George Groves vs. Badou Jack fight deal reach, bout to take place in USA

By Boxing News - 05/21/2015 - Comments

groves888888By Scott Gilfoid: Kallie Sauerland, the promoter for #1 WBC mandatory challenger George Groves (21-2, 16 KOs), says that a deal has been reached with WBC super middleweight champion Badou Jack (19-1-1, 12 KOs) for the fight to be staged in the United States at a still to be determined date and venue.

The purse bid that was scheduled for this Friday between Sauerland Events and Jack’s promoters at Mayweather Promotions has now been canceled. What’s interesting is that Sauerland’s tweet announcing the news makes it seem like it’s a victory for the 27-year-old Groves.

Believe me, this isn’t a victory for Groves, not even close to that. Groves and Sauerland were hoping to stage the fight in the UK where Groves would have had a big advantage in terms of the crowd. That’s not going to happen now.

“We have a deal! Fight is on 👊 @WBCBoxing Championship Badou Jack v @StGeorgeGroves will take place in USA. Date and site 2B announced soon – Kalle+NisseSauerland (@SauerlandBros) May 21, 2015,” Sauerland said on his twitter. “Purse bid is cancelled @wbcmoro #JackGroves is ON! #AndTheNew.”

I don’t see how Groves comes out ahead with this news. Sauerland seems to be pleased about it. I don’t know why he would. With Groves now having to travel to America to fight Jack, it means the crowd will be in Jack’s favor rather than Groves, and that makes it more unlikely that Groves will win a controversial decision. Groves better hope that he can raise his game from how he’s fought in his last four fights against Carl Froch, Christopher Rebrasse and Denis Douglin.

The Groves that fought those fights will struggle badly against Jack, who is coming off a career best win over Anthony Dirrell in his last fight in April. Jack won by a 12 round majority decision on April 24th. I personally scored the fight a draw, but it was one of those fights that could have gone either way. Jack did his job by putting a lot of pressure on Dirrell, who failed to throw the combinations that he needed to in order to win the fight. Had it been his brother Andre Dirrell, who is superb at throwing combinations, it would have been a much different story.

Groves has looked really bad since his second loss to Carl Froch last May. That loss seemed to have taken something out of Groves because not only has he fought poorly in his last two fights, but it doesn’t look like he’s aged well since then. He doesn’t look like the young fighter that first fought Froch in 2013. I don’t know what happened to Groves, but he looks five years older to me. That’s not good obviously, especially with him fighting a talent like Jack.

This fight could be over very quickly with the heavy pressure that Jack is going to be putting on Groves from start to finish. Jack is going to be looking to put a dent in Groves’ chin in this fight, and I can see him scoring a fairly quick knockdown in this fight. Jack is too relentless, too powerful, and too talented for Groves. It might last a little longer than the Groves vs. Anthony Dirrell fight would have lasted because Jack doesn’t have one-punch power like Dirrell, but he punches plenty hard enough to get the job done.



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