George Groves and Callum Smith both made weight today ahead of their historic Ali Trophy Super Middleweight Final tomorrow night at the King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Groves, the defending WBA Super World Champion, tipped the scales at 76.1 kg, and “The Saint’ says the time for talking is over as he believes his experience and superior skill set will prove the difference in their all-British showdown.
“It’s fight time now. I’m ready to go,” said Groves. “All the talking is done. I’m sick of talking. I’m ready to fight. This is the most prestigious fight I’ve ever been involved in. It’s a must win for me. An absolute must win.
“Experience is going to count for a lot. I don’t necessarily require it, as I believe I’m a better fighter than Smith, but it’s going to count for a lot. It’s a massive advantage that I have.”
Smith, the WBC Diamond titlist who weighed in at 75.9 kg, described his countryman as looking like an ‘old man’ as he looks to stake his claim as the best super middleweight on the planet.
“He’s a good fighter. I have a lot of respect for him but he looks like an old man,” said Smith. “He looks like he’s had a very hard career. He’s had a very good career but there’s a lot of miles there and I just think I’m the younger, fresher, better fighter man, and I’m here to take his title.
“I can do a bit of everything. I can box. I can fight. I’m very big for the weight but I do the weight very well. I feel good, I feel strong and I’m here to do a job and that’s become World Champion and I believe I’m going to do it.
“It’s a massive chance. As I’ve said previously, this fight ticks a lot of boxes for me. There’s a lot at stake. There have been a lot of good World Champions who never had the chance to fight for the Ring Magazine title, and I’m getting a chance to win it in first World title fight. That’s all the motivation I need. I can become the best on the planet, and that’s exactly where I want to be.”
Fans in the UK can watch Groves vs Smith LIVE on ITV Box Office. Ringwalks for the final will be at 9.00 pm UK time. Registration is open at itvboxoffice.com.
Fans in the U.S. can watch LIVE on DAZN, the global sports streaming platform. To sign up for a one-month free trial, fans can visit DAZN.com or download the DAZN app to their preferred connected device.
Boxing fans with Visa for Saudi Arabia or situated in the country can buy tickets via sauditickets.sa/en
