By Scott Gilfoid: James DeGale believes that IBF/WBA super middleweight champion Carl Froch (31-2, 22 KO’s) will top the unbeaten George Groves (19-0, 15 KO’s) tonight in their big fight in Manchester, UK. DeGale thinks that Groves has good skills, but he believes that his chin will betray him at some point in the fight when he gets hit with a hard shot from Froch.
DeGale isn’t quite sure how much Froch has left in the tank now that he’s 36, and been through a ton of ring wars. Groves believes that Froch could get old tonight, but he’s still expecting Froch to be too powerful for Groves.
DeGale said this to Sky Sports “I’d love to fight the winner, if their ready. Let’s do it.”
It’s possible that DeGale could get a fight with Froch if he beats Groves tonight, but it’s not likely that Groves will bother to give DeGale a chance at his titles if he pulls off an upset of Froch. Groves already beat DeGale two years ago, and he’ll probably not see it as an interesting fight that he’d like to take. Groves would be in the position where he could get much bigger fights against the likes of Andre Ward, Robert Stieglitz, Arthur Abraham and perhaps even Mikkel Kessler if he can et past Froch.
DeGale went on to say this about the Froch-Groves fight “It could be his [Froch] time to be beaten. He’s 36, he’s had some hard, hard fights. Groves could have gotten him at the right time. I can see him [Groves] getting hit on the chin properly, and everyone knows about his chin – as soon as he gets hit, he’s down and hurt kind of thing. I didn’t cut the ring down [against Groves]. Once in that circle, he has to throw 3s and 4s. If he hits him on the chin, Groves is a goner. I was just following him [Groves] around and I wasn’t throwing enough punches.”
DeGale fought poorly against Groves in 2011, and basically was outsmarted in that fight by Groves over 12 rounds.
A rematch between DeGale and Groves probably wouldn’t be a great fighter because DeGale is too flat-footed and he fights at a slow shuffling pace and that kind of approach doesn’t work with the much more mobile Groves. DeGale needs to improve more before he tries to get back in the ring with Groves. I’d rather see Groves fight someone else rather than to see him whip DeGale again for a second time.