World Boxing Super Series Thread

walshb

Rob Brant

trixiebust wrote: »

Junior was thoroughly outclassed last night. Groves came to box (cleverly), Eubank came to throw & land with haymakers.

Eubank looked to me someone fighting a little scared. Unsure, uneasy and having no real smooth confident attacks. Kind of swing and hope. Dive in and hope..not a jab to be seen. Unable to set up any effective offense..

ctrl-alt-delete

walshb wrote: »

Eubank looked to me someone fighting a little scared. Unsure, uneasy and having no real smooth confident attacks. Kind of swing and hope. Dive in and hope..not a jab to be seen. Unable to set up any effective offense..

I saw a clip this morning of him complaining about Groves' headbutts and that maybe he should have been deducted points for it.

I think half the reason was his dive in and hope approach.

walshb

Rob Brant

ctrl-alt-delete wrote: »

I saw a clip this morning of him complaining about Groves' headbutts and that maybe he should have been deducted points for it.

I think half the reason was his dive in and hope approach.

Very true. He had no attack plan. Nothing smooth about it. Dive in with head low hoping to avoid a hard Groves shot, and then next to nothing of substance when in there...

normanoffside

Avni Yildirim

ctrl-alt-delete wrote: »

I saw a clip this morning of him complaining about Groves' headbutts and that maybe he should have been deducted points for it.

I think half the reason was his dive in and hope approach.

Eubank should have been deducted 2 points for getting knocked down when jumping in with his head down.

walshb

Rob Brant

I think the Groves of 2013 would have thoroughly beaten Eubank. Groves looked very basic in there last night..

walshb

Rob Brant

pac_man wrote: »

He thoroughly beat Eubank last night. In what way was he basic?

In every way. Just doesn’t impress me as a great fighter...

You are a little easier pleased. I know this..

If you watch back Groves from previous years and compare to last night and you can’t see that last night was basic in comparison then you really have no clue of the subtleties of boxing performance. I am not saying he was ever great. He wasn’t. But definitely a clear distinction between last night and other years.

We’re talking about the supposed best 168 lbs boxers in the world. I expect a deal more..

StringerBell

Groves has lost a step since the Froch fights, he was still very clearly levels above Eubank, which was no surprise.

Mantis Toboggan

Avni Yildirim

You're a hard man to please walshb.

Groves fought the perfect fight imo, kept the distance, established the jab and used his skills restricting eubank to sporadic frenzied moments.

Yeah he could have been more dominant and got a few more combinations together but eubank is wild and unpredictable and he didn't want to risk getting caught. Last night was all about getting the W.

Try_harder

Rob Brant

That was a shady comment Walshb
Maybe Pac_man is just more positive

StringerBell

He could have been more aggressive but he simply didn't need to be he controlled the entire fight outboxing Eubank with ease. Could he have put on more of an offensive show? Yeah sure, I just don't he needed to so we won't know whether he could have dug one out if pushed.

walshb

Rob Brant

Try_harder wrote: »

That was a shady comment Walshb
Maybe Pac_man is just more positive

What comment?

Groves got the win...he looked nothing great..

Basic? Yes....it’s all about comparisons..

Morrison J

Avni Yildirim

People need to move on from the Groves that fought Froch. He's a different fighter now than he was back then. Arguably more effective these days though.

Groves did exactly what he had to do last night. Buzzed Eubank early in order to make Eubank apprehensive coming inside and then coasted for the majority of the fight where he's most comfortable, on the outside. Eubank was completely lost in there last night with no plan B, afraid of his life coming in so had to resort to pot shots.

Eubank basically had two options. Keep coming in recklessly and get knocked out or survive the distance through fighting non-commited off potshots. He chose the latter which meant Groves could essential coast in full control. You can't fault Groves for that performance at all.

Morrison J

Avni Yildirim

Hopefully Eubank goes back to 160 now where he belongs. Eubank v Lemieux in a winner stays relevant kinda fight would be good and a tough matchup for Eubank.

Try_harder

Rob Brant

walshb wrote: »

Try_harder wrote: »

That was a shady comment Walshb
Maybe Pac_man is just more positive

What comment?

Groves got the win...he looked nothing great..

Basic? Yes....it’s all about comparisons..

You are a little easier pleased. I know this..

That one

walshb

Rob Brant

Reading reports of the fight being a war and a thriller?

Surely I’m not alone in thinking it was piss poor. Messy, sloppy, disjointed, lacking substance, awkward....

Try_harder

Rob Brant

walshb wrote: »

Reading reports of the fight being a war and a thriller?

Surely I’m not alone in thinking it was piss poor. Messy, sloppy, disjointed, lacking substance, awkward....

Somewhere in between for me.

Enjoyable, not a classic. 5/10

walshb

Rob Brant

Try_harder wrote: »

Somewhere in between for me.

Enjoyable, not a classic. 5/10

That’s fair..

Maybe I am too harsh. It just lacked real technique and intensity, flowing skilled intensity.

Awkward clash of styles I guess..

StringerBell

It certainly wasn't a war and a thriller but it was interesting for the most part and had it's moments of excitement.

Chrissybhoy

Eubank Jr

Eubanks performance was just like his performance against BJS. Reckless no plan hoping for a shots to land swinging wild necer seemed to have his feet sorted. He obviously struggles with technically sound boxers. Domestic level is where he's at.

Koala Sunshine

walshb wrote: »

In every way. Just doesn’t impress me as a great fighter...

You are a little easier pleased. I know this..

If you watch back Groves from previous years and compare to last night and you can’t see that last night was basic in comparison then you really have no clue of the subtleties of boxing performance. I am not saying he was ever great. He wasn’t. But definitely a clear distinction between last night and other years.

We’re talking about the supposed best 168 lbs boxers in the world. I expect a deal more..

This coming from the guy who thinks present Federer is just as good as 2006 Federer. You were told to watch back Federer in 2006, but dismissed that. Why should people watch Groves in 2013?

walshb

Rob Brant

Koala Sunshine wrote: »

This coming from the guy who thinks present Federer is just as good as 2006 Federer. You were told to watch back Federer in 2006, but dismissed that. Why should people watch Groves in 2013?

Nobody has to watch anyone.........

Groves to me in 2013 was sharper, faster, more energetic, quicker with feet and overall more snappy and a better puncher....

Eubank would have bee well beaten (likely stopped) by Groves from a few years ago..

I am not alone in thinking that Groves has lost a step or two in recent fights/years...

If I was to put my finger on it he just looks sluggish and lethargic compared to a few years ago.

Federer? head on over to the tennis forum and knock yourself out...

walshb

Rob Brant

pac_man wrote: »

The basic comment I don't get. The only one who was basic last night was Eubank.

Agreed, Eubank was bloody basic. I just felt that George should really have dealt with him a lot better. Hence why for me Groves was quite basic. He made a meal of it. Look back at the fight, there was very very little clean shots landed by GG throughout. Far too much spoiling and holding and dragging going on....

I don't see how one can praise Groves' performance. Both looked very average to me as regards elite level boxers......GG got the win. Praise maybe for that. Next to not real praise for his ring performance.....bear in mind this is my judging this based off these lads supposedly being the best SMWs on the planet. I am not judging them on being novices or start out pros. I expect better.

I absolutely believe that GG from a few years ago would have been sharper and faster and tagging Eubank with more accuracy and venom.....

You mentioned the Groves-DeGale match from 2011. That was an excellent boxing display from GG. Sharp, fast, energetic, full of bounce and spite on his shots. That was GG a little before his best....Eubank be lucky to go 5 rds with that Groves. And DeGale back then a far more potent opponent than Eubank.

That did not happen the other night, because he was not near as sharp or fast, and not a sniff of a decent inside game to be seen. Reading some of the posts here you would think that GG put a beating on Eubank and pasted him. He did not. A few rds could have went either way in that fight.

ThunderCat

walshb wrote: »

Agreed, Eubank was bloody basic. I just felt that George should really have dealt with him a lot better. Hence why for me Groves was quite basic. He made a meal of it. Look back at the fight, there was very very little clean shots landed by GG throughout. Far too much spoiling and holding and dragging going on....

I don't see how one can praise Groves' performance. Both looked very average to me as regards elite level boxers......GG got the win. Praise maybe for that. Next to not real praise for his ring performance.....bear in mind this is my judging this based off these lads supposedly being the best SMWs on the planet. I am not judging them on being novices or start out pros. I expect better.

I absolutely believe that GG from a few years ago would have been sharper and faster and tagging Eubank with more accuracy and venom.....

You mentioned the Groves-DeGale match from 2011. That was an excellent boxing display from GG. Sharp, fast, energetic, full of bounce and spite on his shots. That was GG a little before his best....Eubank be lucky to go 5 rds with that Groves. And DeGale back then a far more potent opponent than Eubank.

That did not happen the other night, because he was not near as sharp or fast, and not a sniff of a decent inside game to be seen. Reading some of the posts here you would think that GG put a beating on Eubank and pasted him. He did not. A few rds could have went either way in that fight.

I think that was very good strategy on Groves part and was intentional as it nullified Jr's work on the inside and allowed Groves to get out from it and box him at range again where is exactly where he wanted him.

walshb

Rob Brant

ThunderCat wrote: »

I think that was very good strategy on Groves part and was intentional as it nullified Jr's work on the inside and allowed Groves to get out from it and box him at range again where is exactly where he wanted him.

Fair enough....

I just think GGs is limited on the inside....

His performance as an elite was a grade C- at best!

normanoffside

Avni Yildirim

FWIW I agree with Walsh that GG wasn't great either. It's just that Eubank was terrible.
A more precise and aggressive fighter would have stopped Eubank, he was so open to counters when rushing in with the wild swings.

walshb

Rob Brant

normanoffside wrote: »

FWIW I agree with Walsh that GG wasn't great either. It's just that Eubank was terrible.
A more precise and aggressive fighter would have stopped Eubank, he was so open to counters when rushing in with the wild swings.

I think so.

Maybe I should watch again, but reading online it sounded like GG put on a boxing clinic....

Well, I don't know what clinic these people are used to, but for me it was of the very basic type.

Eubank had very little to offer on offense. Groves in his heyday would have punished him and buzzed him way more. I am convinced of this...

GG for me showed too much hesitancy and respect for him, which resulted in a very awkward and disjointed and sloppy display.

Johner

It wasn’t a clinic but it was a very solid performance. Did what he had to do. Eubank Jr is very limited.

FTA69

Avni Yildirim

For once I agree with Walsh. Against Froch the first time he was putting together serious offense against a far better and more dangerous opponent, he was using that stinging jab and working off the back off it to land crosses and hooks. We saw a few flashes of that on Saturday but primarily his countering was very limited and he looked almost nervous throwing it at times.

I like Groves, I do rate him but I don't think he's as effective as he once was. Maybe I'm talking nonsense though, and he just took the easiest and safest way out but I do hope that's not his limit because he won't get away with that craic against better opposition who can put together an offense.

normanoffside

Avni Yildirim

Braehmer has pulled out of the fight at the weekend according to reports

walshb

Rob Brant

normanoffside wrote: »

Braehmer has pulled out of the fight at the weekend according to reports

And the quest for Smith to fight a credible opponent continues!