Smith would rather wait for Groves than fight Eubank Jr. in WBSS finals

Super middleweight Callum Smith has earned his way into the World Boxing Super Series finals match, which is supposed to be against WBA champion George Groves, but that’s currently up in the air. Groves is still recovering from a dislocated shoulder that he suffered in his semifinals win over Chris Eubank Jr. and tournament organizer Kalle Sauerland has stated that the show must go on with our without Groves.

The 10 day deadline Groves was given to prove his fitness still hasn’t resulted in an official announcement on when the finals match will take place, nor whom Smith will be facing, but Smith tells Sky Sports he’d prefer to wait for Groves to be ready to go than face Eubank Jr. (a semifinals loser) in the finals. Even still, it’s ultimately not his decision to make.

“I’m hearing now maybe there is a chance it could go back to August-September. I’m in training and I’ve got to expect the unexpected. If they turn around and say it’s Groves or Eubank Jr on June 29, then I’ve got to go with that date.

“I’ve said I would rather wait and fight Groves. He’s got the world title, which is what I entered the tournament for. It’s what I’ve wanted since turning pro and it seems to be running away from me. I will catch it someday. I feel like I would get more credit, more reward, more everything for beating George Groves, then I would Chris Eubank Jr.”

Smith would continue to say that he’d be willing to wait up to three months for Groves to heal up and be ready to fight, but Groves undoubtedly won’t get that amount of time with another WBSS tournament on the horizon.

Smith has already faced one substitute opponent in Nieky Holzken after Juergen Braehmer pulled out of the semifinals match early this year, and beating another in a finals match would seem pretty anticlimactic for the tournament.