Groves: Rebuilding Benn and Itauma After Title Fight Losses — SkimNews
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- Moses Itauma, still only 21, crumbled in the ninth round against Filip Hrgovic for the vacant IBF title, with George Groves diagnosing him as "a three-round fighter" who "gassed a bit from the third round on."
- Groves recommends Itauma be dropped a level against a durable but easier opponent, while crediting his management for making "the right fight" by elevating the Hrgovic bout to a title shot.
- Conor Benn was stopped in just two rounds by Ryan Garcia in his WBC welterweight challenge, after having moved up to 160lb for two bouts with Chris Eubank Jr last year.
- Groves questioned whether Benn is truly world class, advising a move to 154lbs over middleweight and naming Teofimo Lopez and Shakur Stevenson as potential 147lb opponents.
- Groves believes Benn will likely pursue a trilogy with Eubank Jr, calling that rivalry "done" but conceding it is "probably the best of Conor Benn's options."
- Groves said Benn will not retire off the Garcia loss because "there's still food there," despite having already "made crazy money."
Why it matters: Two of British boxing's most-hyped prospects, Itauma and Benn, now face career-defining rebuilds after being halted in their first world title fights. Groves' blunt technical assessments — Itauma is a "three-round fighter" and Benn's world-class status is in question — frame the weight-class and matchmaking decisions that will determine whether either becomes a future champion or a permanent gatekeeper.
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