World Boxing Super Series: Groves-Smith final will go on, no replacements

Any worries that George Groves would be pulled from the World Boxing Super Series super middleweight tournament final are over, as it’s been reported that tournament organizers will wait for Groves to be healthy enough to fight Callum Smith, rather than replace him in the bout.

Groves-Smith was originally going to take place on June 2, but Groves (28-3, 20 KO) suffered a dislocated shoulder in his semifinal win over Chris Eubank Jr on February 17, and then underwent surgery to fix the problem.

There was some consideration given to replacing Groves in the final, possibly with Eubank, but that’s off, thank goodness, because it would have been something of a sham.

It’s expected that Groves will face Smith (24-0, 17 KO) “later this summer or early fall.”

Groves, 30, defeated Jamie Cox in the opening round and Eubank in the semifinal. The 28-year-old Smith scored victories over Erik Skoglund and Nieky Holzken to reach the final.