British super-middleweight George Groves will attempt to move back into world title contention on Saturday evening when he faces European champion Christopher Rebrasse at London's Wembley Arena.
Groves is coming off the back of successive defeats to IBF and WBA title holder Carl Froch, the second of which came in front of 80,000 at Wembley Stadium in May, but the 26-year-old can become mandatory challenger for Anthony Dirrell's WBC belt should be overcome his French opponent this weekend.
Below, Sports Mole takes a look at the main event while taking a brief glance at the matches that will appear on the undercard.
1. Christopher Rebrasse vs. George Groves
After putting himself in the public eye for the best part of 12 months, George Groves's second defeat at the hands of his big rival Carl Froch would have brought about a period of reflection after taking part in the biggest fight in British boxing history, but rather than take a break from the ring, the Londoner has been quick to jump back into the deep end.
Saturday's fight isn't notable in terms of the opponent that Groves is facing, but the reward on offer for victory in front of his home fans is significant for his career and would see him avoid languishing behind the likes of Froch and James DeGale when it comes to being taken seriously in the future.
When we take a look back to that memorable night on May 31, all we remember is the devastating blow that Froch inflicted on Groves that brought an abrupt halt to what had been another competitive contest, but it should be remembered that before the knockout, Groves was three points ahead on one scorecard and just one behind on the other two. He was acquitting himself well against a man who, barring the inactive Andre Ward, is considered the best in a stacked division.
© Getty Images
But the fact that we only remember the stoppage is what boxing is all about. Groves had success against the world champion, but he was conclusively beaten by the better man on the night. He will take plenty of positives from his performance but in the eyes of the public, he has a rebuilding job to do, and his encounter with Rebrasse is arguably as important as his two battles with Froch.
Much has been made of Rebrasse not being "a name" opponent and only registering six stoppages in 27 fights, but he's European champion and has never been stopped in a tough weight class. He's also ranked at number three by two governing bodies, and he will be motivated to capitalise on the opportunity that has been given to him in front of a considerable television audience.
© Getty Images
Groves is the big favourite to prevail, but he must cope with the uncertainty surrounding his chin ahead of Saturday's clash. Froch's right hand was one of the most brutal of 2014 and we are yet to see if that has softened the Londoner up in any way. It can be argued that it was only one punch, but it was a punch that would have knocked out any fighter in the division and Groves must prove that he hasn't suffered any long-lasting effects.
The former British and Commonwealth title holder will be eager to impress on his return and he should win this fight if he displays the speed and punching power that was on show against Froch, but at the same time, he must avoid complacency and the gung-ho tactics that resulted in his downfall in his previous two outings.
Anthony Dirrell has already insisted that he has no intention of defending his title against Groves because he doesn't believe that he deserves an opportunity, but if Groves comes through in style on Saturday night, the unbeaten American may have no option but to put his belt on the line at the turn of the year.
2. Undercard
The chief support to Groves's meeting with Rebrasse will see British super-flyweight Kal Yafai attempt to win the IBF intercontinental title against Nicaraguan fighter Herald Molina.
The 25-year-old, who won the Commonwealth title in May, has been tipped for big things after making a blistering start to his professional career and victory on Saturday night will set him on the way to a world title shot within the next 18 months.
Yafai's brother Gamal will feature in his fourth super-bantamweight contest against an opponent yet to be named, while Olympic gold medallist Luke Campbell will hope to gain some valuable minutes before his WBA intercontinental bout with Daniel Brizuela on October 25.
