Jesse Hart: Groves Went From Froch To a 154-Pounder

By Ben Jacobs

December 13 will be a boxing homecoming for Jesse Hart (15-0, 12 KOs) who fights in his hometown for the first time in two years against hard punching Colombian, Samuel Miller (28-9 25 KOs).  The charismatic Philadelphian is currently embarking on a two week training camp in Los Angeles, California before returning to the east coast for final preparations.  The night before he flew out, Hart gave an interview to BoxingScene to discuss his upcoming encounter, rivals in the super middleweight division and some future plans.

"I'm very excited, this will be my last eight rounder in front of my hometown fans.  It's going to be a wonderful feeling and an amazing night because my family and friends will get to see me perform.  It'll probably be my last fight at home until I get a world title."

After three first round knockouts in a row, Hart won unanimous decisions over the always durable, Derrick Findlay, and Samuel Clarkson who fights Badou Jack the night before Jesse's return in Philadelphia.  He is coming off the back of two straight knockouts in his most recent outings and will look to be adding another one in what is a showcase in The City of Brotherly Love.

"I won the NABF championship (against Clarkson) and I went on after that to knock out another two guys so I've been very pleased.  And the opposition they've been giving me haven't been slouches.  My last opponent got the title shot by defeating an undefeated guy, a Russian.  Acevedo (his most recent opponent) knocked him out.  I'm fighting dangerous guys here.  At the end of the day, I think I should be ranked higher than what I'm ranked."

"I'm winning against good opposition here, people don't look into the backgrounds of my opponents and I don't think it's fair that people discredit me.  Even Derrick Findley has just beaten Lamar Russ.  He beat him after I fought him!  I don't fight mismatches.  Over here in the US there's a lot of picking and choosing going on but over there in the UK, you guys are putting the best against the best.

"I enjoyed the Froch versus Groves rematch, there was nothing Groves could do to get up.  But I think Froch and James DeGale should get it on now.  Like I said, the UK has the toughest fighters, they're not scared to get in there with each other.  I'm heading out to go to California to train for two weeks because nobody wants to box here in Philadelphia.  I have to go and get sparring because everybody here says I spar too hard or I go too hard, there's always an excuse.  I spar hard, like I fight.  The guys in Los Angeles don't know me so they'll get in there with me."

Hart will have to be alert for his next opponent who has knocked out 25 of his 28 victims.  In a recent interview with BoxingScene, fellow talented prospect, Gilberto Ramirez revealed that Miller had dropped him in the first round of their fight before being subsequently stopped.

"He's a very very tough guy, he's got more knockouts than I've got fights.  I have passed all the tests and now I'm thinking of everyone as a contender," continued Hart.  

"If I don't win convincingly, I lose.  People had something to say after I won the NABF championship, but they don’t know I had three different opponents for that fight.  I only found out I was fighting Clarkson late, and he's a southpaw.  I made those adjustments.  I can't stress to you how I'm training.  This is at home and it motivates me to go that extra mile.

"For me to get a shot, I'll have to fight the UK guys.  You've got Carl Froch, James DeGale, you've still got George Groves, he's still in top contention.  Losing to Froch doesn't discredit anything else he did.  I want to fight Arthur Abraham.  I can't keep calling out the Badou Jacks, nobody here wants to get in the ring with me." 

"I know Groves is fighting Denis Douglin who was a 154lbs fighter.  He's moving up two weight classes, he's a little guy.  You look at a fight like that and say, 'Come on', don’t start getting Americanized like that.  Don't go from Froch to a 154 pounder.  If he fights Anthony Dirrell that'll be a good fight, but fighting a 154 pounder is degrading, I don't think that's cool to do."

Given Hart's ambitions to fight the big names in the division even though he is still in the early stages of his career, I was curious as to whether or not he had discussions with his promoter regarding possible opponents for 2015. 

"Top Rank told me they will try and make Abraham happen, I've got to fight some guys in the WBO to get that," he explained.  

"Abraham isn't fighting any big names right now, he's staying over there with the WBO title.  They say the kid Ramirez is going to get a shot at Abraham first, then I'll get my shot.  If he happens to win a fight against Abraham then I can fight Ramirez.  If you look at my record I'm 15-0, I have the best promoter in the game, Top Rank, Bob Arum.  If you think about all the other fighters that I named, you have to see if they want to fight me, that's the problem I'm having." 

"I can't force anybody in there with me, but when I become the number one contender, I'll be fighting them.  I don't want to take credit away from anyone but you've got a lot of paper champions out there.  Andre Ward is still the legitimate champion.  He won the Super Six and he is the best super middleweight in the world.  I would want to fight Ward because nobody else wants to.  That said, he needs to get back in the ring because inactivity kills your career."