NEW YORK - SHOWTIME Sports will offer a fully-produced Facebook and YouTube live stream of George Groves vs. Fedor Chudinov Super Middleweight World Championship bout this Saturday, May 27 from Sheffield, England. Groves vs. Chudinov will serve as a prelude to the long-awaited SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® main event—the welterweight championship bout between British World Champion Kell Brook and undefeated American challenger Errol Spence Jr., which will air live on SHOWTIME at 5:15 p.m. ET/2:15 p.m. PT.
Live coverage of Groves vs. Chudinov will be provided by Sky Sports Box Office with sportscasters Adam Smith and Carl Froch and will begin at approximately 4:30 p.m. ET/1:30 p.m. PT exclusively in the U.S. on the SHOWTIME Sports Facebook page and the SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel. Fans can follow all SHOWTIME Sports social accounts (@SHOsports) on Saturday afternoon for the precise start time to Groves vs. Chudinov following undercard action from Bramall Lane stadium in Sheffield, England. These platforms will be geo-blocked for U.S. only.
“When we saw the opportunity to deliver this great super middleweight championship fight to the U.S. audience, we jumped at it,” said Executive Vice President and General Manager of SHOWTIME Sports, Stephen Espinoza. “We thank Matchroom Sport for making it possible for us to carry this bonus coverage to the U.S. Doing so compliments our robust digital and social media content plan serving boxing fans online and attracting new ones. This further demonstrates our unrivaled commitment to the sport. No one is making a more significant and impactful contribution to boxing’s momentum than SHOWTIME.”
Former three-time title challenger Groves and former champ Chudinov (14-1, 10 KOs) will meet for the vacant WBA Super Middleweight World Championship in a matchup of the WBA’s No. 1 and No. 2 challengers in a co-featured bout at Bramall Lane.
Groves (25-3, 18 KOs) has won four straight since teaming up with 2016 Trainer of the Year Shane McGuigan following a close split-decision loss to then-WBC Champion Badou Jack in 2015. The only other blemishes on his record came in title challenges to long-time 168-pound champ Carl Froch.
“I believe this is the best opportunity for me to achieve my dream and become world champion,” Groves said earlier this week. “Time is on my side. I had a good year last year, and I’m in a good place. I’ve put in the work, and now, I need to make this count.
“Everything that’s happened in the past has just made me more determined. I know the pressure is on, and I can’t afford to make any more mistakes. This might be my best chance to win a world title, but it could also be my last.”
Chudinov (14-1, 10 KOs) originally won the WBA Super Middleweight Title with a split-decision victory over Felix Sturm in 2015 and made one successful defense before losing via controversial majority decision in a rematch with Sturm in 2016. Sturm later vacated the belt due to injury, opening up the opportunity for Chudinov to win back his title this Saturday against Groves. Chudinov is ranked No. 1 by the WBA while Groves is ranked No. 2.
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