George Groves vs. Martin Murray - June 25th 2016

[MarkMcBurney]

What is the push and pull reference.

The Gloves Are Off for the second Froch fight when Froch yanked him across the table.

[Deserter]

Think Groves' jab is key to this fight - see him winning a fairly comfortable UD as he'll use it to control the one-paced Murray, who's durable, but never shown the ability to go through the gears in a way that he'll need to in order to test Groves in the later rounds.

[wesshaw1985]

Gloves Are Off: Groves vs. Murray is on Friday at 10pm


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmNlO37VgeA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUaBwJi85Kk

[Nightmare Roy]

Really think Murray can pull of the upset here.

[DannyMCR]

As much as I like Murray, I'm hoping for a Groves win. I think George has more to offer to the sport with him being the younger man and I genuinely believe he's been unlucky in two of his three failed world title attempts.

[Taansend]

As much as I like Murray, I'm hoping for a Groves win. I think George has more to offer to the sport with him being the younger man and I genuinely believe he's been unlucky in two of his three failed world title attempts.

He was definitely unlucky in the first attempt but the Vegas bout was close either way. You have to seize the opportunity.

[DannyMCR]

As much as I like Murray, I'm hoping for a Groves win. I think George has more to offer to the sport with him being the younger man and I genuinely believe he's been unlucky in two of his three failed world title attempts.

He was definitely unlucky in the first attempt but the Vegas bout was close either way. You have to seize the opportunity.

I'm just hoping them three fights haven't took it out of him and he still has plenty left in the tank. He's looked sharp in his fights against Di Luisa & Brophy but the Murray fight will hopefully show where he's really at!

[wesshaw1985]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOjf3X1Pmo8

[lefty]

As much as I like Murray, I'm hoping for a Groves win. I think George has more to offer to the sport with him being the younger man and I genuinely believe he's been unlucky in two of his three failed world title attempts.

I think hes washed up. He's looked pretty poor in his fights post Froch and I think they took a lot out of him. People talk about the first froch like it was guaranteed he was going to win. It wasn't. He was definietly starting to tire and unravel in the fight.

[rd350lc]

Also thought in the Brophy fight he looked a tad out of shape , didn't hinder his performance that night but against Murray he will need to be in tip-top condition .

[Black Sam Bellamy]

Is a 'The Gloves Are Off' mandatory for every fight of any meaning now ? Bored of them already.

[wesshaw1985]

Is a 'The Gloves Are Off' mandatory for every fight of any meaning now ? Bored of them already.

this one was a lot better than the Joshua vs. Martin/Breazeale ones...

[Anzi]

Groves looked troubled at the face off with Murray, especially when his fights with Froch were mentioned, he is still scarred from Froch, I also think he is a bit disrespectful about his previous trainer Paddy Fitzpatrick, who is a really good trainer, who once worked alongside Freddie Roach. Groves contradicts himself to a certain extent by blaming Fitzpatrick for his loss to Jack, yet believes he won the fight. If Groves had got that close decision, would he have left Fitzpatrick ?

[Anzi]

I used to wonder why Degale and Froch hated Groves so much and why they had such bitterness towards him, you can see why now ?

[MarkMcBurney]

Groves looked troubled at the face off with Murray, especially when his fights with Froch were mentioned, he is still scarred from Froch, I also think he is a bit disrespectful about his previous trainer Paddy Fitzpatrick, who is a really good trainer, who once worked alongside Freddie Roach. Groves contradicts himself to a certain extent by blaming Fitzpatrick for his loss to Jack, yet believes he won the fight. If Groves had got that close decision, would he have left Fitzpatrick ?

Interesting point about Degale/Froch and their views. I like George as a fighter, find him more entertaining than most other active fighters, but I have found myself disliking his personality a little more in the last few years.

I sort of agree with him and disagree with him on Paddy; I don't think the advice given in the corner in that fight was correct - you could hear him telling Groves he was winning the fight and to keep doing what he was doing which was totally wrong. That said, you'd think Groves might realise he wasn't winning the fight and would change things, as we've said about Scott Quigg recently. I also felt Groves tactics in the fights under Paddy were totally wrong and it neglected a jab which is one of the best around. Thankfully Shane seems to want to work this more now.

I feel a 'good' Groves in this fight beats Murray every day of the week. Murray is a terrific fighter and I'm a big fan, but there's a big difference between a middleweight fighting a big middleweight, and a middleweight fighting a big super middleweight IMO, and Groves is massive at the weight.

Looking forward to it.

[orbtastic]

Odd use of Brian Eno there.

[SNG]

Odd use of Brian Eno there.

I was on nights last night and was in a house with BBC news on, he was interviewed on there for a good ten minutes. Better than the usual shite I see on nights.

[Anzi]

Groves looked troubled at the face off with Murray, especially when his fights with Froch were mentioned, he is still scarred from Froch, I also think he is a bit disrespectful about his previous trainer Paddy Fitzpatrick, who is a really good trainer, who once worked alongside Freddie Roach. Groves contradicts himself to a certain extent by blaming Fitzpatrick for his loss to Jack, yet believes he won the fight. If Groves had got that close decision, would he have left Fitzpatrick ?

Interesting point about Degale/Froch and their views. I like George as a fighter, find him more entertaining than most other active fighters, but I have found myself disliking his personality a little more in the last few years.

I sort of agree with him and disagree with him on Paddy; I don't think the advice given in the corner in that fight was correct - you could hear him telling Groves he was winning the fight and to keep doing what he was doing which was totally wrong. That said, you'd think Groves might realise he wasn't winning the fight and would change things, as we've said about Scott Quigg recently. I also felt Groves tactics in the fights under Paddy were totally wrong and it neglected a jab which is one of the best around. Thankfully Shane seems to want to work this more now.

I feel a 'good' Groves in this fight beats Murray every day of the week. Murray is a terrific fighter and I'm a big fan, but there's a big difference between a middleweight fighting a big middleweight, and a middleweight fighting a big super middleweight IMO, and Groves is massive at the weight.

Looking forward to it.

I agree with a lot of your points, but I do think that in a fight so close, as it was with the Jack fight, both sides would have thought they were winning, plus Groves does sometimes fade a bit with a fast pace and when they get to him, he does seem to fall apart i.e the 1st Froch fight, so we have to bear that in mind, when judging Fitzpatrick's corner work. I have met paddy Fitzpatrick and he is has a lot of knowledge, experience and is very technical. I don't think Groves as improved with Shane McGuigan, he don't seem the same, mind you he could be on the slide, plus his level of opposition was lower in his last 2 fights, so easier to out jab them. Groves v Murray should be a good fight and agree Groves is a lot bigger, he is also faster, he should still win, if he has regressed too much, Murray could find him out, but Murray is not as good as the Murray who pushed Storm and Martinez, they both have had hard fights and both seem to have seen better days.

[geronimo]

As much as I like Murray, I'm hoping for a Groves win. I think George has more to offer to the sport with him being the younger man and I genuinely believe he's been unlucky in two of his three failed world title attempts.

I think hes washed up. He's looked pretty poor in his fights post Froch and I think they took a lot out of him. People talk about the first froch like it was guaranteed he was going to win. It wasn't. He was definietly starting to tire and unravel in the fight.

Groves, in first Froch fight, was in trouble, but the stoppage wasn't the right decision. The referee should have wait the consequences of the Froch punches. I' don't know what would have happened, but the stoppage was way premature. (Excuse my english, i'm italian).

[MarkMcBurney]

As much as I like Murray, I'm hoping for a Groves win. I think George has more to offer to the sport with him being the younger man and I genuinely believe he's been unlucky in two of his three failed world title attempts.

I think hes washed up. He's looked pretty poor in his fights post Froch and I think they took a lot out of him. People talk about the first froch like it was guaranteed he was going to win. It wasn't. He was definietly starting to tire and unravel in the fight.

Groves, in first Froch fight, was in trouble, but the stoppage wasn't the right decision. The referee should have wait the consequences of the Froch punches. I' don't know what would have happened, but the stoppage was way premature. (Excuse my english, i'm italian).

Agreed - I do think Groves probably would have been stopped but he deserved the chance to try and weather the storm. It also robbed Carl Froch of what would have been one of the best comeback wins I can remember. But then we wouldn't have had the second fight.

[wesshaw1985]

Odds (to win) -

Groves 2/5
Draw 22/1
Murray 15/8

anybody having a punt?

[Maxsplit]

Murray certainly won't fear Groves speed and powe having been in with Golovkin, Martinez and Abraham all of whom have scored plenty of devastating KOS.

I think Groves overstates his own power TBH.

I see this going to the cards. All depends on how badly Groves fades (and he will) and whether Murray can capitalise. I don't think he wil sadly and this will be another creditable, narrow defeat for MM. Possibly yet another Split Decison.

It's certainly a hell of a more interesting fight than Joshua vs Brezeale on an otherwise terrible card that should definitely not be PPV. It clashes with a knockout Euro game (potentially involving Engalnd) so I'll definitely not be watching.

[PredatorHayds]

Odds (to win) -

Groves 2/5
Draw 22/1
Murray 15/8

anybody having a punt?

I will be putting a fair bit down on Groves points.

[olij999]

What makes this fight so difficult to call is that they are both past their best, but it's unclear how far. I'm slightly favouring Murray on points, but with no particular confidence.

[ElJefe]

I can see this being one of those fights that people over-think beforehand (wondering about fighters being past their best etc), and goes on to be what in reality it should be, which is a competitive yet clear points win for Groves. I don't think Murray is explosive enough to test GG's chin and I think Groves' stamina will hold up well enough to see off some late pressure and take the decision.

Groves on points at evens is my bet.