By Trevor McIntyre: WBA Super World super middleweight champion George Groves (28-4, 20 KOs) fell short on Friday night in losing to challenger Callum Smith (25-0, 18 KOs) in getting knocked out in the 7th round knockout in the final of the World Boxing Super Series tournament.
(Photo credit: World Boxing Super Series)
Groves made it clear after the fight that he’s not going to be retiring from the sport. Groves is going to keep fighting. There are a lot of boxing fans that think Groves should hang up his gloves after his stoppage loss to Smith tonight, as this was his third knockout loss of his career.
The way that Groves fought tonight wasn’t the way that a retiring fighter performs. Groves performed well, and he fought enough to have the lead in the fight by four rounds to two. He doesn’t need to retire. Had Groves grabbed Smith in a clinch after getting hurt in the 7th from a left hook, he might have made it out of the ring. Groves did the wrong thing by retreating to the ropes and covering up. It was the wrong move. Groves should have fought smart
Groves wants to keep at it and he’s not going to let this defeat derail his career. He made a mistake in round 7 in throwing a jab that Smith countered with a left hook. The shot stunned Groves, causing him to back up a couple of steps. Smith then charged forward and landed a blizzard of punches while Groves was trapped against the ropes. Most of the wild shots from Smith missed their mark. He was finally able to drop Groves with a right hand to the head. While Groves was down on one knee, Smith hit him in the back of the head with a right hand. Groves shook his head when he referee asked him if he wanted to continue.
”I’m going to have a good rest. I’m NOT retiring. It’s been a dogged year for me,” Groves said after the fight.
Where Groves goes from here is unclear. He’s got a big enough name to fight for world titles against the other champions in the division. Groves has the talent and power to defeat super middleweight champions Rocky Fielding, Jose Uzcategui, David Benavidez and Gilberto Ramirez.
In the co-feature bout, Chris Eubank Jr. (27-2, 21 KOs) defeated J.J. McDonagh (16-5, 8 KOs) by a 3rd round injury stoppage. McDonagh bowed out of the fight after round three due to a shoulder problem. Eubank Jr. suspected that he may have quit for other reasons. The fight was getting really out of hand by the third round with Eubank Jr. punishing the 33-year-old McDonagh with shots. The win for Eubank Jr. opens opportunities for him in a possible fight against James DeGale.