LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM — George Groves’ (14-0, 11 KOs) promise that Paul Smith (31-3, 17 KOs) couldn’t take his power proved true with an efficient and impressive second round knockout yesterday (November 5) at Wembley Arena.
Smith had a strong opening punctuated by a jarring right hand that stunned Groves to close the round. He responded in the second by dropping Smith with a looping right around the guard. Smith beat the count only to be floored immediately by a straight right which prompted the stoppage from referee Victor Loughlin.
“I said he wouldn’t be able to box with me long,” Groves later affirmed. “I saw the opportunity and threw the shot.”
On the undercard, Ricky Burns (33-2, 9 KOs) won the interim WBO lightweight title with a unanimous ecision (117-112, 117-111 twice) over a game Michael Katsidis (28-5, 23 KOs). Burns controlled the early rounds by boxing at long-range and nullifying Katsidis’ inside work behind a tight guard. Katsidis would come on in the middle rounds, breaking Burns’ guard against the ropes with flurries of hooks upstairs. Burns held an edge in the championship rounds by limiting the toe to toe exchanges and forcing the smaller Katsidis back into a long-range battle.
Beats, Boxing and Mayhem 