reason, and unfortunately in this sport it’s still legal to boil yourself down as much as physically possible to get an advantage on your opponent.

Personally, I think weight cutting should be regulated by the sanctioning bodies as it’s dangerous for all involved, but that’s another topic for another day.

Here, we have Groves who undoubtedly holds the advantage in this category.

Skills

The speed of Eubank Jr really is eye catching. 

I do love watching him shoe shine on that fancy machine in his gym, it really is impressive.

Like most, I found the video where he is separated from a sparring partner for ‘doing too much damage’ incredibly cringeworthy and unjustified. Sparring is sparring and there is a code in boxing, and other combat sports, that footage is not released. Yes, bring it up to hype a fight, as Eubank Jr has done in this instance, but don’t release the footage because it makes everyone look bad.

There has been a lot talk about sparring in this fight, and the word seems to be that Eubank Jr got the best of it back in the day. Adam Booth has trained both fighters, and seen each of them spar countless rounds, and said the only time he’s seen either of them really hurt was against each other.

I don’t take too much stock in that however, as in sparring you’re normally trying to adapt your style to a game plan for a specific opponent, and it’s easy for a young, hungry fighter to come in and shake you up.

Back to the skills, Eubank Jr clearly has the speed advantage over Groves, but what kills speed? 

Timing.

Eubank Jr commonly overextends when throwing combinations out of desperation to stop his opponents, as he doesn’t carry concussive power, especially not at Super-Middleweight.

The trick for Groves is to take a step back and time his right hand correctly, similarly to how he dealt with Jamie Cox.

Another weapon in Groves’s arsenal is his jab. It’s like a piston.

The tale of the tape shows us that Groves’s reach is only two inches greater than Eubank Jr’s, but he can make that feel like ten inches if he applies his jab correctly, which he normally does.

Eubank Jr’s only option is to negate that with his work rate, but I feel the power of Groves will deter him and therefore lessen his work rate.

Although Eubank Jr’s skill set is easy on the eye, I have to give this factor to Groves as well.

Groves has also been able to prove his skill set at world level, Eubank Jr has not.

Experience

I’ve so far written two articles about this fight, which reviewed each fighter’s best opponents (link) and each fighter’s best win (link) respectively.

It’s clear to see from these two articles that Groves has operated at a higher level throughout his career, whereas Eubank Jr has had the luxury of being able to cherry pick easier opponents on his rise to the top.

George Groves and James DeGale fought in his 12th fight. Eubank Jr’s opponent in his 12th fight was Frankie Borg... yeah.

For the longest time Groves was slated with falling at the final hurdle. After all, he came so close to dethroning Carl Froch in their first fight only to gas late in the fight, and in their second fight was brutally stopped. Against Badou Jack, although the fight was close, he couldn’t get a convincing win over the line.

After those three defeats, Groves had to mature rapidly as a fighter and a man, which he did. He regrouped with wins over David Brophy, Martin Murray and Edward Gutknecht before finally winning his world title at the 4th attempt against Fedor Chudinov.

To a lesser degree, Eubank Jr has been through same journey.

Eubank Jr was defeated by an unfit Billy Joe Saunders in his first 12 round contest and bounced back with wins against Dmitry Chudinov, Gary ‘Spike’ O’Sullivan and Nick Blackwell.

He then went on to win the rarely sought after IBO world title against unknown Renold Quinlan and defended it against Arthur Abraham and Avni Yildrim.

It’s clear for all to see whether Eubank Jr hasn’t operated at the same level as Groves, and it remains to be seen whether he can.

It’s cut and dry that Groves wins this category for me.

So as you can tell from the above breakdown, I’m very much in favour of Groves in this fight. He’s bigger, more skilled as a boxer and much more experienced.

My official pick is a clear points win for Groves somewhere around the 117-111 mark with Eubank Jr stealing a few rounds with his work rate.

Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed!

[theboxingrumble]

Prediction Time #3 - Groves vs Eubank UNDERCARD, Danny Garcia vs Brandon Rios and Devon Alexander vs Victor Ortiz

It’s almost here! The big domestic dust-up between WBA ‘Super’ World Super Middleweight champion, 'Saint’ George Groves, and the IBO World Super Middleweight champion Chris Eubank Jr.

I’ll make my picks in this article on the undercard fights. I’ll be putting up a separate Prediction Time blog for the main event as I want to go balls deep on that one!

Ryan Walsh vs Isaac Lowe

This is a big domestic fight at Featherweight between Ryan Walsh and Isaac Lowe... and it’s personal.

These two don’t like each other, and I feel like that will play into Isaac Lowe’s hands. Tyson Fury’s cousin, Isaac, is the better boxer out of the two in my opinion, and as Walsh begins to overextend himself, Isaac will start to take over the fight.

Lowe is going to dance, slip and pick his punches, and he could even be aggressive if he picks his moments correctly.

That’s not to diminish Ryan Walsh in any way, he’s won the Lonsdale belt outright that deserves credit, alongside the fact he’s hanging onto it for this big fight as well to prove himself domestically.

Nevertheless, I’m going for an Isaac Lowe in a convincing points win by three or four rounds. I think he’ll replicate Walsh by winning it outright as well.

Tommy Langford vs Jack Arnfield

Yet another great domestic fight on a great card and it’s splitting opinion. 

Jack Arnfield has some good wins on his CV against the likes of Brian Rose and John Ryder, but has also lost to Nick Blackwell.

Tommy Langford suffered a crushing defeat against disgraced Georgian fighter,  Avtandil Khurtsidze, but bounced back with a win over journeyman Miguel Aguilar.

Langford does have good punch variety but is there to be hit, as Khurtsidze proved. Arnfield uses his jab well and will let that right hand go if he sees an opening, which at some point I feel Langford will give him. 

However, I don’t think Arnfield is going to hit Langford hard enough to put the lights out.

I think this one is going to be very close with it all coming down to the final two or three rounds, and both fighters will come out more aggressive towards the end as they aim to steal the win.

Because I think he’s a slightly better boxer, I’m going to for a razor thin Tommy Langford win on points with the scorecards being arround the 114-113 mark.

Arfan iqbal vs Simon Vallily

I had the pleasure of seeing Simon Vallily in the flesh in his last fight against 5 fight novice, Blaise Mendouo, and he was dreadful. The decision could’ve easily gone to his opponent, it was that bad.

That’s easy to say from the sidelines, and there’s nothing like a big fight on a huge platform to get the blood rushing and fists pumping. 

However, I think he’s bitten off more than he can chew here. I’m going to go for a stoppage victory for Arfan Iqbal in the middle rounds.

Danny Garcia vs Brandon Rios

This fight was muted for a long time after Danny Garcia suffered his first career defeat at the hands of Keith Thurman last year, and now it’s finally happening, although I’m not sure what all the fuss is about.

I’d assumed after losing to Timothy Bradley that Rios was done at world level, and that was over 2 years ago. Here he is however, and looking to prove the doubters wrong against former world champ, Danny Garcia.

Unfortunately for him, I think there are just too many variables against him in this one.

Garcia is in the prime of his career

Although relatively inactive, Garcia is still more active than Rios

The weight cut is going to be difficult for Rios, who has had problems with his weight in the past.

There are more, but I don’t want to bore you any further with this mismatch.

I’m going to go for an early Danny Garcia TKO victory with the referee taking mercy on a once competitive world level fighter.

David Benavidez vs Ronald Gavril

British boxing fans of the Super-Middleweight division should keep a close eye across the atlantic for this fight, Benavidez vs Gavril.

The WBC strap is on the line in this rematch. The pair fought last year where Benavidez took a split decision victory and this time he’s out to make it decisive.

In the spirit of modern day boxing, the WBC dawdled and dawdled with rising star Callum Smith as the mandatory challenger until then champion, Badou Jack, moved up to light heavyweight and vacated the belt.

Then it was the turn of the Dirrell camp to make young Callum wait his turn until eventually he grew tired and joined the World Boxing Super Series, turns out that was a smart move.

Eventually the WBC made the vacant title up for grabs in this fight last year.

I’m going to back Benavidez to prove a point and take that belt home with him. My official pick is a convincing points win for Benavidez.

Devon Alexander vs Victor Ortiz

I almost didn’t include this because I really don’t care about this fight, but I figured some people may still follow their careers, so what the hell?

I think both guys best days are behind them, but I think Ortiz has quit in him so I’m going to go Devon Alexander by stoppage in the middle rounds because he might just have that tiny bit more left in the tank compared to Ortiz.

Just look at the difference between the card in the UK and the two cards in America. That is why British boxing is booming. Because the fans are demanding the big, 50/50 fights and they are getting them! America just doesn’t seem to have that anymore.

There are too many Danny Garcia vs Brandon Rios’s happening in America, and American fans are sick of it, which is why a large portion of them will be clambering to see the Groves vs Eubank card, although I don’t think there’s television coverage in the states so it will be streams all round!

A busy weekend of boxing, I’ll have my eyes glued to the Groves vs Eubank card though!

[theboxingrumble]

How Do You Solve A Problem Like... #3 - Jamie McDonnell, Britain’s Most Underrated Fighter?

A multiple time world champion, Jamie McDonnell unfortunately never seems to get the credit he deserves. 

Why is that?

Is it all his fault?

Is none of it his fault?

Are we all arseholes?

The answer is all of the above, to a degree.

There is talk of Jamie McDonnell fighting Japanese phenom Naoya Inoue in Tokyo, Japan later this year in yet another move that proves he’s got some of the biggest balls in the UK.

So I thought I’d have a look through his career, and see why perhaps he’s not given the credit he deserves.

Hailing from Doncaster, Jamie isn’t from the flashest of beginnings, but make no mistake he’s worked hard to get where he is today.

It was a good start for Jamie, who’d racked up a record of 8-0-1, until somehow in his 10th and 11th fights he was pitted against Chris Edwards, a journeyman but nonetheless too experienced for Jamie at the time, and a young Lee Haskins who held a record of 16-2 when they fought. 

There’s no doubt that this would’ve been a setback to Jamie, losing your first fight is a big blow, never mind losing two in a row.

Are these two setbacks why he is undervalued today? Both losses can be chalked up to inexperience, but both have always been more or less at the same weight class as Jamie and he never avenged either loss.

It’s important to fans to see rematches, so perhaps he’s never been forgiven for these early losses.

Although I think it unlikely that’s the reason, I’ve got to weigh up every feasible option.

Jamie has never lost a fight since those two early losses in his career and is currently on a 21 fight win streak, which is impressive and easily forgotten.

In that incredible run he’s won the following titles at Bantamweight:

BBBofC Title (twice)

Commonwealth Title

European Title

IBF World Title

WBA (Regular) World Title

And he’s beaten the following high profile fighters on this run:

Stephane Jamoye

Stuart Hall

Tomoki Kameda (twice)

Tabtimdaeng Na Rachawat

Liborio Solis (twice)

It’s difficult to argue his credentials, but you could argue that he’s dominated his opposition so easily that his fights perhaps aren’t as exciting as they could be, but that’s not his fault, he has a ridiculous physique for the Bantamweight division which makes it difficult for his opponents.

Arguably Jamie’s best performances came against Tomoki Kameda in America, which unfortunately not many British viewers saw because of the time difference, but trust me those two fights were incredible and Jamie was incredible in both of them.

In 2013 Jamie was stripped of his IBF Bantamweight title after failing to agree a mandatory defence against #1 contender, Vusi Malinga. 

There is no one who doubts that Jamie would’ve dispatched this opponent with relative ease, however the relinquishing of belts isn’t looked upon fondly on these shores and could’ve rubbed people up the wrong way.

I don’t blame Jamie for this.

The IBF are too strict with their over-matched mandatory fights. I’m always reminded of Kell Brook’s reign as IBF champion when he was mandated to fight Jo-Jo Dan and Kevin Bizier back to back... ridiculous.

Jamie’s attributes as a Bantamweight make it very difficult for his opponents to oppose themselves and their game plans upon him.

Standing at  5′ 10″ (178cm) in an orthodox stance, Jamie is freakishly tall for someone of his weight class, thus is able to control the distance in his fights rather easily, made even easier by his piston-like jab.

I believe this is the most likely reason he isn’t granted his credit. We as fans are savages and demand blood, and unfortunately Jamie has been unable to deliver that thus far in his remarkable career.

I’ve heard Eddie remark that Jamie doesn’t really love boxing, and he doesn’t follow the sport religiously like most fighters, so perhaps this contributes to his orthodox, domineering style.

He’s got everything going for him. He’s got the best promoter in the UK, he’s respected world wide as a genuine world champion (even though he only holds the regular WBA belt) but it just proves that style is everything in terms of making money in boxing.

Fans want the exciting fights, they want blood, guts, courage and death defying durability. Jamie hasn’t had to display those qualities, because to his downfall, he’s been too good.

Personally, I am a huge fan of Jamie McDonnell and I immensely respect what he’s been able to achieve in the sport.

After his latest Solis victory I would’ve loved to have seen Jamie move up in weight to either Super-Bantamweight or Featherweight, but a big fight against Inoue has came up so good luck to him. 

Hopefully after this one he moves up to some big fights at Featherweight after this against the likes of Scott Quigg, Carl Frampton, Josh Warrington, Lee Selby etc.

Please spread the love Jamie McDonnell people!

[theboxingrumble]

#GrovesEubankCountdown - 3 Days To Go!!

It’s 3 days until the all British clash between George Groves and Chris Eubank Jr takes place at the Manchester Arena in front of a sold-out crowd.

This is big time boxing. George Groves has been here before, but I feel this is new territory for Eubank Jr.

To continue the hype for this fight I’m going to overview each fighters greatest win, whether that was a dominant blow out or a gut checking 12 round war. I’ll be going in-depth.

The o2 arena was buzzing with the anticipation of a domestic grudge match between the highly touted, ‘Saint’ George Groves, and Olympic gold medallist, James DeGale.

Groves (12-0) and DeGale (10-0) were both fairly new to the professional ranks, but public demand and a big pay day saw them face each other.

The trash talk prior to the fight was intense, and built excitement amongst fans who were expecting an all time classic... and they were not disappointed.

In the early stages Groves attained a blackened right eye, but it looked as if he had shaded the opening rounds by outworking DeGale and staying behind his lethal jab.

In the sixth, DeGale finally found a breakthrough and hurt Groves with a left.

DeGale hurt Groves again with a swooping left in the seventh, proving his awkwardness and use of angles was beginning to trouble Groves.

The most exciting moment of the fight came in the final minute of the ninth round when, after Groves re-established himself again with his jab, DeGale wobbled his opponent and almost had him out of there as the bell rang to end the round.

In the final round of the fight, despite DeGale looking the fresher of the two, Groves was landing the eye catching shots and looked to have stolen the final round, and with it the fight itself.

It was an extremely close fight, and after the final bell the two fighters waited with bated breath to find out who had won.

Eventually, the MC announced that Groves had taken the victory via majority decision. Two judges scoring the fight 115-114, and another 114-114, which meant the final round had probably just nicked Groves the fight.

It proved that he could handle the pressure in a big fight, and even though he'd go on to suffer two heartbreaking losses to Carl Froch and another to Badou Jack, he went on to win the once elusive world title he so craved.

It is to date, in my opinion, still Groves's best victory even though today he holds wins over the likes of Fedor Chudinov, Martin Murray and Jamie Cox.

Before I go into the best win of Chris Eubank Jr’s career, I want to caveat it by saying it was incredibly difficult to decide. In my opinion, he still doesn’t have a standout win, so it came down to the following:

Dmitry Chudinov, who was beaten by veteran Lolenga Mock in his last fight.

Gary ‘Spike’ O’Sullivan, very strong fighter who also has a loss to Billy Joe Saunders.

Avni Yildrim, who was undefeated although criminally untested before entering the WBSS.

Arthur Abraham. a once great champion but ultimately over the hill.

Each of these guys are respectable, but at the time Eubank Jr fought them they were not world class.

In his second bout on ITV Pay Per View, Chris Eubank Jr faced Arthur Abraham for a chance to gain the final spot and #3 seed in the World Boxing Super Series.

It was a clear step up in opposition for Eubank Jr, however after a few rounds it was very clear that Arthur Abraham was past his best and the fight was getting away from him.

Round after round, Eubank Jr pummelled his opponent with little resistance. 

Abraham stayed behind his high guard and did little engage his younger foe, who was outworking and outpointing him convincingly.

They say father time is undefeated, and it proved so again on this night as Abraham lost a wide unanimous points decision. Two judges scored it 118-110 and another scored it 120-108, although I’m not sure where the two judges found a round for Abraham, but it could’ve been out of respect for this once great champion.

For those relatively new to boxing, find Abraham’s knock out of Bernard Hopkins conqueror, Jermain Taylor, below (about 1:17 in). Watch that and you’ll see what a force he once was!

So there you have it, I think even the staunchest Eubank Jr fans will admit his record is not on the same level of Groves. However, records don’t win fights and Eubank Jr has a great chance of winning the fight.

I’ll leave you with a short but sweet quote from Chris Eubank Jr on this fight...

“This is going to be epic!”, damn right, sir... damn right!

[theboxingrumble]

Ryan Burnett Faces Mandatory Parejo

I’m really looking forward to seeing Ryan get back in the ring. He was one of the standout fighters domestically last year, impressively winning, and then immediately unifying world titles in the Bantamweight division.

Unfortunately, as is often the case with boxing, the sanctioning bodies have let him down dramatically. Somehow, some way, instead rewarding a rising start both the WBA and IBF have handed Burnett mandatory defences at the same time.

This means that he has had to resign the IBF belt, due to his inability to fight two mandatories at the same time. 

Come on Ryan!

It’s cases like this that make me think... where is the common sense?

Surely a deal can be struck to allow him to fight the WBA mandatory, and then the IBF mandatory in his following fight or vice versa? Obviously not.

Having been dealt this hand, I would’ve liked to see Ryan say f**k off and move up in weight for some big fights at super bantamweight, but he’s opted to take the WBA mandatory and give up the IBF belt and good luck to him.

Alas, Ryan is one of my favourite fighters to watch. He’s always exciting and I just think it’s a shame how he’s been treated in this instance, given what he went through to get the belts.

Best of luck Ryan, can’t wait to see you back in the ring!

[theboxingrumble]

Roy Jones Jr - The Last Fight... Finally

Roy Jones Jr fights for the final time of his career on Thursday in his hometown, Pensacola, Florida.

Jones (65-9-0), will face off against fellow countryman, Scott Sigmon (30-11-0), in a ten round cruiserweight contest.

Roy Jones Jr is on a three-fight win streak since losing to Enzo Maccarinelli in Russia, whilst his opponent has defeats against the likes of J’Leon Love, Kelly Pavlik, Luis Arias, Matt Korobov and even current IBF super middleweight champion Caleb Truax.

I sincerely hope that Jones sticks to his word and calls it a day after this, it’s been difficult to watch his recent career, and even more difficult to follow, as he’s faced some obscure opponents in various locations such as Poland, Latvia, and Russia, where he even holds citizenship. 

Roy Jones Jr has always fascinated me, his career has seen him reach unparalleled highs, whilst suffering the some of the lowest lows.

In my opinion, there are two events in Roy Jones Jr’s life that underpin this desire to continue fighting into such an old age.

The year was 1988 and a fresh faced youngster from Florida named Roy Jones Jr was heading to the Seoul Olympics representing his country in the sport of boxing.

The kid was clearly head and shoulders above the rest of the competition, not losing a single round throughout the entire tournament on his way to the final, where he would meet the home fighter, Park Si-Hun.

The bout was yet another display of dominance by the flash American.

Jones Jr was throwing rapid combinations to an extent where you would understand an intervention from the referee or corner... it really was that one sided.

The final bell sounded and the fighters embraced, with Roy raising his arms aloft in jubilation as he had surely achieved his dream of becoming Olympic champion.

However, to the bemusement of the commentary team, the referee and even the fighters themselves, Park was named the winner in a 3-2 decision.

Despite this gut wrenching robbery, Jones Jr remained composed, though clearly dishevelled, his arm was raised aloft by the South Korean fighter who seemed embarrassed at the decision.

It transpired that Roy had landed 86 punches to the South Korean’s 32. Subsequently, due to huge public pressure and an outpouring of support for Roy Jones Jr, all judges that covered the contested were suspended. This was no consolation to Roy, who’s dream was snatched away in the cruellest manner.

Lest we forget either, Roy was 19 when he went to the Olympics. To understand, process and deal with the overwhelming feeling of this injustice would be difficult to ask of an adult, let alone 19 year old boy.

It was March 21st, 1997 and Roy Jones Jr was facing his latest challenger, Montell Griffin, in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Griffin was undefeated, but Jones Jr was expected to blitz through him like he had all his other opponents. Since turning professional, Jones Jr had amassed an impressive record of 34-0, beating world class opponents along the way such as James Toney and Bernard Hopkins.

The fight was going the way everyone had anticipated, Jones Jr was dominating the fight with his incredible balance and huge punching power and that culminated when Griffin took a knee in the 9th round. Seemingly unfulfilled by that, Jones fired two punches as his opponent had a knee on the canvas, which by the letter of the law is illegal.

At first, it looked as if the referee was going to let Jones off, but after some time and confusion Jones Jr was officially disqualified and Montell Griffin had handed Roy Jones Jr his first defeat in the professional ranks.

This is something fighters are often left off with, as when you’re throwing a combination it takes an incredible amount of restraint to pull that back especially if the second or third shot is in motion as the fighter takes a knee or goes down.

Having said that, this was not the case with Jones. Griffin clearly took a knee and Jones still threw the two shots, meaning the disqualification was definitely valid.

Either way, the damage had been done. The forever coveted and revered magic zero on his record had been taken, and in such disappointing fashion.

Jones won the rematch in spectacular fashion, stopping Griffin in the first round, but that stain would forever be etched on his record. He was no longer the unbeaten, invincible Roy Jones Jr.

Despite his overwhelming success in the pro ranks, I feel like Roy still feels like he needs to prove something because of these two events, especially the Olympics debacle. It’s as if subconsciously he still needs to win that gold medal, which of course he can’t do, thus why he continues to fight today.

But less of that, let us remember the all-conquering, awe-inspiring, fleet of foot and hand phenom that was Roy Jones Jr, who shook up the world on more than one occasion.

Here are just some of his incredible achievements:

1984 United States National Junior Olympics (54kg).

1986 United States National Golden Gloves (63kg).

1987 United States National Golden Gloves (71kg).

Defeated future undisputed middleweight champion Bernard Hopkins to win the vacant IBF middleweight world title.

The Ring magazine fighter of the year 1994.

Defeated James Toney to win the IBF super middleweight world title.

Defeated Mike McCullum to win WBC light heavyweight title, and then went on to unify the division by winning the WBA, IBF and The Ring magazine belts.

Fighter of the decade for the 1990s

Won the WBA heavyweight title by defeating John Ruiz.

The first ever professional boxer to turn professional at light middleweight, and then go on to win a heavyweight title.

The first professional boxer in 106 years to win a world championship at middleweight and heavyweight.

That incredible record speaks for itself.

Can’t be touched. One of the best to do it. Thanks for the memories, Roy. God Bless.

[theboxingrumble]

#GrovesEubankCountdown - 10 Days To Go

I’m doing a countdown to the all British clash between WBA Super world super middleweight champion, George Groves and challenger, Chris Eubank Jr.

Today’s countdown will look at the best opponent each fighter has faced and how they fared against their toughest challenge.

Carl Froch was nearing the end of his title laden career when a mandatory was thrust upon him. A mandatory he had no desire to face, and who he felt didn’t deserve the opportunity to fight him and earn a career high pay day, let alone his world titles.

George Groves was confrontational and controversial and firmly believed in his ability to not only beat the veteran Carl Froch, but do what no man had ever done and knock him out.

Groves had split from his long time trainer, Adam Booth, just weeks before the bout which put further doubt in the mind of those who were already unsure if he even had a chance against Froch.

The first bell sounded and Groves was out the blocks fast, adopting his crouched style and circling his left hand in a clockwise motion and popping out his jab off rhythm to try and take Froch out of his comfort zone.

Froch, seemingly irritated, stepped in and before you could say ‘Cobra’, Groves slipped the attack and let his right hand go to put Froch on the seat of his pants.

The crowd went crazy, but Groves seemed calm, almost as if he expected this to happen.

Froch was unsteady on his legs, as he rose too quickly from the knockdown. He survived the round, but it was clear for all too see that Froch had overlooked the speed and precise jab of Groves, undermining him as an unworthy challenger.

The first half of the fight was all Groves, with Froch completely off the pace that Groves had set with his ramrod jab, but it was a fast pace, and one difficult to maintain over 12 hard rounds against an elite fighter such as Carl Froch.

As the fight wore on, Froch started to find a home for his shots, and when Carl Froch connects you’re going to feel it. 

Finally in the 9th round, Carl Froch got a breakthrough and Groves staggered back into the ropes. 

After a brief barrage from Froch, Groves made it off the ropes but turned his back to the cobra and referee Howard Foster stepped in and the fight was stopped.

There fans booed as Carl Froch celebrated a controversial win. George Groves stalked the ring in desbelief, seemingly with his bearings in tact, but he’d won over the crowd and a lot of doubters with his performance.

Nobody thought Groves would have the power or the nous to put Carl Froch on the canvas and then outbox him for a large portion of the fight, but in doing so, he’d proven a lot of experts wrong.

It was a magnificent performance from Groves, which mandated him for a rematch with Froch for the controversial stoppage, and we all know what happened with that one...

There was plenty of trash talk shared between middleweight rivals Billy Joe Saunders and Chris Eubank Jr before they eventually agreed to fight each other.

The highly anticipated fight was considered to be a genuine 50/50 clash with two undefeated fighters putting their sought after zero on the line.

Billy Joe had been through everyone domestically at middleweight, and had names on his record like Gary ‘Spike’ O’Sullivan, John Ryder and Nick Blackwell, whereas Eubank Jr had managed to navigate his way to 18-0 without facing any competitive opposition.

Nevertheless, the fight was made and the fans were excited.

The fight was very simple to break down, like they say in football, ‘it’s a game of two halves’, this was a fight of two halves.

Billy Joe came out and decisively won the opening 6 rounds of the fight without much resistance from Eubank. After that however, Eubank, who was clearly the better conditioned fighter, began to up his pace and land shots on Billy Joe.

As we went into the 12th round, the general consensus was that Billy Joe had done enough and just needed to stay on his feet in this round to confirm his victory. Not content with that, Billy Joe came out like a lunatic and began to trade with Eubank in centre ring, playing right into Eubank’s hands.

The final round was spectacular with the two combatants trading shots in centre ring. Ultimately, Billy Joe got through the round and got the decision.

It was a close fight, but Billy Joe deserved the victory.

Eubank Jr had proved he wasn’t just a famous fighter’s son. He proved he had heart, skill and determination to make it through a high level 12 round fight and despite the loss, the future looked very bright indeed.

Both fighters lost against their best opponents, but that doesn’t retract from what will be a great fight on 17th February in the slightest. Both have bounced back, with Groves winning a world title and Eubank with victories over respectable opponents such as Dmitry Chudinov, Arthur Abraham and Avni Yildrim.

The World Boxing Super Series has not failed to deliver so far, and this fight promises to continue that trend.

Roll on the 17th!

[theboxingrumble]

Weekend Summary #2 - British Beef, World Boxing Super Series and Ramirez vs Ahmed

It was a busy weekend in boxing with the British Beef card in the UK, the World Boxing Super Series and the Ramirez vs Ahmed fight in America. There were highs, lows and critical blows and I’m here to summarise it all.

Let’s start with something postiive, Murat Gassiev vs Yunier Dorticos was an all out war that definitely lived up to the hype.

After Dorticos managed to win the early rounds, he began to look too eager to land a big right hand and that’s when the Gassiev took over the fight.

Dorticos showed an iron chin and an almost unbreakable will, but in the 12th round Gassiev landed a monster left hook that put the Cuban on the seat of his pants with 90 seconds left on the clock.

Not content with a wide points win, the big Russian put the Cuban down twice more, with the final knockdown launching Dorticos through the ropes and ending the fight.

Gassiev retained his IBF title and relieved Dorticos of his WBA Super (bah) title.

Now a unified champion, he faces the other unified cruiserweight champion, Oleksandr Usyk, in the final of the World Boxing Super Series.

Moving over to the UK, where a slightly less enthralling main event took place at the O2 arena in London.

Undefeated cruiserweight prospects Lawrence Okolie and Isaac Chamberlain faced off in a domestic grudge match that caught not only the public’s imagination, but also their admiration for two young fighters willing to take a chance early in their respective careers.

In what was be a contender for the worst fight I’ve ever seen, Lawrence Okolie won a wide unanimous decision victory over Issac Chamberlain.

Constant holding and grappling between the two, there was so much wrestling going on, i was half expecting the lights to go off and The Undertaker’s music to start playing, it was like a royal rumble in there.

From the first bell it was clear that Okolie was far too big for Chamberlain, and that was displayed when the Olympian put Chamberlain down with a glancing shot to the side of the head.

Oddly, a point was deducted from Chamberlain in the second round for holding, yes, you read that correctly, the second round. It was probably justified, but they were both as bad as each other and Okolie was warned another 9 or 10 times before he was also deducted a point.

There was a touching moment in the Chamberlain dressing room after the fight, as Sky pundits Johnny Nelson and Tony Bellew showed their class by trying to console Isaac, who was visibly distraught.

Isaac Chamberlain will be puzzled as to why he couldn’t implement his game plan but the simple conclusion is that Lawrence Okolie was too big for him.

Although Lawrence weighs in at just under 200lbs, he was clearly upwards of 210lbs on the night where Isaac looks close to or bang on the 200lbs on fight night.

After an exciting build up, this was a drab fight that put a dampener on an otherwise exciting card.

Elsewhere on the bill, Ted Cheeseman showed great bravery to get through a tricky opening four rounds with veteran, Carson Jones.

It looked as if Cheeseman was happy to stand and trade with the American before getting a stern telling from trainer Tony Sims at the end of the 4th round. After that, he completely controlled the fight and outclassed Carson Jones, displaying quick footwork, good head movement and creating angles that confused his opponent.

It’s on to greater things for Ted Cheeseman now. A fight with Sam Eggington, who recently moved up to 154, might be too soon but there are other names in the division he can look at.

Also on the card, Reece Bellotti stopped Ben Jones seconds after the bell sounded for the 5th round. Once again, displaying his incredible power at his weight class.

Finally, Joshua Buatsi impressed with a dominant win against Jordan Joseph with his his vast array of punches and power that overwhelmed his opponent.

Across the pond, Gilberto Ramirez produced a dominant victory over #4 ranked challenger (somehow) Habib Ahmed.

The difficulty with these type of opponents is the element of the unknown. Almost no one had seen Ahmed fight before, but he had a record of 25-0-1, which on the surface is impressive but could be misleading... and was.

Ramirez pummelled his opponent while the fight lasted, Ahmed’s corner pulled him out after the 6th round and rightly so. A trainer’s paramount concern should be the safety of his fighter, and in a case like this where he clearly has no chance, there’s no point in letting him take more of a beating.

Ramirez appears to be a great talent, but it’s time to step it up now. If I was him I’d be banging on the Top Rank office door asking for a big fight. A unification clash with WBC champion David Benavidez could be an option, or perhaps newly crowned IBF champion and James DeGale conqueror, Caleb Truax, or perhaps DeGale himself, whose name carries weight on American soil.

Either way, he needs a big fight to raise his profile, because unfortunately at the moment he’s slipping under the radar which is a disgrace to his considerable talent.

In summary, a mixed weekend of boxing that perfectly sums up the ups and downs of the sport. Okolie vs Chamberlain was an unmitigated disaster, whereas Gassiev vs Dorticos was an overwhelming success which brightened the weekend for me.

Thanks for reading!

[theboxingrumble]

Prediction Time #2 - Cheeseman vs Jones, Bellotti vs Jones, Gassiev vs Dorticos, Ramirez vs Ahmed

The undercard of Okolie vs Chamberlain is full of exciting, young British fighters in tough fights. One of those is Ted Cheeseman, who makes a huge step up in class against former Kell Brook, Brian Rose and Ben Hal foe, Carson Jones. Another is Reece Bellotti, who faces come forward warrior, Ben Jones.

In Russia, Murat Gassiev faces Cuban Yunier Dorticos in the second World Boxing Super Series cruiserweight semi-final.

And finally, across the pond WBO super middleweight champion Gilberto Ramirez faces undefeated Ghanaian Habib Ahmed.

Ted Cheeseman vs Carson Jones

I think this one might be a big mistake.

Ted has been progressing nicely at a steady pace and has achieved a record of 12-0. Unfortunately, I think this might be too bigger jump up in class at this stage of his career.

Carson is an absolute nightmare to fight, and seems to relish his role of gatekeeper to the world scene, so Ted will have his hands full on Saturday night.

It’s difficult to explain, but Carson is grizzled veteran and has developed his man strength. Ted is still only 22, and won’t be punching at his full capacity for at least another 2 years. Unless you’re a genetic freak, it’s very difficult to keep a fully developed, well schooled boxer off you for an entire fight without huge power or strength.

I do think Ted has heart, which might just get him through this, but it’s going to be f**king difficult!

I’m officially picking a Ted Cheeseman razor thin points victory, but I’m certainly not confident.

I might be letting my heart rule my head with this one though, so don’t be surprised if Carson Jones wins by stoppage or wide decision.

Reece Bellotti vs Ben Jones

Reece is a young fighter I’m very excited about, and he’s in a stacked division so should be able to get some exciting fights down the road. 

It’s very rare at the lighter weight classes to see someone with such obvious, concussive power, but Bellotti has that and can change a fight at any moment with a clean shot, just ask Jason Cunningham.

Ben Jones is talented and undeniably brave but I think Bellotti’s power will be too much for him.

I’m predicting a middle rounds TKO victory for Reece Bellotti.

Murat Gassiev vs Yunier Dorticos

This is a massive fight!

In fact, because of this fight, I’m going to have to do a dual screen on Saturday with the Okolie vs Chamberlain card! I just can’t miss this!

Two huge, skilled fighters competing for a place in the World Boxing Super Series cruiserweight final against Ukrainian Okelsandr Usyk.

Both of these guys can bang, and oddly enough that’s why I think it will be a closely contested decision victory for Murat Gassiev.

Whilst the scoring in last weekend’s semi-final was almost perfect, I think it could come into contention here.

Mr Gassiev is fighting on his home turf, and I would not want to be an away fighter going to Sochi, Russia trying to get a decision so Dorticos will have to go for the knockout.

Gilberto Ramirez vs Habib Ahmed

Gilberto Ramirez, the WBO super middleweight champion, is arguably the best in his division. However, he has been poorly promoted and doesn’t seem to be getting near the big fights.

Why wouldn’t you throw this guy into the WBSS?! It would be a huge profile booster! I suppose not taking risks is how you amass a 36-0 record with your only real challenge coming against an elderly Arthur Abraham.

I’m just disappointed by the development of this guy in general to be honest. He has the talent to be a top fighter but he’s just not getting the fights, who that’s down to is up for debate. Like a lot of others, I feel he should’ve rematched Jesse Hart after their close fight last year, but nope.

I do rate Ramirez very highly though, and I ultimately think he’ll wind up fighting Callum Smith for the lineal super middleweight championship at some point in the future, so this should just be a stepping stone towards that.

Granted, I haven’t seen much of Ahmed, but he’s only ranked 4th in the WBO, which is sort like saying you’re Britain’s number 4 tennis player. This is the organisation that somehow managed to mandate Hughie Fury against Joseph Parker. Madness.

I’ll go for an easy unanimous points win for Ramirez.

[theboxingrumble]

Tyson Fury Comeback

The Tyson Fury show appears to be rolling on as he continues to train and verbally spar with some potential opponents for his comeback.

But who should the big man fight? Here’s my top three opponents for Mr Fury.

Before you see the names and go, “WHERE THE F**K IS AJ?!”, I’m selecting these based on the probability of Tyson to win, and also the profitability of each fight.

So basically the easiest fights for the most money/gain.

I do think Fury can beat AJ, just not on his first fight back. Sorry!

Manuel Charr

The new WBA Regular (bah) champion needs a big fight for his first defence and surely a PPV clash with Tyson Fury would whet the appetite.

I think this is a great comeback fight for Tyson, but personally I don’t think he’ll take it.

The idea of holding a world title that is seen as lesser than Joshua’s WBA Super title might be demeaning to Tyson. Nevertheless, this is a viable option.

Tony Bellew

Talk of this fight has cooled recently since the pair traded verbals over various media platforms before Christmas.

A lot of people disliked the fact that Tony chased this fight because of his refusal to fight ‘big’ heavyweights such as Deontay Wilder and Anthony Joshua, when Fury is actually the largest out of those three.

Tyson can hit hard, there’s no doubt about that, but he doesn’t hit as hard as those two guys, so I totally understand Bellew’s point of view.

Whether you like it or not, this would be a massive PPV event in the UK and could even possibly head to a stadium.

Deontay Wilder

Shock! Yes, I believe Tyson Fury could jump off the couch at 300+lbs and still dance rings around Wilder.

So in a comeback fight that would be preceded an intense 8-10 week training camp, I think he’d embarasss the American.

I’m not trying to diss Wilder, or blow smoke up Fury’s backside, it’s just my opinion.

To win the WBC belt would also set up the clash with AJ.

What do you think? Have I missed anyone? Should be looking at easier opponents for his comeback?

[theboxingrumble]

Prediction Time #1 - Okolie vs Chamberlain

Tomorrow night we see the highly anticipated British dust up between Lawrence Okolie and Isaac Chamberlain and I’m as wet as a kipper for this one.

So who will win? Will it be the raw power of Lawrence Okolie? Or will it be the balance and movement of Isaac Chamberlain?

My money is going on a stoppage victory for Mr Isaac Chamberlain.

The common misconception with boxer vs puncher contests is it has to go one of two ways. One, the puncher stops the boxer early, or two, the boxer outpoints the puncher.

This is not the case! Of course, they’re both possibilities but boxing isn’t as cut and dry as that. There are so many variables to consider when predicting a fight.

I’ll break down my reasoning for an Isaac victory in 3 simple points.

1. Chamberlain has been into deep waters. If you hark back to September 2016 with me for a moment, Isaac was fighting the experienced Wadi Camacho in a step up fight which was supposed to challenge Isaac, but ultimately make him look good.

None of the above went to plan.

In the third round Isaac managed to dislocate his shoulder, and what ensued was pure drama.

It was back and forth and there were some hairy moments, with Isaac visibly suffering from the injury, but he bit down on his gum shield and carried on to get a points win over 10 rounds. Deeply impressive stuff for such a young fighter.

2. Chamberlain has superior footwork and lateral movement. When facing a puncher you need to make it as difficult as possible for them to land that bomb.

Isaac proved in his fight against Camacho that he can be evasive. When visibily hurt, he was able to stay out of trouble (to an extent), and get through the fight. So when he’s fully fit, I feel comfortable he’ll be able to do that against Lawrence Okolie.

3. Okolie’s mentality.has concerned me in the press conferences and interviews leading up to this fight. It feels like he considers himself above Isaac’s level, and Isaac is only a stepping stone on his journey to greatness.

Isaac’s attitude feels very different. He’s not brash or forthcoming with his confidence like Okolie, which indicates to me he knows something he’s not letting on.

So how will Isaac stop Lawrence?

He has to box on the back foot early, engaging rarely and picking his moments. He has to be evasive and make Okolie miss, because hitting fresh air with winging hooks early will definitely start to empty the tank.

He also has to work the body when he engages close. Take the body and the head will fall, baby!

I have a feeling Okolie is there to be knocked out as well. When I look at his frame and neck size it doesn’t look like he’ll hold a shot well, so don’t be surprised if this one goes early, folks.

I’ll say what I always say, I have no dog in this fight, I like both guys and I’d love for Lawrence to prove me wrong. May the best man win.

[theboxingrumble]

PEDvetkin vs Price - Done Deal

March 31st will see the unification fight between Anthony Joshua and Joseph Parker take place at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff. 

Also on that card, confirmed today, is Alexander PEDvetkin vs David Price.

When I first saw this fight, I was shaking my head, but I’ve come round to the idea. At the end of the day, this is a huge opportunity for Price to upset the apple cart and set the cat amongst the pigeons in the heavyweight divison.

It’s true that Price is one of the hardest hitting heavyweights out there, and you can bet your bottom dollar if he catched PEDvetkin he will feel it, although it might be unlikely to happen.

I genuinely wish Pricey all the best, he’s such a nice bloke, it would be great to see him have some success.

[theboxingrumble]

How Do You Solve A Problem Like... #2 - Ring Card Girls

There is a spectacular article doing the rounds on World Boxing News that features an interview with World Boxing Super Series promotional model,  Sara Beverley Jones, who claims those trying to end the tradition of ring card girls in boxing are ‘narrow minded’.

I’m inclined to agree with her.

In the article, she talks about her love for boxing and how people are often taken aback at her knowledge on the sport. 

“I love that little shock factor when I put my knowledge across to someone and they go, ‘Oh you’re passionate about this aren’t you?’ Of course, I am, this is why I do it.” - Sara Beverley Jones.

If a woman, who perhaps doesn’t have the physical and/or mental attributes to become a fighter, wants to pursue a career in boxing, whether that’s in a promotional outfit or through the media, that is entirely up to the individual. In fact, I think it’s quite insulting to tell people what they can and can’t do.

“It’s amazing! I didn’t miss one show in over four years with Matchroom”, said Sara, who appears jubilant with her profession.

In summary, let people do whatever the f**k they want. It’s a short but sweet life, don’t waste yours worrying about whether or not it’s offensive for a female to earn a living in the sport of boxing.

You can find a link to the World Boxing News article below.

http://www.worldboxingnews.net/2018/02/01/news/exclusive-sara-beverley-jones-speaks-out-against-narrow-minded-opposition-to-ring-card-girls

[theboxingrumble]

How Do You Solve A Problem Like... #1 - The Ring Magazine Belt

Tyson Fury has officially been stripped of the ring magazine belt, which I think is disgraceful, but regardless of that there is now the question of, ‘when should the belt come back into the mix?’

It has been confirmed this morning that the belt will not be on the line for the unification fight between AJ and Parker, and I believe rightly so.

The ring magazine belt will only come into play again once one of the following two scenarios occurs (in my opinion):

1. When all the belts are on the line in a unification heavyweight clash. Basically when the winner of AJ vs Parker fights the winner of Wilder vs Ortiz.

2. When one of the champions fights Tyson Fury.

Either way, we as fans get to see all this drama play out. I believe the likes of AJ, Parker, Wilder and Fury could wind up fighting each other two or three times each.

I still consider Tyson Fury to be the lineal champion. He didn’t lose his belts in the ring, and he is the man who beat the man... first!

[theboxingrumble]

Tyson Fury - Stripped of Ring Magazine Belt?

Reports are coming out today accusing that Mr Tyson Fury will be stripped of his ring magazine belt if his next fight is not announced today.

I ask why?

He’s been out of the sport for over two years now. Why, when he appears to be finally getting his career back on track, strip him now?

If I were in Tyson’s shoes, I would use this as more fuel to build my comeback.

I’m not one for conspiracies, but the higher echelons of the sport certainly seem to have it out for him.

Please don’t strip him, let him come back. Please.

[theboxingrumble]

WBSS - Gassiev vs Dorticos

The second World Boxing Super Series cruiserweight semi-final takes place on Saturday, 3rd February in Sochi, Russia.

Last weekend, Usyk and Briedis fought in an early fight of the year contender, which saw Usyk take a razor thin points decision and the WBO and WBC belts back to Ukraine.

I love the cruisers. The division always seems to be full of under the radar killers, who are just 10-15 pounds away from the glory and glamour of the heavyweight division.

Murat Gassiev is the reigning IBF champion and will walk to the ring with an impressive record of 25-0. The Russian first caught widespread attention beating IBF champion Denis Lebedev via split decision in late 2016. 

He defeated Włodarczyk via KO in the third round of his quarter final with an impressive head-body combination.

Yunier Dorticos is more of an unknown, he is currently the WBA Regular (blergh) champion. The Cuban has a record 22-0 with 21 knockouts, his only decision win coming against former Tony Bellew opponent, Edison Miranda, the bomber stopped him via TKO in his light heavyweight days.

Dorticos defeated Kudryashov in the quarter final via KO in the second round.

The fact that both fighters won their respective quarter final bouts with KO’s, that’s right KO’s not TKO’s, proves that they can both whack. If either one of these guys lands on each other, it’s going to get interesting. 

However, it is often the case with big punchers that they respect each others power too much and don’t engage willingly in the fight, which leads to a snoozefest. Let’s hope that doesn’t happen.

I’ll give my prediction for this one in Friday’s article.

[theboxingrumble]

All Eyes On... Okolie vs Chamberlain

With all the drama of the Khan vs Lo Greco press conference yesterday, it was easy to forget there is a massive British showdown at the o2 arena this Saturday.

Undefeated prospects, Lawrence Okolie (7-0) and Isaac Chamberlain (9-0) will face off in a domestic grudge match. 

Fireworks expected.

I actually really like both guys. Chamberlain seems to have genuine wit, as proven by the ad he took out in the local paper for Okolie. But also Okolie, who took that jibe like an absolute pro. Often we see fighters taking themselves too seriously, and there are far too many fighters that would’ve taken that the wrong way, but Okolie just shrugged it off as great banter. Fair play.

This week is going to be intense, with both guys spending a lot of time around each other, I wouldn’t be surprised if something kicked off. Entourages will be present, shots will be fired, banter juice will be flowing.

On a serious note, this fight is so hard for me to predict. On one hand, you have the raw, untamed power of Okolie, and on the other you have the skillful style of Chamberlain. It’s almost too close to call.

I’m saving my prediction for my Friday article on this fight, but I think some of you might be surprised as to how I see this one going.

I’m just glad to see two young, hungry, unbeaten fighters willing to take this risk so early in their careers.