Former WBA super-middleweight champion George Groves has revealed his confidence in overcoming a pound-for-pound legend if he was to face him in his prime, claiming that there is ‘no way’ he wouldn’t have beaten him due to their stylistic match-up.
‘Saint George’ famously lost twice to Carl Froch and then to Badou Jack in his first three title challenges, but finally achieved world honours when he picked up the vacant WBA belt with a win over Fedor Chudinov in 2017.
The Brit made two defences of the strap against his countrymen, Jamie Cox and Chris Eubank Jr, but lost out to Liverpool’s Callum Smith in 2018 that prompted his retirement from the sport.
However, in an interview with Grosvenor Casinos, Groves explained that he is supremely confident that he would have defeated four-weight world champion and reigning undisputed 168lb title-holder Canelo Alvarez after seeing how Dmitry Bivol dealt with him in 2022.
“I was unstoppable at super middleweight, you can’t deny Canelo is a force, but Bivol showed you a blueprint on how to beat him.
“You can’t go in there and be reckless, you’d have to be measured like Bivol was. I was good with my feet, good with my straight shots and I wouldn’t let Canelo close the distance.
“I wouldn’t linger on the ropes and it would have been my hardest fight if it had happened, but there’s no way I would not have dealt Canelo a loss.”
Canelo has made a habit of defeating Brits, going 8-0 against fighters from the United Kingdom, including Callum and Liam Smith, Billy Joe Saunders and Amir Khan.
Although that has not stopped Groves’ rival Carl Froch also stating that he would have had what it takes to defeat Alvarez if they fought in their primes, believing that he would outwork and be too big for the 33-year-old superstar.