GROVES READY TO MAN-UP

GEORGE GROVES will go to the Manchester Arena as a genuine world champion for the first time when he takes on Chris Eubank Jr in February.

Although the 28-year-old admits he felt like the top dog the last time he fought there, in November 2013 – despite losing to then world champion Carl Froch.

Groves – whose WBA ‘Super’ supermiddleweight belt will be on the line against WBO title holder Eubank in a semi-final of the World Boxing Super Series tournament – was booed into the venue and cheered out of it that night after a memorable battle with Froch.

And he said: “I might get booed back in again... but I look at that place fondly.

“I remember, rightly or wrongly, waking up the next morning and not feeling like I had lost.

“That was a bit of a problem as it went on for too long a time, believing I was world champion when I wasn’t.” Groves finally won his world crown at the fourth attempt, against Fedor Chudinov, after losing again to Froch, then to Badou Jack.

Groves added: “Eubank’s level of profile has far outweighed the level of competition that he has been in so far.”

Eubank said: “When he is getting hit by my big shots, he will fall.

“I don’t know how to get knocked out, nothing will stop me going forward.

“Groves has learned to lose. I am not naturally a super-middleweight but I will go in there and take this guy out.”