GGG's opinion of Groves

[Old bones Ian]

'George is a good boxer, he's a good boxer, I don't feel he's strong, or has a lot of power, but he's a good boxer, has good distance, good balance, good combinations. I like his style.

'I remember George's last fight, he needed more power, more activity, more aggression. He's very smart, he's too smart to fight.
'I think (he can still win a world title), right now it's not a bad position for him, the (open) super-middleweight division, because he had a very close fight with Badou Jack, who's the WBC champion. It was a very close fight, (losing by) maybe one or two points.

'(His weakness is) I think power, just the power. He's a good boxer: he needs more power, so that when he punches (a fight's) finished.'

'We were just training, I helped him, he helped me,' he said.

'I did a couple of times (punching the) body, I broke (his) ribs I think, just I punched him, and his corner just said 'Okay, it's finished, stop'.
'For me, it was a very easy spar, very easy. I'd had maybe a couple days more, maybe one week. It was my second week sparring, for George it was the first week sparring, 'I felt more comfortable. New sparring, new guy, maybe he had a lot of weight, because he was too slow for me.'

Ouch there's some very backhanded compliments there

[craigjenkins05]

'George is a good boxer, he's a good boxer, I don't feel he's strong, or has a lot of power, but he's a good boxer, has good distance, good balance, good combinations. I like his style.

'I remember George's last fight, he needed more power, more activity, more aggression. He's very smart, he's too smart to fight.
'I think (he can still win a world title), right now it's not a bad position for him, the (open) super-middleweight division, because he had a very close fight with Badou Jack, who's the WBC champion. It was a very close fight, (losing by) maybe one or two points.

'(His weakness is) I think power, just the power. He's a good boxer: he needs more power, so that when he punches (a fight's) finished.'

'We were just training, I helped him, he helped me,' he said.

'I did a couple of times (punching the) body, I broke (his) ribs I think, just I punched him, and his corner just said 'Okay, it's finished, stop'.
'For me, it was a very easy spar, very easy. I'd had maybe a couple days more, maybe one week. It was my second week sparring, for George it was the first week sparring, 'I felt more comfortable. New sparring, new guy, maybe he had a lot of weight, because he was too slow for me.'

Ouch there's some very backhanded compliments there

Can remember at the time groves mentioning he sparred GGGwhen it was his first week in camp and GGG was peaking how true it is who knows find it hard to believe he thinks groves has no power though he clearly does at super middle and GGG being a middle surely he should feel it

[Boxing Prospect]

Murata was at the same camp and said Golovkin punched like there was stones in his hands and that he had never been hit as hard.

[magwitch]

GGG must be some kind of freak of nature. Why did he "break his ribs"? I could understand rattling off your shots at top speed but I didn't think you were meant to put pepper on them, not in a spar .

[CharlesListon]

He is an amazing back foot puncher. I love watching his ultra old-school footwork. It's not rocket science why he generates so much power.
I doubt he broke Groves's ribs, but I can imagine if he was in week 2 or 3 of sparring that he would have had too much for Groves.

[leejonesjnr]

GGG must be some kind of freak of nature. Why did he "break his ribs"? I could understand rattling off your shots at top speed but I didn't think you were meant to put pepper on them, not in a spar .

Ribs can break very easily sometimes

[whiskey]

Abel Sanchez has loved saying how GGG beat up this guy and that guy in sparring.

It seems his fighter is also taking the the same approach which I disagree with.

Sparring is just sparring. Sure tales always leak out, but it's not very classy unless they are facing each other and then it's always going to be a topic if they have sparred and it builds the grudge. But if they aren't facing each other, and have simply been helping each other out, then why say he possibly broke Groves rib?

[jamiem26]

Most of the GGG sparring tales have come from other sources, namely those who have been in with him rather than GGG himself. There's a list of all the various quotes somewhere.

Of the rumours, the most infamous is probably that he stopped Kovalev with a body shot.

Freak of nature is a good description.

[simonwalsh]

No doubting GGG's strength, but everyone beats everyone in sparring, if you believe every tale. Can't recall any immediately of stories where "Yeah I sparred with Whoever and he put me on my arse"

[Reece_D]

GGG must be some kind of freak of nature. Why did he "break his ribs"? I could understand rattling off your shots at top speed but I didn't think you were meant to put pepper on them, not in a spar .

Ribs can break very easily sometimes

I'm sure he broke Macklin's ribs with that sweet body shot in they're fight. Frightening power.

[mickey1975]

No doubting GGG's strength, but everyone beats everyone in sparring, if you believe every tale. Can't recall any immediately of stories where "Yeah I sparred with Whoever and he put me on my arse"

Fury said Joshua put it on him in sparring.

[magwitch]

Dazzler had to come home early after his trip to Denmark. Tbf Kessler was set to fight Froch....the spar must be somewhat realistic, after all, it's not a tickling contest

[Boxerbeetle]

Abel Sanchez has loved saying how GGG beat up this guy and that guy in sparring.

It seems his fighter is also taking the the same approach which I disagree with.

Sparring is just sparring. Sure tales always leak out, but it's not very classy unless they are facing each other and then it's always going to be a topic if they have sparred and it builds the grudge. But if they aren't facing each other, and have simply been helping each other out, then why say he possibly broke Groves rib?

Fair point, although Groves isn't exactly shy about criticising others in public...

[Horse]

I don't like Golovkin. He seems like a jerk.

[DAVE2005]

GGG must be some kind of freak of nature. Why did he "break his ribs"? I could understand rattling off your shots at top speed but I didn't think you were meant to put pepper on them, not in a spar .

Ribs can break very easily sometimes

I'm sure he broke Macklin's ribs with that sweet body shot in they're fight. Frightening power.

It's a pride thing with a lot of boxers,they aren't going let anyone get the better Of them In a spar,especially if it's a high profile name like groves.
I'Ve spars that I'd pay to watch up and the gym in the northwest.

[whiskey]

Dazzler had to come home early after his trip to Denmark. Tbf Kessler was set to fight Froch....the spar must be somewhat realistic, after all, it's not a tickling contest

Do you mean Darren Barker ?

Actually it was during the Calzaghe build-up.

He came home along with Brian Magee because Kessler's hand was basically mashed and he couldn't hit a pad without wincing in agony.

He immediately had surgery on it inside a month of fighting in Cardiff. His own stupid fault for going through with the fight if you ask me, although earning more money than he'd earned in his entire career added together probably had something to do with it.

I believe Groves went over too on another occasion, which was a bit sly as he was on the undercard for the Kessler rematch in London.. that's the type of thing he likes to do to wind people up and hence people regarding him as a plonker.

[Counter-puncher]

Not sure how getting world class sparring is considered sly

[liamlion]

Dazzler had to come home early after his trip to Denmark. Tbf Kessler was set to fight Froch....the spar must be somewhat realistic, after all, it's not a tickling contest

Do you mean Darren Barker ?

Actually it was during the Calzaghe build-up.

He came home along with Brian Magee because Kessler's hand was basically mashed and he couldn't hit a pad without wincing in agony.

He immediately had surgery on it inside a month of fighting in Cardiff. His own stupid fault for going through with the fight if you ask me, although earning more money than he'd earned in his entire career added together probably had something to do with it.

I believe Groves went over too on another occasion, which was a bit sly as he was on the undercard for the Kessler rematch in London.. that's the type of thing he likes to do to wind people up and hence people regarding him as a plonker.

Pardon? Since when was boxing a team sport?... Youre talking absolute pish!

I do remember that before his first fight with Groves, Froch more than implied that Groves was somehow unpatriotic or disloyal by being one of Kessler's sparring partners in Kessler's preparation for his rematch with Froch. But quite frankly Froch's lack of logic was laughable and sadly another example of his narcissism.

Groves can spar who he wants, when he wants and certainly doesnt need to get any other fighter's permission.

[ThereByTheGrace]

Ggg cant get fights against anyone, so he starts slagging off his sparring partners.

Common sense is not so common

[expe]

Dazzler had to come home early after his trip to Denmark. Tbf Kessler was set to fight Froch....the spar must be somewhat realistic, after all, it's not a tickling contest

Do you mean Darren Barker ?

Actually it was during the Calzaghe build-up.

He came home along with Brian Magee because Kessler's hand was basically mashed and he couldn't hit a pad without wincing in agony.

He immediately had surgery on it inside a month of fighting in Cardiff. His own stupid fault for going through with the fight if you ask me, although earning more money than he'd earned in his entire career added together probably had something to do with it.

I believe Groves went over too on another occasion, which was a bit sly as he was on the undercard for the Kessler rematch in London.. that's the type of thing he likes to do to wind people up and hence people regarding him as a plonker.

Pardon? Since when was boxing a team sport?... Youre talking absolute pish!

I do remember that before his first fight with Groves, Froch more than implied that Groves was somehow unpatriotic or disloyal by being one of Kessler's sparring partners in Kessler's preparation for his rematch with Froch. But quite frankly Froch's lack of logic was laughable and sadly another example of his narcissism.

Groves can spar who he wants, when he wants and certainly doesnt need to get any other fighter's permission.

A fight earlier Froch had phoned Kessler and gave him some advice on Brian Magee and him being weak to the body. Alright for him to do that but not for Groves to spar with Kessler

[crusader]

Weren't people from Groves' camp first claiming that he dropped GGG? Maybe GGG took offense to that (perhaps because it's not true) and hence this.

[SNG]

Weren't people from Groves' camp first claiming that he dropped GGG? Maybe GGG took offense to that (perhaps because it's not true) and hence this.

How do you know which is true and which isn't?

There's something odd about him saying Groves has no power when he clearly does.

[crusader]

I know because I'm omniscient.

Actually, I'm not, which is why I wrote 'perhaps' in italics. If someone's team lied about their fighter dropping me I would probably be a little testy though, hence my suggestion.

[SNG]

I know because I'm omniscient.

Actually, I'm not, which is why I wrote 'perhaps' in italics. If someone's team lied about their fighter dropping me I would probably be a little testy though, hence my suggestion.

I thought you were stressing that to imply it was an obvious lie, like how Golovkin says Groves has no power.

[crusader]

Nope.

I don't think it's far-fetched that someone from Groves' side was being untruthful though. IMO it's just one possible explanation for GGG's comments.