Former world champion James DeGale has always tabbed unbeaten Callum Smith to win the World Boxing Super Series tournament at 168-pounds.
But now DeGale is not so sure.
Groves, who holds the WBA super middleweight title, was the fighter who handed DeGale his first career defeat.
Their fight was initially targeted for the month of June, but the contest was pushed back after Groves suffered an injury in his February win over Chris Eubank Jr.
Last month, the contest was finally rescheduled to a new date. Groves and Smith will battle for the Muhammad Ali Trophy in the WBSS final on September 28 at the King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
While he initially backed Smith to win, DeGale has admittedly gone back on his prediction and is now backing Groves to come away with the victory - based on the most recent performances of both boxers.
“You’d have to say Groves,” DeGale told Boxing News.
“I’ve always said Smith but I think I’m going to go back on myself. You’d have to say Groves is the favourite. Then again if you go by his last performances, him against [Chris] Eubank [Junior], Eubank is a good fighter but he’s not that technical, he’s a bit wild, a bit reckless. Relies on his fitness, do you know what I’m saying. So there’s not much there with Eubank. But he’s got a lot of that like his father.
"But that was a good win because of the way George Groves dealt with it. Then you go on to Callum Smith against a kickboxer [Nieky Holzken]. He didn’t struggle but he went 12 rounds. So you’d have to go with Groves.”
Groves is the number one seed in the tournament. Prior to beating Eubank, he knocked out Jamie Cox in the opening round of the WBSS.
