James DeGale vs George Groves
On paper this is a great great fight. Two undefeated talented prospects going at it. Not to mention they both really do hate each other. They really don’t like each other, a feud that goes way back to their amateur days. With all that though, I think this fight is pretty easy to call and a fight that will sort of be a whitewash for one fighter. Now before I get into the winner let’s take a look at these two fighters, starting off with George Groves. He’s got a nice resume for a prospect with only 12 fights under his belt. He’s fought Charles Adamu, Alfrado Contreras, Kenny Anderson, and Daniel Adotey Allotey. All fine fighters that are good step up fights for any prospect. He’s got a good resume, but the Kenny Anderson fight raises red flags. He was dropped, hurt, and on the verge of losing that fight. And really Anderson exposed Groves’ flaws in his style. What is Groves’ style? Well, he’s slick uses lots of head movement, lots of faints, and keeps his left hand really low. He’s a slick boxer with a very leaky D, and for now, an average chin. Anderson was able to expose this by pressuring Groves and Groves had no answer for it. He couldn’t back up Anderson because of the lack of pop (12 wins and 10 KO’s is a very misguided, he doesn’t have that kind of pop) and when pressured he goes straight back, doesn’t use angles, and he just hangs that left hand low. He doesn’t bring it up and jab away he just leaves it low and uses head movement. And to be honest, I don’t think he has any rhyme or reason as to why he has that left hand so low. Fighters-good to great fighters, that keep their hand low know what to do. Like Carl Froch he is able to keep distance and when you get to close bang here comes the jab and Froch will may’be side step or move back a bit. Groves’ Boxing IQ isn’t that high, at the moment, in his career. He did show massive heart though in coming back and stopping Anderson in the 6th rounds, he has a big heart. That is a big plus for him.
Now, let’s go to the other side. James DeGale. Again, like Groves a very good resume for such a young prospect. He’s got Sam Horton, Carl Dilks, and Paul Smith. Paul Smith was his biggest test, a huge jump in class, and DeGale passed it with flying colors. DeGale showed off his talents and speed and dominated Smith and eventually got the 9th round stoppage. Unfortunatly, Smith is really the only one to really push DeGale, but that is a testament to DeGale’s skill and talent. So, we have yet to really see DeGale’s heart and chin, but what we do know about him is that he is very slik, very good D, very fast, and below average to average power (again, like Groves the KO% is very deceptive) DeGale doesn’t really have eye catching power. He slaps quite a bit. Anyway, he’s got a nice slik style, I guess If I had to compare him it would sort of be like a green Andre Ward and Andre Dirrell hyprid. He’s very fast, a quick on his feet like Dirrell, and just the way he holds is gloves, and uses angles is a lot like Ward…minus the headbutts and clinches. Not to mention, he is a switch hitter, but I really hate the way he goes about switching. He’ll stand in the pocket and switch and he’ll get tagged by a silly shot. He isn’t too clever in terms of when he should switch.
Anyway, with all that said, I’ve got James DeGale by a wide unanimous decision, in the 117-111 range. I believe his skills are better than Groves, I believe Groves may have some success early, he may pick up a few early rounds, but as the rounds progress and the fight gets late. I believe, all that head movement and feints Groves does will tire him out and DeGale’s workman like output and skills will win him the rounds and he may even stop Groves in rounds 10,11, and/or 12, but I say Groves will make it on a decision just because his heart and his will not to be knocked out by DeGale will have him see the final bell.
Verdict: James DeGale by UD
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