Groves ignores Eubank taunts to focus on Cox

George Groves has been too focused on defending his World Boxing Association super middleweight crown against Jamie Cox at Wembley Arena tonight to be drawn into a war of words with Chris Eubank Jr.

Eubank easily accounted for Avni Yildirim in three rounds in Stuttgart last weekend to defended his IBO super middleweight belt, in a contest which doubled as a quarter-final of the Muhammad Ali Trophy, an eight-man tournament including a clutch of the best 12st fighters in the world.

Following his victory, Eubank has proclaimed that his target is Groves, though the Brighton fighter has conceded at least that tonight’s defending champion will defeat Cox.

“I didn’t watch Eubank’s fight last weekend, I just had my head down, focusing on this fight. It is just as big for me as the Eubank fight,” Groves told The Daily Telegraph.

“One doesn’t supersede the other. The tournament has got people excited, but I’m just focused on myself. If you take the eye off the ball you get in trouble. I might have done that in the past.

“I definitely don’t want to overlook anyone or any fight because it has taken so long to get to this point. I’m in this tournament as the No 1 seed. And that’s how I want to finish the tournament.”

Groves returns to Wembley Arena for the fifth time in his career to meet Cox, who is unbeaten in 24 contests but has not faced an opponent of the calibre of the Hammersmith fighter to date in his career.

“We haven’t seen what Cox has got to offer because he’s still unbeaten and he’s yet to reach any sort of higher level,” explained Groves.

“He’s still fighting around the fringe domestic level. If he wasn’t in this tournament he’d be fighting Rocky Fielding for the British title.

“That would be his biggest fight to date. He doesn’t say much but that’s because he can’t really say much. We’ll find out whether he’s out of his depth or not. I believe that he is.”

Groves should have too much power and experience for Cox, and I expect him to stop the Swindon fighter between rounds five to eight, ready to march on to bigger prey.

Experienced: George Groves at the weigh-in for his fight tonight at Wembley Arena