Groves advises Itauma and Benn after title defeats — Sky Sports News
Former world champion George Groves shared advice on the next steps for British boxers Moses Itauma and Conor Benn, who recently lost in their first world title fights. According to Sky Sports News, 21-year-old Itauma was stopped by Filip Hrgovic in the ninth round of their fight for the vacant IBF heavyweight belt, while Ryan Garcia stopped Benn in the second round of their bout for the WBC welterweight title.
In Groves' view, Itauma must show resilience after the setback while retaining confidence in his own abilities. He believes the boxer should not completely change himself, but instead needs to control the pace of the fight better.
What Groves advises Itauma
Groves said Itauma needs to learn how to distribute his energy more effectively over a long distance. In his assessment, the boxer began losing energy after the third round in the fight against Hrgovic. The former champion linked this to Itauma's explosive style, in which he puts maximum effort into his punches.
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At the same time, Groves disagreed with the view that the fight against Hrgovic came too early for Itauma. He called the bout the right decision, although its title status may have created additional pressure. Groves advised the boxer's team to select a lower-level but sufficiently durable next opponent.
Options for Benn
Regarding Benn, Groves said he is not sure of his place among top-level boxers. Before the fight against Garcia, Benn had two bouts with Chris Eubank Jr. at the 160-pound limit, after which he returned to welterweight.
Groves does not consider middleweight a suitable direction for Benn. In his view, the boxer could compete at super welterweight or hold another training camp to return to the 147-pound division. He also suggested that Benn could consider a third fight with Eubank Jr. at super middleweight, although Groves himself is not a supporter of that option. The former champion does not expect Benn to retire after the defeat.
