At the Wembley Arena, London, George Groves advanced to the WBSS Super Middleweight semi-final after knocking out Jamie Cox in the 4th round. The victory, which also marked Groves’ first WBA title defense, presented itself after Groves landed a thunderous right hook-counter which dropped and glued Cox to the canvas for the 10-count.
The fight, while short-lived, had plenty of back-and-forth action, with Groves seeking to control matters center ring with straight counters, while Cox did the exact opposite, charging Groves on the ropes and chasing a knockout. In fairness to Cox – a sizeable underdog – he put on a tenacious performance, catching Groves with some hard shots, and just clearly made the man uncomfortable.
Groves, the tournament’s number one seed, now improves to 27 wins, 3 defeats, 20 knockouts, while the fallen Cox picks up his first career blemish, reducing to 24 wins, 1 defeat, 13 knockouts.
So, Groves is now in place to face Chris Eubank Jr, who dropped and stopped Avni Yildirim in the 3rd round in Germany last weekend. Violently, I might add, too. Eubank, who improved to 26 wins, 1 defeat, 20 knockouts, was unmistakably superior to the spirited yet ultimately one-dimensional, plodding Yildirim that night, who was made to look pedestrian.
Prior to sliding south to 16 wins, 1 defeat, 10 knockouts, Yildirim was firstly dropped at the tail-end of the opener by a signature Eubank uppercut, and for a final time in the 3rd following a furious exchange where Eubank connected with a barrage of venomous, looping shots. Yildirim crumbled to the canvas courtesy of a left hook to the jaw, hard enough for the referee to immediately abandon the count. A very wise decision.
With WBSS contenders Yildirim and Erik Skoglund (conquered via decision by Callum Smith in September) already out, this tournament is shaping up nicely, albeit in mostly predictable fashion. Next up, on October 27th, is the last remaining quarter-final clash, Juergen Braehmer vs Rob Brant, a toss-up crossroads-type encounter.
So what about it, readers? Let’s hear your thoughts on tonight’s Groves vs Cox matchup, plus your crystal ball predictions for the winners of the looming semi-finals. And, while you’re here, who are you backing to win this thing outright?
