5 Reasons Why George Groves Can Beat Badou Jack and Become a World Champion

George Groves will get a third shot at claiming a world title on Saturday when he takes on reigning WBC super middleweight champion Badou Jack.

The bout is part of the undercard of the clash between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Andre Berto at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Groves—who has fought twice before on American soil, winning on both occasions—will be eager to make sure he does not become known as the nearly man in the division. The Saint previously lost two absorbing fights against Carl Froch, who was IBF and WBA champion at the time but has since retired.

Can Groves make amends for those previous near misses and bring the belt back to Britain?

Here are five reasons why Groves can get the better of Jack.

As odd as it may read, Groves was impressive in losing twice at the hands of Froch.

He stunned The Cobra in their first meeting in 2013, sensationally dropping his compatriot to the canvas in the first round. But ultimately, Groves came up short on both occasions.

Now he needs to draw on those past experiences to help make sure he comes out on the right end of the result this time around.

At least he knows that it cannot get much tougher: BoxRec rates Froch as third on their all-time rankings for the super middleweight division.  

Groves has been in with one of the best, so facing Jack—a fighter who had never been beyond 10 rounds before he outpointed Anthony Dirrell to become the WBC champion—shouldn't worry him too much.

Froch is actually backing his former opponent to triumph, telling Sky Sports, "I want George to become the WBC super middleweight champion of the world, and I also think he can do it."

Groves trained in the United States as part of his preparations, basing himself at Big Bear Lake in California.

The move was made to allow him to fully focus on his training without any of the distractions that come with staying at home.

He was able to use the same facilities as Gennady Golovkin at trainer Abel Sanchez's base, according to Jake Donovan of Boxing Scene.

The trip was not without some issues, however, as Groves explained to Gareth A. Davies of the Telegraph:

It’s been an interesting—and very different—camp.

We’ve dodged the bushfires, survived that in our log cabin, and watched the fires at the top of the road being put out by red powder and water being dropped from planes

But as regards the fight we’re in a great place and we’re ready to perform, steal the show and arrive on the world scene.

This is a great stage for me to be fighting on, given the attention that Mayweather generates.

Groves has laid solid foundations for the big fight, so his training regime will not be to blame if he comes up short against Jack.

Jack is 19-1-1 (12 KOs) in his professional career.

Born in Stockholm, Sweden, but now based in Las Vegas, the 31-year-old caught the boxing world by surprise when he defeated Anthony Dirrell in April this year.

The win was no fluke: Jack triumphed on points by a majority decision, meaning he did enough to impress two of the three judges at ringside (the other scored it 114-114).

However, the WBC champion's CV makes for interesting reading.

He has a draw against Marco Antonio Periban—a fighter whom James DeGale, Groves' arch-rival, defeated inside three rounds—on his record.

Jack was also knocked out in the first round by Derek Edwards last year, though he has since said of the defeat, via ProBoxing-fans.com, "The fight that I lost, it was more like bad luck. I got caught with a good shot, with a lucky punch, whatever you want to call it, in the first round, when I was cold."

Groves—who has previous experience knocking people down early in bouts—is a tough first defence.

Whatever your opinion of Groves—and he's not everyone's cup of tea—you cannot question his self-belief.

During the buildup to both bouts with Froch, the 27-year-old from Hammersmith found a way to get under the skin of his fellow Englishman.

He claimed before their first fight that he would take to the centre of the ring in the opening round and test Froch's chin with two rights, a promise he delivered on when he knocked his opponent down early on.

Not even two defeats to Froch have damaged Groves' confidence in any way.

There have been no bitter words exchanged between the fighters ahead of Saturday's showdown, with the duo actually showing respect for each other.

Still, Groves said at the pre-fight press conference, via Boxing News 24, "He (Jack) seems like a lovely guy. He says all the right things. He’s not doing a lot of trash-talking. He says he changes once he gets through those ropes. Well, we’ll have to find out, because he’s going to have to be on his A-game, certainly to compete with me on fight night."

As Bleacher Report's Briggs Seekins pointed out in his in-depth preview of the fight, Groves has a jab to match that of Jack's.

He also has excellent footwork, allowing him to set himself to throw power shots with the right hand.

Froch built a reputation for having a chin made of granite, yet Saint George landed a punch hard enough to register a flash knockdown in their first bout.

When comparing the strengths and weaknesses of Froch and Groves ahead of their rematch, ex-cruiserweight world champion Johnny Nelson told the Telegraph, "He (Groves) uses his speed and movement, and boxes cleverly from distance. A boxing exhibition suits Groves because of his technical abilities."

That same tactic can help the Englishman make it third time lucky against Jack.

It should also not be overlooked that the Londoner boasts a 70 percent knockout ratio in his career to date.

Do you think Groves will triumph in Vegas? Have your say via the comments section.