George Groves vs. Andrea Di Luisa: Fight Time, Date, Live Stream and TV Info

Super middleweight George Groves sets out on a now-well-trodden path toward a world title when he takes on Andrea Di Luisa in London on Saturday.

Saint George (21-3, 16 knockouts) will be back in the ring for the first time since coming out on the wrong end of a split-decision result against WBC champion Badou Jack in Las Vegas.

His next opponent, Di Luisa (18-3, 14 KOs), is a 33-year-old Italian who previously held the WBC International Silver title.

Also on the bill, John Ryder will want to avoid becoming the latest Brit to slip up against veteran Sergey Khomitsky, as the pair meet for the vacant WBA International Middleweight Championship.

Meanwhile, the Commonwealth super lightweight strap will be on the line when John Wayne Hibbert faces Tommy Martin.  

When: Saturday, January 30, 10 p.m. GMT (5 p.m. ET)

Where: Copper Box Arena, London

TV: Sky Sports (UK), Sport 2 (Hungary)

Live Stream: Sky Go (UK—subscription required)

A New Beginning

Bryn Lennon/Getty Images

Groves is Britain's boxing boomerang—he keeps on coming back.

The Londoner does not want to end up on the list of best British boxers never to win a world title, and at 27, he has both the time and talent to come again at the highest level.

Praised for his performances in a pair of defeats to compatriot Carl Froch when the IBF and WBA titles were on the line, many backed Groves to beat the Swedish-born, American-based Jack in September 2015.

However, a first-round knockdown set the tone for another night of disappointment. Groves rallied impressively after the early trip to the canvas, only to then fade down the stretch.

The disappointing defeat to Jack has led to changes. There was a parting of the ways with trainer Paddy Fitzpatrick, who had been in the corner for all three losses.

Groves has since admitted things were not working prior to the Jack fight, telling Martin Domin of MailOnline: "It wasn’t quite right in the end, there were a lot of things that were wrong, cracks that were papered over."

Now he has teamed up with Shane McGuigan, a trainer best known for his work with super bantamweight world champion Carl Frampton.

The focus during camp has been on two areas: fitness and power.

McGuigan said of Groves, per Isaac Robinson of Sky Sports: "His training in the past, he wasn't doing the right things. He wasn't punching hard and fast. There was a lot of technical work being done. George is technically sound anyway so you don't need to go and work on it. You need to get him really fit, work on a couple of little things and get him punching hard and fast."

Although it is still early in the partnership, the clash with Di Luisa can show if the hard work in the gym is paying off.

The Italian Job

Di Luisa isn't expected to win at the Copper Box—Odds Shark priced the visiting fighter at 14-1 to cause an upset—but that doesn't mean it's going to be easy work for Groves.

The underdog has, like his opponent, suffered three career defeats, against Mouhamed Ali Ndiaye, Christopher Rebrasse and Lucian Bute.

Di Luisa was beaten inside four rounds by Bute, who used the August 2015 bout as a warm-up for a failed attempt to dethrone IBF champion—and Groves' bitter rival—James DeGale in November.

The Frenchman Rebrasse—whom Groves defeated on points in the English capital—also stopped the man from Lazio inside the distance, forcing Di Luisa to retire after Round 7 of their 2012 meeting.

However, the visiting fighter believes he is catching his next opponent at the perfect time, per his quotes in a Matchroom Boxing press release:

"

I don’t believe George is the same fighter as he was before those fights against Froch and Jack.

Only George knows how he feels. I can only comment from my point of view. On January 30 we will see how it goes – I do have a good punch.

George is a good boxer, a good fighter. He’s had a few chances to be a world champion but hasn’t succeeded. He’s a good fighter and a hard puncher but I’m ready for anything. I’m going to London to win.

"

Di Luisa can only hope Groves is still a work in progress with McGuigan, as his record doesn't suggest he has what it takes to expose any teething problems for the new fighter-trainer relationship.

Prediction

Groves will want to put on a show to help wipe away the memory of the narrow loss to Jack.

Di Luisa has a career knockout ratio of 67 per cent, although none of his victims is of a standard that should cause Saint George too many concerns.

The home favourite will begin the latest chapter in his seesaw career with a stoppage win in either Round 5 or 6. How he performs, however, is of much more interest than the exact time of victory.