Mayweather vs. Berto Undercard: Preview and Prediction for Jack vs. Groves
WBC super middleweight champion Badou Jack will defend his belt against Britain's George Groves this Saturday night in Las Vegas, on the Floyd Mayweather-Andre Berto pay-per-view. It will be the Mayweather-promoted Jack's first defense since winning the belt from Anthony Dirrell last April.
With Carl Froch now retired and Andre Ward inactive in the division for nearly two years, super middleweight is one of the most wide-open weight classes in the sport.
Groves and Jack are both ranked in the top 10 at 168 by Ring Magazine. An impressive win in this fight would push either man to near the top of the pack.
Tale of the Tape
1 of 7
| Per Boxrec | Badou Jack | George Groves |
| Record: | 19-1-1, 12 KOs | 21-2, 16 KOs |
| Height: | 6'1" | 5'11.5" |
| Reach: | 73" | 72" |
| Weight: | 168 lbs | 168 lbs |
| Age: | 31 | 27 |
| Stance: | Orthodox | Orthodox |
| Hometown: | Stockholm, Sweden | London, England |
| Rounds: | 106 | 131 |
Badou Jack is a native of Sweden, but he makes his headquarters now in Las Vegas, where the fight will take place. This will be George Groves first bout in Vegas since 2010.
Groves is four years younger than Jack, but he's got the edge in experience. He fought Carl Froch twice and also had bouts with James DeGale, Glen Johnson and Paul Smith. Jack's title win over Anthony Dirrell last April was his first fight at the world-class level.
Main Storylines
2 of 7
Badou Jack has the belt in this fight and the association with Floyd Mayweather, but I'd argue that George Groves is the bigger name. In November 2013 he dropped Carl Froch in Round 1 of their fight and was up on the cards when Froch won by Round 9 TKO in what many criticized as a quick stoppage.
The May 2014 rematch between Froch and Groves was one of the biggest boxing events of the year, as the two Englishmen battled in a sold-out Wembley Stadium. Groves once more got off to a strong start in the fight, but this time there was no doubt about the result, as Froch connected with a picture-pefect shot to knock Groves out in Round 8.
Jack's career was slowed down in February 2014 when he lost by stunning, Round 1 KO to journeyman Derek Edwards. But his title win by majority decision over Anthony Dirrell last April proved he belongs in the top 10 in the super middleweight division.
Jack is arguably the best fighter promoted by Mayweather. If Grove can beat him and take the WBC strap, he'll be my choice for the best super middleweight in the word, excluding Andre Ward.
Strengths
3 of 7
Badou Jack has good length for the super middleweight division and exploits it with a strong jab. He also throws a nice counter hook over the top of his opponents' right hand. It was a punch he scored well with against Anthony Dirrell in his title win last April.
George Grove has a strong jab and nice footwork. He uses the jab to set up sharp overhand rights. He's a rugged and athletic fighter with a lot of experience against high-quality opposition.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Weaknesses
4 of 7
Badou Jack has a bad habit of dropping his left hand when he's returning his jab. It leaves him wide open for a right hand counter, and that's what got him knocked out by Derek Edwards in February 2014.
I also see him doing a surprising amount of lunging for a fighter with his height and reach. He's not going to want to give up his height against Groves.
George Groves has been knocked out twice, and that's going to raise suspicions that he's a bit "chinny." A good shot from Carl Froch will put any super middleweight to sleep, though. I'm more concerned by the way Groves tends to hold his arms wide, leaving a lot of space for him to get hit down the middle.
Badou Jack Will Win If...
5 of 7
To win this fight, Badou Jack is going to want to fight tall and avoid lunging forward when initiating an exchange. George Groves is athletic and talented enough to fade backward and land a big punch.
Jack also needs to establish a strong jab. And when he throws the jab, he better make sure he returns the left hand into a good defensive position. Groves has the ability to knock him out just as surely as Derek Edwards did in February 2014.
The ultimate key to victory for Jack might be his lead hook. If he can consistently land that over the top of Groves' right hands, as he did against Anthony Dirrell last April, he will be in good shape in this fight.
George Groves Will Win If...
6 of 7
Establishing the jab will be just as important in this fight for George Groves as it will be for Badou Jack. If Groves can get off first with his jab and use it to control the pace of the fight, I expect him to win.
He's also got to use good movement to control the range. If he can attack and then fade backward, it should allow him to set up Jack for a powerful right hand.
As the shorter and more compact fighter, I'd really like to see Groves attack the champ's body.
When he's on the attack, Groves needs to be careful not to get too wide open. This should be a competitive fight and leaving the space for Jack to land a big punch could spell disaster for Groves.
Prediction
7 of 7
This has been a good year for British boxing, and that should continue this Saturday night in Las Vegas. Simply put, I just think George Groves is a little bit better than Badou Jack.
He's got better footwork and crisper punching. He's also got better power. I'm predicting he wins by unanimous decision, with scores of around 116-112.
If I'm right and Groves wins, it will mean that two of the four world-title belts at 168 pounds will be around English waists, as James DeGale captured the IBF strap last May.
Groves beat DeGale by razor-close majority decision in 2011, when both fighters were on the way up. They are overdue for a rematch.
A unification bout between the two would pack a football stadium in the United Kingdom.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
