David Haye v Audley Harrison undercard: George Groves v Kenny Anderson
Getting yourself down the pub early for the David Haye v Audley Harrison fight? Want to get a seat but are worried about being bored senseless? Well don’t fret, the undercard to this bill features the latest ventures of super-middleweight prospect George Groves, which if everything runs to Sky Sports schedule should be the first-ever 3D fight.
It’s a tough test for Groves as he faces Kenny Anderson in a bout that could be a headliner on its own right. Groves is another in the Adam Booth stable and he will be going for the first defence of his super-middleweight Commonwealth title and also a guaranteed shot at the British title.
Groves was actually supposed to be in action two weeks ago headlining a show, but had to pull out when rival James Odebe Toney failed the medical with an eye injury.
Instead he faces a man who was ironically helping him train for Toney by sparring with him. However Anderson is much more than just a sparring partner, he is in fact an 11-fight unbeaten prospect himself with seven KO’s along the way.
Groves is a fighter who has been bubbling under for a while now and now seems to be making those tentative strides out from the journeymen and into proper professional boxing. He had a fantastic amateur career and has taken well to the pro game with an unbeaten record of 10 with eight KO’s.
There’s no question that Groves is going to go to the top level. He is solid as a rock defensively and he plants his feet well, a tornado would struggle to knock him off balance. He’s also a sharp and concise puncher who gets plenty of power, there’s no question this boy is going places.
Anderson on the other hand is a fighter who prefers to get in tighter and fight on the inside. He will push Groves and try and bully him about the ring. Anderson will clinch scrap and battle through every round. The Scot almost lost his way last year when he was accused attempted murder; and so this fight would be a great way to show all that is behind him now.
It should be an exciting battle, Groves has had a couple of tough fights and come through some challenges, he was particularly impressive in when he won the title with a sixth round KO against Charles Adamu and will look again to put in a similarly decent performance against a tougher opponent.
Anderson won’t let the Londoner have an easy night; the two have recently been sparring but will know that that counts for nothing when it comes down to a proper prizefight.
The winner of this fight gets a British title shot, a belt currently held by Paul Smith who will be fighting James De Gale, who is of course Groves arch-nemesis and that could possibly prove a matchup of Nigel Benn-Chris Eubank proportions.
That fight has to happen, to do that he has to come through Anderson and by George he should.
If he does that he can take his career to the next dimension.
Prediction: Groves unanimous decision
This should be a good scrap. It’s going to be by far the toughest fight of Groves career, he has the power and pedigree to put Anderson away but on the way he will learn a thing or two about in-fighting and grinding out a result.
Groves is destined for the big time and Anderson can rise highly as well, but let’s hope the Londoner comes through this one and then DeGale comes through Smith next month to set up a possible classic.
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