Boxing on TV: George Groves vs Eduard Gutknecht, Paddy Gallagher vs Tamuka Mucha, Andrew Selby vs Jake Bornea
A look ahead to this weekend's night of action on Channel 5
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Your support makes all the difference.George Groves return to the ring on Channel 5 as he continues his quest to challenge for a world title for the fourth time.
Consecutive stoppage defeats to Carl Froch and a disputed points loss to Badou Jack seemed to have set Groves back, but three victories in a row including a dominant display against Martin Murray has breathed new life into his career.
In many ways, Groves is the Arsenal of boxing. His fans are loyal and tenacious, but too often prone to hyperbole. They think he’s the best in the world, a Thierry Henry figure of unstoppable awesomeness, but then he’s a flash in the pan Jose Antonio Reyes. He promised so much in his younger years, but has ultimately has failed to pull the trigger when it really mattered.
And it all could have been so different. What if Jens Lehmann had not been sent off in the 2005 Champions League final? And what if Groves knocked Carl Froch down ten seconds earlier in their first bout?
His opponent is Eduard Gutknecht, a 34-year-old German most known for two light heavyweight world title losses to Juergen Braehmer. Gutknecht is a solid boxer who may have a size advantage at super middleweight, but he’s the type of opponent that is tailor-made for Groves.
The Englishman works best when fighting a cagey counter-punching style, and he also has the ability - sometimes at his disadvantage - to become involved in a tear up. Groves carries power as well, with 18 stoppages from 24 victories, but was taken the distance by Murray and Christopher Rebrasse in September 2014.
This isn’t just a typical fight for Groves though. He’s still one of the most recognisable names in British boxing and thus is expected to perform well. Only a stoppage victory will do in terms of convincing people that he can still mix it at world level. The odds are fairly generous, with Groves 6/4 to win by knockout. If you fancy Gutknecht to finish the sometimes vulnerable Groves, odds can be found at 20/1.
Groves’ stablemate Conrad Cummings features on the undercard in an intriguing test against Ronny Mittag, while amateur star Andrew Selby continues his professional career by facing Jake Bornea. Perhaps the most intriguing support bout on the bill comes at welterweight between Paddy Gallagher and Tamuka Mucha.
Gallagher became one of the few fighters in history to lose twice on the same night when he suffered two Prizefighter defeats in 2014, but he will be looking to perform well against the undefeated Mucha.
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