OLYMPIC bronze medallist Joshua Buatsi has travelled the country getting in top class sparring, including George Groves, as the WBA super-middleweight world champion prepares for his showdown with Chris Eubank Jr in Manchester later this month.
โI sparred Groves two weeks ago, I had two sessions with him. That was good and Iโve been sparring a lot with Lawrence [Okolie] and my key sparring partner Duane Sinclair. So Iโve been getting the rounds in,” Buatsi said.
โWe did eight rounds [with Groves], two sets of eight, good sparring with Groves very competitive. Groves and Lawrence [a cruiserweight] are the hardest hitters Iโve ever been in with. Groves and Lawrenceโฆ They hit hard. Thatโs why Iโm saying if Lawrence lands that right hand, I mean the fight is over. Thatโs it.โ
Buatsi gave his view of the Eubank fight. โI havenโt been in with Eubank, I havenโt sparred him before. I just feel that if he over commits then he could be in trouble from Groves. Groves is very calculated, calculating in what he does. Heโs quite thoughtful about his work. But then Eubank brings youth, fitness, eagerness, which is good. Itโs got the ingredients for a good fight again,โ he said.
โHeโs got a world title and that was good sparring. It wasnโt like round one I got hit to the body and Iโm on one knee thinking actually this is too much. It was actually good, competitive sparring. Thatโs the key word competitive. It was really good. I enjoyed it.
โI sparred [James] DeGale before, years ago in the amateurs. He was a pro, that was ages ago. Thereโs not many top pros that Iโve sparred but Iโm always getting good work.โ