George Groves plans to take Badou Jack's super middleweight title back to U.K.
LAS VEGAS - George Groves has fought in front of 80,000 screaming crazies in London's famed Wembley Stadium, so facing around 12,000 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena should be like a day in church for him.
Even so, he is fighting for Badou Jack's WBC super middleweight title on Saturday night on the undercard of Floyd Mayweather's farewell fight (Showtime pay-per-view, 8 p.m. ET). And this is the mecca of boxing, where most every fighter worldwide strives to lace 'em up at least once, and where Groves has fought before, winning his only bout as a pro here in the desert.
Groves (21-2, 16 KOs) trained for this title fight in the isolated atmosphere and altitude of Big Bear Lake, Calif., so he's been acclimatized and Americanized. And he's ready to take his first world title back to the United Kingdom.
"It's great to be here. I'm happy to have my shot at the title," said Groves, nicknamed "Saint" George. "We're ready. I've been traveling to Vegas to box since I was 13 years old. Year after year I've always been successful out here, always with knockouts.
"Training up in Big Bear was great. The first week I realized the difference in the heat and altitude. But mostly I love being isolated."
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Groves, 27, has had two shots at a major world title and ended up on the short end of stoppages both times, in TKO losses to Carl Froch, even though he nearly stopped Froch in the first round of their first fight in November 2013.
He expects the third shot to be the charm.
"I'm confident of winning. I'm always confident of winning," Groves said during Thursday's press conference. "The best way to describe this fight is that Badou Jack is a good fighter, but I'm a better fighter. I'm better than him at every phase of the game."
He's not much impressed by being on the card with Mayweather, who hopes to tie Rocky Marciano's perfect record of 49-0. Now Vegas, that's another story.
"Maybe in time I'll appreciate it but right now I couldn't care less about fighting on a Floyd Mayweather card," he told The Boxing News. "The fact of the matter is, I'm boxing at the MGM Grand for a world title. It's something you dream of as a kid. I've experienced many, many things in my professional career but I plan to win this world title and build from there."
Not if Jack has anything to say about it. The Mayweather Promotions product, born Johannes Gabriel Badou in Stockholm, Sweden, 31 years ago, won the title by majority decision against a less-than-impressive Anthony Dirrell in his 21st career fight in April in Chicago. Now he's fighting in his hometown and is happy to bring up Groves' failures against Froch.
"Groves is absolutely not in my head. I'm focused and mentally strong on my task at hand," said Jack (19-1-1, 12 KOs). "I won my biggest fight that I've had up to date, he didn't. He has had two shots at the title and has lost them both.
"Groves got famous for getting knocked out by Carl Froch. He's a good fighter, but I'm very comfortable that I'm going to beat him."
Still, Jack, 31, is just three fights removed from a first-round KO loss to Derek Edwards, who had been knocked out out in his previous fight.
"I've always believed in myself. Things happen in boxing," Jack said. "I worked hard and that's how I got to this moment."