A champion is not worthy of being called a champion if he does not defend his house in decisive moments. George Groves knew this and made the best fight of his life in Sheffield to get the World Boxing Association Super Middleweight Super Championship, with a TKO in the sixth round against Russian Fedor Chudinov.
The thirst to become a champion was noticed from the first minute in the fighters. Both the new British champion and the Russian boxer came out to give everything in the fight. Groves could manage the first moments against a rival who seemed to be superior in strength, and he endured the initial attacks of Chudinov while responding with a slower attack.
As the fight unfolded, Groves increased his punches against his aggressive opponent. In the third and fourth rounds, the bout turned into an exchange battle in which the British felt more confident as his rival began to tire.
In round five, Groves finished wearing his rival off, who continued to lead but with less conviction than in the initial rounds. Groves’ strategy paid off in its entirety during the sixth and final round, when he knew it was time to give it all and attacked his opponent with a string of blows that forced the referee to stop the match.
The new WBA monarch has a record of 26 wins, 3 defeats and 19 KOs, while the Russian now has a balance of 15 wins, 2 defeats and 10 KOs.
