By Keith Idec
Badou Jack is confident he’ll present even more problems for George Groves than Carl Froch, who beat Groves by technical knockout in two super middleweight title fights.
Jack (19-1-1, 12 KOs) is scheduled to defend the WBC 168-pound championship against Groves (21-2, 16 KOs) on the Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Andre Berto undercard Sept. 12 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas (Showtime Pay-Per-View; $74.95 in HD; 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT). London’s Groves is 0-2 in world title fights, yet slightly favored to take Jack’s title.
“He’s a very good fighter,” Jack said regarding Groves on a conference call Thursday. “Carl Froch is also a very good fighter. [Groves] came up short, but things happen in boxing. You get hit with a good shot and that’s it. But I’m a different fighter from Carl Froch. I’ve got more hand speed. I’m a better technical fighter, in my opinion. Not taking anything away from Carl Froch. He’s a very great fighter. He’s a legend, you know? But this is a different fight, so yeah, I’m ready to go.”
Jack, a Las Vegas resident originally from Sweden, won the WBC super middleweight in his last bout, a majority decision victory over Anthony Dirrell (27-1-1, 22 KOs) in a 12-rounder April 24 in Chicago. Groves has won both of his fights since Froch knocked him out in the eighth round of their May 2014 rematch at Wembley Stadium in London.
Keith Idec covers boxing for The Record and Herald News, of Woodland Park, N.J., and BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.