George Groves says he’s ready to meet his domestic rivals at Super-Middleweight as he returns to action at the Copper Box Arena in London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, live on Sky Sports – if the clashes lead to World title fights.
Groves faces Andrea di Luisa in east London in his first fight since his slender loss against Badou Jack in Las Vegas in September, and the three-time World title challenger accepts that it’s going to take a few fights to get back to the level he wants to operate at.
The Super-Middleweight division remains as vibrant as ever, and English fighters are at the forefront. Groves’ old foe James DeGale MBE holds the IBF crown, while Jack could soon come up against Liverpool star Callum Smith after his April clash with European champion Hadillah Mohoumadi was sanctioned as a final eliminator. Add St Helens’ Martin Murray into the mix, and the Brit pack are right in the mix for the major honours, and Groves believes he can emerge as the cream of the crop – but is in no rush to gain another win over DeGale.
“I’ll fight anyone that is put in front of me,” said Groves. “Right now, it’s January, it’s my first fight since the Jack fight and it’s Andrea di Luisa. He’s boxed at a high level and has wins and losses at that level, he’s here to present problems and he has a style that if you are not switched on he will take advantage of your mistakes. I believe he’ll ty and set traps for me but at the same time I think he’ll give me openings and I will take them and get a good knockout win to kick-of 2016 in style.
“I could’ve come back and had a fight down the bottom of an undercard and knocked out some nobody inside two or three rounds, but I haven’t done that. I’m topping the bill live on Sky Sports against an opponent that is going to be hungry, he’s live and he’s here to ask serious questions. Di Luisa is a good fighter and the perfect fight for me to get myself back into the mix. I want to get two or three fights before the summer and then we can look at where we are at ranking-wise and see what opportunities are open to me.
“I’ve got nothing but good will to James DeGale. He’s had his own tough times, but right now he’s riding high. A lot of people have said his last fight with Lucian Bute was closer than the six rounds he was given it by, but I didn’t see it. As long as he’s still winning, good luck to him. My time will come and I am not worried about him, I just have to concentrate on myself, get the win this weekend to kick 2016 off in style.
“I should be in contention for another World title in the summer because I have the profile and the performances to match. If James is still World champion then maybe our paths will cross, but I am just focused on getting myself into range of a World title shot and that’s what I want.”
Groves’ clash with Di Luisa headlines a huge night of action in London as John Wayne Hibbert defends his Commonwealth and WBC International Super Lightweight titles against Tommy Martin.
John Ryder meets the ‘Brit Basher’ Sergey Khomitsky for the vacant WBA International Middleweight title while his gym-mate Martin J. Ward defends his WBC International Super-Featherweight strap against Italian Mario Pisanti.
Former football star Leon McKenzie continues his charge towards titles in the ring in a final eliminator for the English Super-Middleweight title against Kelvin Young and Brentwood’s Kris Agyei-Dua defends his Southern Area Super-Welterweight title against Chadwell Heath’s Ben Hall.
There’s a host of young talents on the bill with Watford Featherweight Reece Bellotti tasting eight-round action for the first time in the paid ranks, action for Brixton’s Lightweight banger Ohara Davies, Bermondsey Welterweight Ted Cheeseman, Crystal Palace Super-Middleweight Craig Richards, West Ham Super-Bantamweight Lucien Reid, Wimbledon Welterweight Louis Adolphe, Rainham Light Heavyweight Charlie Duffield and Chelsea Light-Heavyweight Deion Jumah.
Tickets are on sale now priced £40, £60 and £100 available from www.seetickets.com by calling 08712307148 (Calls cost 10ppm plus your network access charge) £200 VIP tickets are available exclusively from www.matchroomboxing.com.
Di Luisa: Groves is not the fighter he was
Andrea di Luisa says he’ll prove that George Groves is past his best when the Super-Middleweights clash at the Copper Box Arena in London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park on January 30, live on Sky Sports.
The Italian is Groves’ first opposition since Badou Jack edged him out of their WBC World title clash in September in Las Vegas, with the Londoner looking to rebuild and land a fourth World title shot.
Di Luisa believes that the Jack fight – along with Groves’ two titanic tussles with Carl Froch MBE – has taken the best out of ‘Saint’ George – and he’ll stop the 27 year old’s latest charge for World honours at the first hurdle.
“I don’t believe George is the same fighter as he was before those fights against Froch and Jack,” said Di Luisa. “Only George knows how he feels. I can only comment from my point of view. On January 30 we will see how it goes – I do have a good punch.
“George is a good boxer, a good fighter. He’s had a few chances to be a World champion but hasn’t succeeded. He’s a good fighter and a hard puncher but I’m ready for anything. I’m going to London to win.”
Di Luisa’s clash with Groves as John Wayne Hibbert defends his Commonwealth and WBC International Super Lightweight titles against Tommy Martin.
George Groves believes a change in trainer to Shane McGuigan can be the missing piece in his World title jigsaw as he returns to action against Andrea di Luisa on Saturday night at the Copper Box Arena in London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, live on Sky Sports.
Groves was edged out by Badou Jack in Las Vegas in September in their WBC Super-Middleweight clash, climbing off the canvas in the opening round to push the Swedish-American the distance. One judge gave the decision to Groves, but Jack held onto the title he took from Anthony Dirrell in April thanks to the other two cards.
That was Groves’ third World title fight after his unforgettable battles with Carl Froch MBE in Manchester and London, and the Londoner had Paddy Fitzpatrick in his corner for them all. Following the loss in Las Vegas, Groves has turned to McGuigan to guide his latest charge to a World title, and Groves says life with the trainer of Carl Frampton and old Adam Booth gym-mate David Haye has started well.
“A few things weren’t quite right in Las Vegas so I decided to part-company with Paddy and now I am with Shane,” said Groves. “We’d been working together for a few weeks behind closed doors before we made the announcement before Christmas and we clicked and gelled straight away. We’re on the same wavelength and I feel that with him I am producing great work in the gym, and now I am just looking forward to getting out there and showing the improvements and getting back to winning ways.
“I was talking to my promoter Nisse Sauerland en route to meeting Shane about my style of fighting and what went wrong in the last fight, how I could have improved. Before I could say those things, Shane said them to us, so I had the inkling straight away that we’re on the same page.
“I’m back punching hard which I am enjoying, although my knuckles aren’t. Everything else feels great though. He’s got a cracking stable of fighters with Carl Frampton in the gym preparing for his fight in Manchester with Scott Quigg in February. Barry McGuigan is in the gym all the time passing on his first-hand experience from his own involvement in massive World title fights, but Shane has his own presence and authority that I enjoy. He’s very knowledgeable for someone that’s my age, but he is also learning every day and I am enjoying every moment with him.”
