Groves stepping it up again

[robpalmer135]

Fighting Matthew Barr who is 14-4 and won his last 7 fights.

[essexboy]

Good lad, this should sort the men from the boys. Dont usually see a test like this in a prospect's fifth fight. Hope he wins well.

[Losfer_Words]

Good lad, this should sort the men from the boys. Dont usually see a test like this in a prospect's fifth fight. Hope he wins well.

His progress thus far - aside from the unfortunate long lay-off due to Setanta's demise - has been nothing short of excellent. Just one of the reasons why I feel he is the UK's best prospect of the current crop.

[Alyroo]

Good on him. Nice little domestic scene around 12st brewing

[kosaros]

His progress thus far - aside from the unfortunate long lay-off due to Setanta's demise - has been nothing short of excellent. Just one of the reasons why I feel he is the UK's best prospect of the current crop.

His progress thus far has been overrated. Yes it is excellent he has Samuels' name on his record in only 4 fights, but the rest of his opponents have not been up to much at all.

However, once he has Barr's name on his record, then I will agree that in 5 fights, his progress has been excellent compared to other prospects in this country :thumbsup

[Losfer_Words]

His progress thus far has been overrated. Yes it is excellent he has Samuels' name on his record in only 4 fights, but the rest of his opponents have not been up to much at all.

However, once he has Barr's name on his record, then I will agree that in 5 fights, his progress has been excellent compared to other prospects in this country :thumbsup

:roll::conf I could have swore I said something to the tune of that.

[kosaros]

His progress thus far - aside from the unfortunate long lay-off due to Setanta's demise - has been nothing short of excellent. Just one of the reasons why I feel he is the UK's best prospect of the current crop.

:roll::conf I could have swore I said something to the tune of that.

Thus far?

i.e not including a fight that hasn't happened yet ;)

[robpalmer135]

Kos you put to much pressure on prospects.

name a fighter that has done more recently in 4 fights??

you gotta realise getting decent british opponents costs allot of money.

[kosaros]

Kos you put to much pressure on prospects.

name a fighter that has done more recently in 4 fights??

you gotta realise getting decent british opponents costs allot of money.

Oh no! They are gonna buckle because Kosaros on ESB's forum is putting pressure on them! :lol:

Derek Chisora.

[robpalmer135]

lol derek chisora!!!

i mean you expect far to much from prospects. they need to fight a couple of journeyman and eastern europeans in there first 10 fights.

[kosaros]

lol derek chisora!!!

i mean you expect far to much from prospects. they need to fight a couple of journeyman and eastern europeans in there first 10 fights.

Chisora: One unknown, Booth (journeyman), Morgan (decent paper record), Butlin (okay record at the time) - take it to 5 fights then you have the current Commonwealth champion on his record.

Groves: Three unknowns, Samuels (journeyman record at the time).

I am not expecting too much from prospects, but I have seen people progress faster than Groves - that is all. :good

[sidthehat]

Agree with kos on this, no way groves fights as tough an opponent as sexton in his sixth fight. I like groves but people get drunk on the hayemaker kool-aid talking about his progress. Samuels, bless him, was shot to pieces when he fought him.

[Losfer_Words]

Agree with kos on this, no way groves fights as tough an opponent as sexton in his sixth fight. I like groves but people get drunk on the hayemaker kool-aid talking about his progress. Samuels, bless him, was shot to pieces when he fought him.

Name a current prospect who's had better sparring than Groves as well as opposition. As I said, his progress has been brilliant- what more do you want? Not been in any 4 rounders either I'll add. I'd count that as decent progress. Funny you're talking about Sexton's sixth fight considering that Groves has only had four pro fights as well:huh.

Then again, I must just be dizzy on the 'Hayemaker Kool-aid'.

[kosaros]

Name a current prospect who's had better sparring than Groves as well as opposition. As I said, his progress has been brilliant- what more do you want? Not been in any 4 rounders either I'll add. I'd count that as decent progress. Funny you're talking about Sexton's sixth fight considering that Groves has only had four pro fights as well:huh.

Then again, I must just be dizzy on the 'Hayemaker Kool-aid'.

Chisora fought Sexton in his 5th fight (other poster just got mixed up).

DeGale may have had better sparring (I don't know too much about who these guys sparred though - Groves sparred Fragomeni didn't he and DeGale went to America to train with Mayweather?) and his opponents haven't been bad - he fights a decent name in his next fight, then I would say he has at least an equal record to Groves in 4 fights.

I would like to add that I am very happy with his progress - just don't like people building up his early progress as if he were De La Hoya.

[Losfer_Words]

DeGale never sparred with PBF. Groves has also sparred with Froch as well, remember:good. As I said, the lack of 4 rounders is also commendable, IMHO. Just my opinion, though. His progress has been fantastic, IMO. I also like the way he's been kept out of the limelight as opposed to the 'Olympians'.

[Mazallan]

Good on Groves. He certainly has a load of ability and it is great to see him mixing it up with good tests. Maybe in a few fights time he will step to fight the better guys on the domestic scene.

[robpalmer135]

You have got to remember at the time the Sexton vs Chisora fight was put together as niether has really shown much at all in there first couple of fights. ****** and his team just said "lets see which one is decent"

after chisora won they went big promoting him, and let sexton go for prizefighter. ****** never really expected sexton to beat rogan.

[robpalmer135]

Samuels was just otuside the top 10 when groves beat him, and Barr is also just otuside the top 10

[kosaros]

DeGale never sparred with PBF. Groves has also sparred with Froch as well, remember:good. As I said, the lack of 4 rounders is also commendable, IMHO. Just my opinion, though. His progress has been fantastic, IMO. I also like the way he's been kept out of the limelight as opposed to the 'Olympians'.

I know he never sparred with Floyd (too big).

You really can't blame the 'Olympians' for being in the spot light - I am sure if Groves was offered that spot light he would take it :yep

Anyway, he has a good record, top notch sparring and is fighting better fighters than 90% of other prospects in the country :good

[Losfer_Words]

Anyway, he has a good record, top notch sparring and is fighting better fighters than 90% of other prospects in the country :good

Amazing how it took two pages for you to understand what I was saying:lol::good.

[kosaros]

Amazing how it took two pages for you to understand what I was saying:lol::good.

I knew what you were saying - I still don't agree that his progress has been 'excellent' as you say up to now - its been good, will be very good-excellent depending on his manner of victory in his next fight :good

[sidthehat]

He was kept well out of the limelight being on bunce's boxing hour once a month!
Nothing wrong with his progress and I like him way better than chisora but his fifth opponent isn't as good as sexton. And bringing his sparring into it is stupid. Loads of youngsters spar top fighters but they don't or aren't given platform to talk about it.

[Losfer_Words]

Sid, you know full well he hasn't had the same exposure as that the 'Olympians' have had. Has Groves been advertised as a headlining attraction for a PPV undercard? No, he hasn't. Has Groves' progress been splashed all over the beeb and Sky's websites? No, it hasn't. I brought up sparring and being out of the limelight as examples of his outstanding 'progress'. I know it's easy to misinterpret comments that are in print, but I think it's clear I didn't say something to the effect of 'his opposition has been nothing short of world class'.

Call me 'stupid' and throw other insults at me if you wish, that reflects more on you than it does me. Anyway, I'm off to grab a drink of 'Hayemaker Kool-Aid'.

[robpalmer135]

hatton never faced anyone remotley decent until his 10th fight.

[Beeston Brawler]

I think Groves is being brought along about right - but the reason why a lot of us are saying it is so brilliant is because the other prospects.... i.e. those in the Maloney/VIP stable, Hennessy, ****** etc are being brought on at a snail's pace.

It depends what you mean by journeyman - IMO a lot of these 'journeymen' are just bums, they don't even try to win, just to hear the final bell. A proper journeyman should be able to take a round or two from a six rounder and beat a guy who doesn't come in focused.

IMO - a couple of bums, then a couple of Daniel Peret's, then proper, decent journeymen, then look at area titles.