Official: Anthony Joshua vs Dominic Breazeale RBR Thread

[Chrismart]

Joshua inside 4 i reckon.

[Chrismart]

Sky Sports panel : Groves Vs Murray

Carl Froch
I don't want to take anything away from Murray but I think Groves is going to win this. He's bigger, he's got more range and of course, he's the best jab in the business apparently. He can box and if Shane McGuigan has got Groves using that and his reach, he should be able to keep himself in front and win over the 12 rounds.
There will be a couple of times in the fight when Groves thinks "this is harder than I expected" because I think he thinks this is easy for him. I saw something in Murray's eyes at the weigh-in today and he feels this is his time. It will be close but I've got Groves 60-40.

James DeGale
It's a really intriguing fight and one that I am looking forward to. If you watch Groves's last couple of performances they were against lower level opponents but he has been looking good and I wonder if I am getting a bit carried away with them.
But if you go back three fights when he fought Badou Jack, he looked alright for a couple of rounds but let's be honest, he wasn't world class. Look at Martin Murray and he's had a long, hard career and has always missed out at the very top, so this is a very hard one to pick. It can only call it a genuine 50-50.

Arthur Abraham
This is going to be good fight between two great fighters but I think that George Groves will win. Martin Murray is a very strong fighter with great conditioning, but Groves has the better technique and the better punch.
I think that will prove the difference on the night. I think Groves could win on points or a late knockout between rounds 10 and 12.

Callum Smith
The winner has a lot to gain from it and you'd have to say that the loser will find it hard to get another shot. I think it's a fight of two halves and Groves will outbox Murray early on. Groves has boxed on the back foot a lot more since he joined Shane McGuigan and if he gets too much of a lead then it'll leave Murray with a mountain to climb.
Before the fight was made, I thought Groves but I think it might be tough for him late and the closer and closer the fight gets, I'm leaning towards Murray. It's a genuine 50-50 and I'm looking forward to it not just as a super-middleweight but as a boxing fan. We don't see enough of these kind of fights these days.

Glenn McCrory
It is a very, very important fight for both of them, which is why it is going to be the scrap of the night. Both have fell short but the one difference is natural size and I told Martin this the other day - I am picking Groves but only due to that.
Groves is getting better, using that jab again and that little extra size will be the key. I think both will have to go through some tough spells and Groves need to show heart because Murray is as tough as they come. I think we are looking at Groves on points after a rough, hard and not-so-pretty scrap.

Ricky Burns
I like both of them as fighters. George is a great boxer and you don't want to let him get into the rhythm. Then again, I think Murray will come out and set a fast pace, be really aggressive at a high tempo. A lot of people are calling this a 50-50 fight and I think people are right in predicting that it will be fight of the night. It will be down to who brings their A-game on the night.
I think Groves will go out, establish his jab and stick to boxing early on but I think Murray will be looking to set that fierce pace early on and then when it comes to later in the fight, I can see Murray wearing him down.

Tyson Fury
That is going to be the fight of the night for sure. I know Martin and George and they are both nice fellows. They have both come up short - sadly - but I am going to go for Groves just because he is younger. I always side with the younger man.
On top of that Martin doesn't carry the same power and is more of an accumulative puncher, but Groves can which I am siding with him. But this is no foregone conclusion that's for certain. It will be a good fight and if I knew anything about boxing - which I don't - I would go for Groves on points.


Jamie Moore
It's a difficult pick. I'm very close to Martin so it'd be easy for me to run away with my heart and say he's going to do this and do that. I've had to take a step back and look at it tactically and technically.
I've always felt Martin was a natural super-middleweight and wasn't finishing fights strongly because making middleweight hurt him. I think that'll be the factor here. Groves' confidence has never fully recovered from the Carl Froch knockout and if Murray can get through the first three or four rounds, then I think he'll break him down. I'm going with Murray by late stoppage

Lee Selby
I can't see Groves out-boxing Murray like some people think. Groves is a decent boxer when he keeps it at long range but Murray has operated at such a high level, having been in with the likes of Gennady Golovkin.
I am genuinely struggling to pick a winner in this one. I think it's as genuine a 50-50 as you could hope for. I wouldn't be in the slightest bit surprised no matter which one of them won.

Anthony Ogogo
I think it's a really good fight. I think Groves wins. Murray is a good fighter but I think Groves is just that bit better in every department. I think Murray will make it a great fight either way because he's tough and he's fit.
I see Groves winning the first four, five or six rounds and then Murray will come on strong towards the end but I see Groves getting a close points decision.

Johnny Nelson
Right now, I think Groves is just above Murray but there is one thing I will be looking out for - to see if Groves has slipped. I am not expecting that with a new trainer but if he has, Murray will see that, show us that and go hell for leather and probably beat him.
Everyone is of the same opinion; that Groves has never been the same since the second Froch fight, but he is going through a transition with Shane McGuigan, so if that is going to plan, Groves will win this one on points. It will be close, but that would be my pick.

Anthony Crolla
I'm really, really excited for it. Martin and I aren't in the same gym but I see him in one of the gyms I do some strength work with. He's a cool lad and we bump into each other quite often. It's a great, 50-50 fight but I know Martin is in a really good place.
I think George has got a great jab but I believe Martin has got the better engine. George looked like his old self against David Brophy but if Martin gets through those first few rounds without taking too many shots then I fancy him to get George late. I'm going Murray with a late stoppage.

Kell Brook
Like everyone else, I am not sure what Groves has got left and it does worry me that Carl Froch took the soul out of him and his best defence was the first fight - but we all know Carl wasn't near his best. He's suffered those two heavy knockdowns after that, he's been through all that with Adam Booth and Paddy Fitzpatrick but then again, it will be interesting seeing what Murray has got left as well.
I wouldn't be surprised if Murray edged it, but I still think Groves will win it and he might even prove us all wrong and look good doing it. I can see Groves being clever enough to take it on points.


Nick Blackwell
Groves needs to stick the right on Murray and gradually try to break him down, but obviously Murray isn't going to let him do that. It's the best fight of the night.
Just because I've been sparring with him and I haven't been sparring with Murray, I will for for George. He hits very hard. But Murray can win this as well. I think it will go to Groves on points.


Tony Bellew
I have been mates with Martin Murray for a long time and I hope to God he is the one that comes through this. It is going to be a really, really, close fight but I can see Groves trying to hit him hard in the first half of the fight.
He is a big, big super-middleweight and Martin is a big middleweight and the weight difference could be a massive factor. But if Martin can ride out the early storm and take him into the second half, he can grind him down. I am going for Martin to last the distance and take it on points.

[paulf]

Joshua in 2, I think.

[bboy80]

Sky Sports panel : Groves Vs Murray

Carl Froch
I don't want to take anything away from Murray but I think Groves is going to win this. He's bigger, he's got more range and of course, he's the best jab in the business apparently. He can box and if Shane McGuigan has got Groves using that and his reach, he should be able to keep himself in front and win over the 12 rounds.
There will be a couple of times in the fight when Groves thinks "this is harder than I expected" because I think he thinks this is easy for him. I saw something in Murray's eyes at the weigh-in today and he feels this is his time. It will be close but I've got Groves 60-40.

James DeGale
It's a really intriguing fight and one that I am looking forward to. If you watch Groves's last couple of performances they were against lower level opponents but he has been looking good and I wonder if I am getting a bit carried away with them.
But if you go back three fights when he fought Badou Jack, he looked alright for a couple of rounds but let's be honest, he wasn't world class. Look at Martin Murray and he's had a long, hard career and has always missed out at the very top, so this is a very hard one to pick. It can only call it a genuine 50-50.

Arthur Abraham
This is going to be good fight between two great fighters but I think that George Groves will win. Martin Murray is a very strong fighter with great conditioning, but Groves has the better technique and the better punch.
I think that will prove the difference on the night. I think Groves could win on points or a late knockout between rounds 10 and 12.

Callum Smith
The winner has a lot to gain from it and you'd have to say that the loser will find it hard to get another shot. I think it's a fight of two halves and Groves will outbox Murray early on. Groves has boxed on the back foot a lot more since he joined Shane McGuigan and if he gets too much of a lead then it'll leave Murray with a mountain to climb.
Before the fight was made, I thought Groves but I think it might be tough for him late and the closer and closer the fight gets, I'm leaning towards Murray. It's a genuine 50-50 and I'm looking forward to it not just as a super-middleweight but as a boxing fan. We don't see enough of these kind of fights these days.

Glenn McCrory
It is a very, very important fight for both of them, which is why it is going to be the scrap of the night. Both have fell short but the one difference is natural size and I told Martin this the other day - I am picking Groves but only due to that.
Groves is getting better, using that jab again and that little extra size will be the key. I think both will have to go through some tough spells and Groves need to show heart because Murray is as tough as they come. I think we are looking at Groves on points after a rough, hard and not-so-pretty scrap.

Ricky Burns
I like both of them as fighters. George is a great boxer and you don't want to let him get into the rhythm. Then again, I think Murray will come out and set a fast pace, be really aggressive at a high tempo. A lot of people are calling this a 50-50 fight and I think people are right in predicting that it will be fight of the night. It will be down to who brings their A-game on the night.
I think Groves will go out, establish his jab and stick to boxing early on but I think Murray will be looking to set that fierce pace early on and then when it comes to later in the fight, I can see Murray wearing him down.

Tyson Fury
That is going to be the fight of the night for sure. I know Martin and George and they are both nice fellows. They have both come up short - sadly - but I am going to go for Groves just because he is younger. I always side with the younger man.
On top of that Martin doesn't carry the same power and is more of an accumulative puncher, but Groves can which I am siding with him. But this is no foregone conclusion that's for certain. It will be a good fight and if I knew anything about boxing - which I don't - I would go for Groves on points.


Jamie Moore
It's a difficult pick. I'm very close to Martin so it'd be easy for me to run away with my heart and say he's going to do this and do that. I've had to take a step back and look at it tactically and technically.
I've always felt Martin was a natural super-middleweight and wasn't finishing fights strongly because making middleweight hurt him. I think that'll be the factor here. Groves' confidence has never fully recovered from the Carl Froch knockout and if Murray can get through the first three or four rounds, then I think he'll break him down. I'm going with Murray by late stoppage

Lee Selby
I can't see Groves out-boxing Murray like some people think. Groves is a decent boxer when he keeps it at long range but Murray has operated at such a high level, having been in with the likes of Gennady Golovkin.
I am genuinely struggling to pick a winner in this one. I think it's as genuine a 50-50 as you could hope for. I wouldn't be in the slightest bit surprised no matter which one of them won.

Anthony Ogogo
I think it's a really good fight. I think Groves wins. Murray is a good fighter but I think Groves is just that bit better in every department. I think Murray will make it a great fight either way because he's tough and he's fit.
I see Groves winning the first four, five or six rounds and then Murray will come on strong towards the end but I see Groves getting a close points decision.

Johnny Nelson
Right now, I think Groves is just above Murray but there is one thing I will be looking out for - to see if Groves has slipped. I am not expecting that with a new trainer but if he has, Murray will see that, show us that and go hell for leather and probably beat him.
Everyone is of the same opinion; that Groves has never been the same since the second Froch fight, but he is going through a transition with Shane McGuigan, so if that is going to plan, Groves will win this one on points. It will be close, but that would be my pick.

Anthony Crolla
I'm really, really excited for it. Martin and I aren't in the same gym but I see him in one of the gyms I do some strength work with. He's a cool lad and we bump into each other quite often. It's a great, 50-50 fight but I know Martin is in a really good place.
I think George has got a great jab but I believe Martin has got the better engine. George looked like his old self against David Brophy but if Martin gets through those first few rounds without taking too many shots then I fancy him to get George late. I'm going Murray with a late stoppage.

Kell Brook
Like everyone else, I am not sure what Groves has got left and it does worry me that Carl Froch took the soul out of him and his best defence was the first fight - but we all know Carl wasn't near his best. He's suffered those two heavy knockdowns after that, he's been through all that with Adam Booth and Paddy Fitzpatrick but then again, it will be interesting seeing what Murray has got left as well.
I wouldn't be surprised if Murray edged it, but I still think Groves will win it and he might even prove us all wrong and look good doing it. I can see Groves being clever enough to take it on points.


Nick Blackwell
Groves needs to stick the right on Murray and gradually try to break him down, but obviously Murray isn't going to let him do that. It's the best fight of the night.
Just because I've been sparring with him and I haven't been sparring with Murray, I will for for George. He hits very hard. But Murray can win this as well. I think it will go to Groves on points.


Tony Bellew
I have been mates with Martin Murray for a long time and I hope to God he is the one that comes through this. It is going to be a really, really, close fight but I can see Groves trying to hit him hard in the first half of the fight.
He is a big, big super-middleweight and Martin is a big middleweight and the weight difference could be a massive factor. But if Martin can ride out the early storm and take him into the second half, he can grind him down. I am going for Martin to last the distance and take it on points.

Groves
Eubank
Joshua

will come home the winners imo.

[-PBP-]

Brezeale sucks. I keep forgetting Joshua is still a prospect with a belt basically though. When you keep that in mind this actually isn't a bad fight.

[Weltschmerz]

Groves is headlining not Josh?

[Earl-Hickey]

Breazele gonna do it man he gonna do it by ko

[LoadedWraps]

Did Monsour punch is himself in the mouth? Like Wlad does sometimes?

Fixed it for you.

[koolkc107]

I've seen Breazeale have a hard time with much lesser fighters than Joshua.

This is another of today's fights that won't be very close.

And it won't last long either.

Joshua by KO within 5

I'll also take Eubank, Whyte, and Groves in their fights.

[Baltimore]

I think Joshua wins by KO or TKO in 4 rounds or less.

I wish the other two fights were being shown on showtime but it looks like only the Joshua/Brezeale fight.

Big Boxing Day!