By Gianluca (Rio) Di Caro
Some sixteen months after George Groves and Kenny Anderson battled it out
for Groves’ then newly acquired Commonwealth Super Middleweight Crown, at
the M.E.N. in Manchester, the pair are preparing to go to war again on the
16th March. This time it’s for the British title Groves ceremoniously
ripped from James DeGale’s grip back in May last year.
Before I get into making any predictions about the outcome, let’s cast our
mind back to the 13th November 2010 when the pair clashed for the first
time.
Some six months earlier Groves conclusively beat Ghana’s Charles Adamu to
be crowned Commonwealth Super Middleweight Champ and was the bookies
favourite to retain his crown against Anderson.
However the Groves that turned up was not the same as the one that stopped
the Ghanaian inside six rounds. Groves had a sluggish start, keeping his
distance and only occasionally landed the odd combination.
By the third Groves became increasingly reckless and started showboating
with his hands down, in an attempt to draw the Scot in. When Anderson did
come forward the pair started trading some venomous big shots and the
writing was on the wall for Groves, as it was Anderson that was getting
the better of each exchange.
Things then got worse for Groves, he was forced back onto the ropes,
constantly getting caught by big right and left hands. Groves was clearly
struggling to cope with the constant pressure and it came as no surprise
when Anderson landed a peach of a left hook to send the Londoner to the
canvas for the first time in his professional career. Luckily for Groves
before Anderson could finish him off the bell rang to end the round.
Coming out for the fourth round it was clear that Groves wanted a war and
was seemingly determined to go for it regardless of the instructions his
manager/coach Adam Booth was screaming at him from ringside. As the round
progressed Booth was becoming increasingly irate. When Groves returned to
the corner at the end of the round Booth implored Groves to stop slugging
it out with Anderson.
In the fifth Stanza Groves continued to ignore Booth’s advice, as he
continued to slug it out with Anderson each time the Scot marched forward.
Groves showed heart though and eventually got a break, landing a couple of
wicked body shots that stopped Anderson in his tracks.
Finally Groves started to heed Booth’s warnings and started boxing long,
smoothly moving around the ring keeping Anderson at bay with good solid
jabs. Around the midway mark the Scot began to tire, in an instant Groves
took the fight back to Anderson and let rip with a series of heavy body
shots.
In a flash the tables had turned, now it was Anderson boxing on the back
foot as Groves chased him around the ring letting rip with exocets to body
and head until the referee stepped in to stop the fight on the 2 minute 35
second mark.
Whilst the fight on the 16th March is going to be another all action
affair, I for one do not think that Groves will make the same mistakes as
he made the first time these two met.
The reason I say this is just two fights later Groves fought and beat his
old adversary from the amateur days, James DeGale. Throughout the bout
Groves stuck rigidly to Adam Booth’s excellent game plan, keeping it long,
picking his shots and not getting into the much expected slugging match.
It’s these tactics that eventually see Groves get the better of Anderson
last time, this time around expect him to use this approach right from the
off, as well as notch up another stoppage finish.
The main support for Groves-Anderson sees the welcome return of former
British Light Middleweight Champion Sam Webb in a British Light
Middleweight title final eliminator against former Commonwealth Champion
Matthew Hall, which should be an absolute cracker and could well be the
fight of the night.
Webb’s fired up at getting straight back in the mix for the chance to
recapture the coveted British crown, that he lost to Prince Arron in a
storming battle back in May last year, so we can expect a similar gutsy
performance to those he put up against Anthony Small, to win the title in
March 2010, and against Martin Concepcion some seven months later in his
first defense.
Hall on the other hand will be equally determined to prove to the doubters
out there that he is still Championship material. Saying that I am sure
that his first class performance against Kris Carslaw, back in November,
will have already have swayed many of them into realising this.
It’s a hard fight to call, If Webb tries to take Hall head on it could go
awfully wrong for the Chislehurst man, I can’t help but feel that if this
becomes a slug fest it will be Hall that will be victorious and get to
challenge Brian Rose for his crown - I know Rose’s first defense is
against Max Maxwell, but honestly I can’t see Maxwell causing an upset -
however if Webb boxes clever and utilises a game plan similar to the one
used against Prince Arron I envisage a totally different result and it
will be Webb that emerges victorious.
Sticking with the Light Middleweights Southern Area Champ Steve O’Meara
takes on former Commonwealth Champion Bradley Pryce in a non-championship
bout. Just as with Webb-Hall this bout has the potential to be an
explosive all action affair, although have to say it could well be a short
one if O’Meara continues his exceptional form of late - first round
knockout of big punching Ryan Toms to lift the Southern Area strap in
September last year and another first round KO of Nathan Weise in his
first defense back in December.
Also on the card are no less than three classy TRAD TKO gym mates, former
Olympian and current Southern Area Middleweight Champion Billy Joe
Saunders, Dean ‘Irish Lightning’ Byrne and the superb rising Super
Middleweight star Frankie Buglioni.
Last but not least Sam Webb’s team mate the hugely popular ‘Super’ Bradley
Skeete will take part in his third bout of 2012.
Even though opponents have yet to be named for Saunders, Byrne, Buglioni
and Skeete, already this card is looking to be one of the strongest and
most exciting of the year so far. Mind you it could also be one of the
shortest.
The reason I say that is I honestly can’t see either Groves-Anderson,
Webb-Hall or O’Meara-Pryce going the distance, and let’s face it no matter
who you put in with Saunders and Buglioni they are likely to get them out
of there early.
Out of Saunders’ last six fights only one, against Gary Boulden, has gone
the distance, all the others Billy Joe dispatched in under two rounds,
whilst his TKO gym mate Buglioni has two first round finishes out of three
outings, including a stunning stoppage of former Southern Area Champ Paul
Morby, pretty impressive when you consider that headlining Kenny Anderson
took three rounds to finish Morby off only a month earlier.
The Frank Warren Promoted event, headlined by ‘Saint’ George Groves versus
Kenny Anderson, will take place at Wembley Arena, and broadcast live on
BoxNation (Sky Ch. 456 and Virgin Ch. 546), on Friday, 16th March 2012.
Tickets, priced £150 (Ringside), £100 (Floor), £75 (Floor), £50 (Tier)
and £40 (Tier), are available now on-line at www.tkoboxoffice.com
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