My last blog was dedicated to the comeback of Britain’s last heavyweight world champion David Haye. Today I’m going to stay within team Hayemaker and focus on the man I believe will be Britain’s next megastar in world boxing.
That man is current commonwealth super middleweight champion George Groves.
Arguably more famous for a certain name on his record, Groves has every attribute you could want to succeed at the highest level.
During the build up to that now infamous fight with James DeGale, Groves played the role of the quiet man, preferring to leave his fists to do the talking; while Olympic champion DeGale caused waves with some outbursts that wouldn’t have been out of place coming from Groves’ stablemate David Haye.
DeGale was universally fancied to win the fight, with few giving Groves much of a chance. (Allow me a short ‘I told you so’ to state that I thought, no, knew Groves would win!)
It transpired that Groves, or ‘Ugly Kid’ to quote DeGale, would be true to his word, edging a tight and gruelling contest against his former amateur team-mate.
Since that night, both fighters have gone in rather different directions, though a future rematch is surely inevitable.
Defeat forced DeGale to rethink his brash, cocky approach to his career, and he’s undoubtedly become a better, more rounded fighter for it.
It has however been a frustrating couple of years for Groves.
The Saint followed up that victory by impressively dispatching experienced Liverpudlian Paul Smith, landing one of the most perfect overhand rights that you could wish for.
That fight also showcased the durability of Groves. Toward the end of round one Smith landed a heavy right that would have sent many to the canvass. Groves covered up and stayed out of trouble for the remaining seconds.
Groves chin had been called into question previously, having been knocked down by hard-hitting Scotsman Kenny Anderson, but the truth is that Groves was caught flush on the chin by a good punch that would cause anyone trouble.
Let’s not forget afterall that even Joe Calzaghe, renowned for having a chin of stone, was floored by Bernard Hopkins.
One reason why accusations of a ‘glass jaw’ were made is that Groves has a slick defence that means he doesn’t get easily hit, and therefore it has to be a good shot to penetrate that defence in the first place.
Indeed, in the fights with Anderson, Smith and particularly DeGale, Groves showed that he isn’t afraid to stand and trade. Groves himself packs heavy hands after all.
Another aspect that adds to the all round appeal of George is his jab. He works behind his jab excellently and has a good boxing brain that enables him to set up attacks based on his lead.
You’ll struggle to find many other fighters active at present who can taste blood quite like George Groves, either. When his opponent is in trouble his right hand becomes a heat-seeking missile that rarely misses, meaning Groves has a very solid 14 knockouts from his 18 fights.
Not many boxers could finish a fight as clinically as Groves dealt with Francisco Sierra, for example. Not an opponent that will grace the hall of fame, perhaps, but you can only beat the man on the opposite side of the ring.
George has suffered a frustrating few years, with a fight against WBO champion Robert Stieglitz falling through due to injury, meaning he fought just once between his win over DeGale in May 2011, and stopping Sierra in July of last year.
Now injury free and fighting under the ever-expanding Matchroom banner, Groves is looking forward to a bright 2013.
Two tune up knockouts of relative unknowns Dario Balmaceda and Baker Barakat respectively in his first month under Eddie Hearn’s promotion will lead to Groves first headline show in September this year, potentially the overdue chance to grab Stieglitz’s WBO belt.
Groves is a star that Britain can be proud of. Well spoken, polite and friendly; George is an easy sell for TV networks.
Groves has also now made a mark on the American market, with the impressive stoppage of Sierra being on a bill showcased by Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy promotions, one of the biggest promotional outfits in the world.
Talk of a domestic showdown with Carl Froch is premature, and it’s likely that by the time their paths cross we won’t see both fighters in their prime.
Assuming for a second however that Froch is able to avenge his defeat to Mikkel Kessler next month, a fight between the Viking Warrior and Groves may not be all that unrealistic.
And what a prospect it would be, potentially a world champion by that stage, Groves would be full of the confidence and swagger that has marked his career to date.
Not forgetting another reason to laud the corner ability of Adam Booth either, it really is an exciting time to follow the progress of the Hayemaker stable.
With Groves, it’s surely a question of when, and not if, he rules the world.
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