George Groves’ place in the World Boxing Super Series (WBSS) final was in doubt after his unanimous points win over Chris Eubank Jr on Saturday.
Groves earned scores of 117-112, 116-112 and 115-113 over his English rival at the Manchester Arena, but went straight from the ring to hospital after suffering a suspected dislocated left shoulder in the final round.
Victory over Eubank in a second defense of his World Boxing Association super-middleweight title also secured Groves a place in the final of the eight-man tournament.
Photo: Reuters
The WBSS final had been set to take place at the O2 Arena in London on June 2, but Groves’ trainer Shane McGuigan said there were concerns over whether the champion would be fit by then.
“He suffered a shoulder injury in the last round, we don’t know what that is at the moment, but hopefully he can box again soon,” McGuigan told a news conference. “After a performance like that he’s the best super-middleweight on the planet. We fulfilled the game plan to the T and executed it perfectly. We beat them on many different levels. It’s a massive concern for the tournament. George Groves’ health is paramount.”
Kalle Sauerland, promoter and cofounder of WBSS, said the tournament’s duration is finite.
“We have scope of when the tournament must be completed,” Sauerland said. “We will wait until Monday. With those sort of injuries you can train very quickly again — if it’s a case of it just popping out. No one knows until it has been scanned.”
Sauerland said that despite losing to Groves, Eubank could find himself in the WBSS final if Groves is ruled out through injury.
“He will definitely be on the list,” he said. “It’s a decision that’s taken by the board. I will make my recommendations.”
Eubank Jr’s father Chris Eubank Sr, who was world middleweight and super-middleweight champion in the 1990s, admitted Groves deserved the decision.
“He [Junior] didn’t perform,” Eubank Sr said. “He’s a lot better than what you saw because he was loading up. He didn’t close him down. No combinations, just power, but that’s OK, he will live and learn.”
BENAVIDEZ V GAVRIL
AFP, LOS ANGELES
David Benavidez on Saturday outclassed Ronald Gavril to easily retain his World Boxing Council super-middleweight crown with a unanimous points victory.
The 21-year-old champion from Phoenix, Arizona, dominated Romania’s Gavril to claim a deserved win at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.
Benavidez had beaten Gavril, 31, in September last year by a split decision to claim the vacant crown.
An ill-tempered buildup to the rematch had seen Gavril vowing to right a wrong, claiming he had robbed of victory in the first fight, but there was only one winner, with Benavidez using his stinging jab and superior movement to toy with Gavril on his way to a resounding victory.
“I knew he was going to come in aggressive — like I said before he’s a one-trick pony, he don’t know anything else but pressure,” Benavidez said. “So I used that to my advantage — jabbed, boxed him all day, and when I saw an opening I took it. I didn’t knock him out, but he’s a tough son of a gun.”
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