By Scott Gilfoid: I’m giving Paul Smith (31-2, 17 KO’s) an excellent chance of not only beating British and Commonwealth super middleweight champion George Groves (13-0, 10 KO’s) but dominating him as well on December 17th at the Echo Arena in Liverpool, England.

Groves, 23, will probably be fighting the same he did in his last bout against James DeGale, where Groves fought defensively most of the time, hitting and running, nad basically just moving continuously.

DeGale, who is not a pressure fighter, had problems early on in the first four rounds, and it wasn’t until the 5th that he finally figured out the way to beat Groves was through hard pressure.

From then, DeGale dominated the entire second half of the fight from the 5th round. That’s where Smith comes in. Smith an excellent pressure fighter – that’s what the guys does. He comes forward and basically mugs you with his heavy shots and constant pressure.

If you don’t have big power or mad skills like DeGale, you’re going to be in for a world of hurt against Smith. He’s very good at cutting off the ring quickly and forcing runners like Groves to engage. That’s the bad news for Groves, because he’s probably going to be enamored with his success from the DeGale fight and will be sticking with his fighting on the back foot. He’s in trouble either way, though.

Groves doesn’t have the power or the chin to beat Smith in a one on one battle. Groves isn’t powerful enough. He can’t do what DeGale did, because he doesn’t have DeGale’s power or his ability to throw combinations. Groves is all about using feints, running around and trying to land a shot here and there. In the end, Smith’s pressure and better offensive skills will be too much for Groves and will see Smith winning by a decision or possible stoppage if Groves is brave enough to stand and fight.