George Groves challenges Badou Jack for the WBC super middleweight title on the undercard of Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s “farewell” fight against Andre Berto on September 12. “We conclude that, yes, he’s a good fighter and, yes, you need to be on form to beat him”. It does not bother me fighting there. I want to make my wife proud, I want to make my dad proud.
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Froch said: ‘He is tarnished by what I have done to him.
The super middleweight’s endurance his been a concern on more than one occasion, not least during his two defeats by Carl Froch, but he has spent the past eight weeks training in the mountains at altitude at Big Bear, California, and is using criticism of his conditioning as motivation ahead of his meeting with Jack.
Victory for Groves, 27, over Jack will set up the possibility of a rematch with British rival James DeGale, who holds the IBF version of the world title, a bout Froch admits would be a “big fight”.
Groves’ trainer Paddy Fitzpatrick has also faced criticism over his fighter’s recent performances, with the 27-year-old putting in supposed below-par displays in beating Frenchman Christopher Rebrasse and American Denis Douglin since the second loss to Froch.
In Badou Jack (19-1-1, 12 KOs), Groves is facing a credible but potentially vulnerable champion. Yeah, Froch would throw combinations if one of his opponents was stupid enough to back up against the ropes and just cover up there like we saw from Lucian Bute three years ago in their fight in 2012.
If George Groves is to fulfill the potential so many see in him, he must defeat Badou Jack. On the Mayweather-Pacquiao undercard Vasyl Lomachenko, the brilliant Ukrainian featherweight, stole the show and many new fans. It’s not an easy fight, it’s a fight he could lose, but Badou Jack is very, very limited, he’s not really a world-class operator who has a world title. “I feel I’ll beat anyone”. “He hasn’t had to face a test as tough as me”.
George Groves has rejected claims that his “stamina” over 12 rounds will be a problem when he takes on the challenge of Badou Jack in Las Vegas.
George ends the interview saying he wants to fight all the big names in his division, including ultimately landing a fight with Andre Ward.
“We’ve studied everything about this guy”, he said.
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“You’re never going to be as fresh in the first round as you are in the last”. We’re in a really good place and can’t wait to fight. “I get that chance on the Las Vegas Strip, the crème de la crème for any fighter on the planet”.
