Boxing
Dan Rafael, ESPN Senior Writer 6y

Date, location set for George Groves-Chris Eubank Jr. WBSS semifinal fight

Boxing

Super middleweight world titleholder George Groves and British countryman Chris Eubank Jr. have a date and location for their semifinal fight in the World Boxing Super Series tournament.

Groves and Eubank will square off on Feb. 17 at the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England, a source with direct knowledge of the plans told ESPN on Tuesday. World Boxing Super Series officials have been mum on the particulars but have said they would make the official announcement of the site and location of the fight on Thursday.

Groves (27-3, 20 KOs), 29, will be making the second defense of his 168-pound world title. He made his first defense in the WBSS quarterfinals, knocking out countryman Jamie Cox in the fourth round at Wembley Arena in London on Oct. 14, with Eubank at ringside rooting for him to win to set up a major fight in the United Kingdom.

Eubank (26-1, 20 KOs), 28, was also impressive in his quarterfinal match on Oct. 7, when he knocked out previously undefeated Avni Yildirim, of Turkey, in the third round in Stuttgart, Germany.

The other semifinal bout will match former light heavyweight world titleholder Juergen Braehmer (49-3, 35 KOs), 39, of Germany, who dropped down one weight class to participate in the eight-man tournament, against Callum Smith (23-0, 17 KOs), 27, a top contender from England. The date and location of that bout has not been set.

The semifinal winners will meet in the final in May at a location to be determined.

^ Back to Top ^