BoxRec

After last night, how would you see a rematch going.. if Groves gets past Smith?

Could Groves even start as a favourite to win this time?

I think that James might really struggle to ever beat Groves. We saw how he struggled when Groves fought an outside fight. Last night we saw Degale struggle against a fighter who fought an inside fight and landed plenty of shots on Degale on the inside and did badly hurt him at one point.

I would have to take Groves to win a rematch and I think he might actually fancy taking the European belt of Degale. He would make a considerable sum of money in doing so and garner even more fans in London.

i thought degale sneaked the 1st fight by a point so think he'll win when it eventually happens, last night will have brought him on so much

I don't like how Groves vs Degale 1 is now being hyped as some fight of the year contender. Lets get it right, it was a glorified spar session and bit of a stinker (you'll never heard that said on a new boxing channel though).

Seeing Degale at the weekend, its not a fight I want to see for a while. Degale showed heart against a tough and dogged opponent - but still looked like a fighter more interested in posteruring than fighter..... don't get me wrong, a deserving winner and this one was a good fight - and Degale showed some character..... but at the same time, I would have liked to have seen him taking it to the Pole more often (being first with punches). He didn't throw enough against Groves, and for me his workrate could have been more in this fight.

I just think they BOTH need to develop first before they fight each other again.

stujones wrote:I don't like how Groves vs Degale 1 is now being hyped as some fight of the year contender. Lets get it right, it was a glorified spar session and bit of a stinker (you'll never heard that said on a new boxing channel though).

Seeing Degale at the weekend, its not a fight I want to see for a while. Degale showed heart against a tough and dogged opponent - but still looked like a fighter more interested in posteruring than fighter..... don't get me wrong, a deserving winner and this one was a good fight - and Degale showed some character..... but at the same time, I would have liked to have seen him taking it to the Pole more often (being first with punches). He didn't throw enough against Groves, and for me his workrate could have been more in this fight.

I just think they BOTH need to develop first before they fight each other again.

Groves has to get past Smith no guarantee that will happen.

Absolutely Leforge, it will certainly aid Groves' development. People do seem to forget that because Groves fought such a smart fight against Degale that he is also a novice pro himself.

Still a bit dissapointed that Smith has decided to abandon his Middleweight plans - but can see why he has done it.

I'd like to see the likes of Anderson also fighting one of them again, before they face each other.

stujones wrote:Absolutely Leforge, it will certainly aid Groves' development. People do seem to forget that because Groves fought such a smart fight against Degale that he is also a novice pro himself.

Still a bit dissapointed that Smith has decided to abandon his Middleweight plans - but can see why he has done it.

I'd like to see the likes of Anderson also fighting one of them again, before they face each other.

They not going to go near Anderson without it being a mandatory. Think Degale has to fight Sanavia as he is mandatory.

The trouble with some of these kids is they've grown up watching RJJ, then Naz, then someone like Haye and they seem intoxicated by this theme of moving, low gloves and trying to be so smugly precise as to demean the effort or ability of their opponent.

Trouble is James doesn't move like RJJ, doesn't have his reflex or brain, can't punch like Naz or anything like him and simply isn't strong or good enough at putting combinations together in the way Haye did.

He's also as likeable as three week old milk with a nugget of cat shit in it.

I think Groves would beat Degale again. He has his number IMO. I hope it doesn't happen for atleast another 18 months!

Groves would probably beat DeGale again, he certainly seems the more versatile of the two, James unfortunately is pretty easy to confuse.

Don't stand in front of him and maintain a reasonable workrate - that's half the battle won right there.

WOuld not surprise me to see Degale floored and stopped by Groves. Does the Polish guy hit 'that hard?

Maybe Degales resistance is going already? Stranger things have happened. Was Degale always such a bleeder?

I do see a second fight happening in the foreseeable future between George Groves and James DeGale happening, but I am not sure when and for what stakes will they be fighting for, will it be a British, European and Commonwealth unifaction match, will it be a World title eliminator or a title fight with one or more of the alphabet soup belts up for grabs that is the big question. I don't think the rematch will happen within the next 6 months yet as I reckon allegedly will let simmer a little longer get one of them fight for a world title and possibly win it and then get the other as a mandatory perhaps.

I do think DeGale would be really up for a second fight fight as he want to show he is the better fighter of the two and that fight which saw him lose his British title to Groves was an off night.

Just like with Cleverley-Bellew, everyone clamoured for these fights and we got them. Personally, I'd rather wait for a couple of years down the line before I see a rematch for either. Let everyone develop and then possibly fight for something bigger down the line. Even if it isn't for something bigger it can be spun into a big fight by the spin-doctors. Some people would just have these guys fighting eachother every week.

The only thing I would say is DeGale has fought a good British champion, very experienced in Paul Smith and out-classed him. Lossed a squeeky one against Groves when he froze and then survived a rough and tumble with the European champion. There was a time when he'd still be fighting Darius Snarski types at 12-0.

He's had 12 fights.

Don't ask me whether he could make middleweight though, because if he could, he should.

He's still as likeable as Jonathan Ross, who proves the theory that people will watch to see you knocked out. Because I still hope someone will take offence to his readers wives talk and deck him

leforge wrote:

stujones wrote:I don't like how Groves vs Degale 1 is now being hyped as some fight of the year contender. Lets get it right, it was a glorified spar session and bit of a stinker (you'll never heard that said on a new boxing channel though).

Seeing Degale at the weekend, its not a fight I want to see for a while. Degale showed heart against a tough and dogged opponent - but still looked like a fighter more interested in posteruring than fighter..... don't get me wrong, a deserving winner and this one was a good fight - and Degale showed some character..... but at the same time, I would have liked to have seen him taking it to the Pole more often (being first with punches). He didn't throw enough against Groves, and for me his workrate could have been more in this fight.

I just think they BOTH need to develop first before they fight each other again.

Groves has to get past Smith no guarantee that will happen.

Smith is a very live 9/2 underdog in my opinion. He is scrappy, but he is a bully in the ring and has a very good workrate, it may be enough.

I'd have liked to see Paul go through with his Middleweight change but the chance to fight Groves must be tempting; Groves is good but has been knocked off-course by Anderson and Paul at his best is a good fighter. Be great to see him put some of his boxing together too.

Unless Degale gets a new trainer, I don't see the outcome being any different.

Its funny, when Danny was trouncing Tyson and Takaloo took Arnie's head off Jim was regarded as a great trainer, demanding supreme fitness and being good at the psychology of his fighters.

It seems to be unfashionable to rate his contribution now.

What heralded the change.

I didn't think the first fight was any good mainly down to Groves' tactics and I also had Degale winning by atleast 1 point. I'd still fancy Degale in the rematch but after watching him on Saturday I think his confidence has took a knock, saying that to come through and win the European title in his 12th fight was class. I too used to rave about Jim Mcdonnell but not so sure now, don't think he's top class. He also went down in my estimation when he was whispering in Degales ear at the press conference and offered Adam Booth a wager on the fight. Lets see how Groves handles Smith, Smith seems pretty confident on beating him.

i think groves will batter smith , Groves will be well up for it after beating his arch nemesis last time out.

Deno1986 wrote:

leforge wrote:

stujones wrote:I don't like how Groves vs Degale 1 is now being hyped as some fight of the year contender. Lets get it right, it was a glorified spar session and bit of a stinker (you'll never heard that said on a new boxing channel though).

Seeing Degale at the weekend, its not a fight I want to see for a while. Degale showed heart against a tough and dogged opponent - but still looked like a fighter more interested in posteruring than fighter..... don't get me wrong, a deserving winner and this one was a good fight - and Degale showed some character..... but at the same time, I would have liked to have seen him taking it to the Pole more often (being first with punches). He didn't throw enough against Groves, and for me his workrate could have been more in this fight.

I just think they BOTH need to develop first before they fight each other again.

Groves has to get past Smith no guarantee that will happen.

Smith is a very live 9/2 underdog in my opinion. He is scrappy, but he is a bully in the ring and has a very good workrate, it may be enough.

i think people overrate smith massively. he is as average as they come and will recieve a hiding

I agree with tose saying they should leave it a while. Groves should focus on winning the Lonsdale outright and Degale get a few defenses in as well. They both need rough edges taking off and it'll make for a more interesting fight further down the line.

Gazmac81 wrote:i think groves will batter smith , Groves will be well up for it after beating his arch nemesis last time out.

Deno1986 wrote:

leforge wrote: Groves has to get past Smith no guarantee that will happen.

Smith is a very live 9/2 underdog in my opinion. He is scrappy, but he is a bully in the ring and has a very good workrate, it may be enough.

Or, he may come into the fight underestimating Smith after getting a weight off his shoulders by beating DeGale. He may be naive enough to think that just becuase DeGale stopped Smith, he will too. It's a strange old sport. I just think 9/2 is decent value for Smith as Groves is still a novice.

I really hope this doesn't happen... I couldn't be fucked listening to all the promotional side of it. No doubt DeGale will try and use his European Title as bait to lure Groves in to a rematch.

How many times are these guys going to fight in their careers? 6 or 7?

The first DeGale Groves fight was a bit of a ballet dance. Never really got going.

I like to watch DeGale box. He's pretty slick, good in the pocket, and he's got a bit of style about him. But there's just no way he's anywhere near ready to mix it with the top super middles in the division. He needs a lot more power. Most of the top ten would just laugh at the shots he threw on Saturday.

I wouldnt want to see the two fight again for quite a while. They need to develope their careers and gain more experiance first. If they did meet sooner rather than later, I would expect to see the same result.