George Groves and Chris Eubank Jr gave long, meticulously detailed, and separate interviews this week ahead of their mouth-watering and testy super-middleweight world title contest next weekend in Manchester. Both fighters provided a fascinating study, as they prepared for the first semi-final of the World Boxing Super Series tournament for the Muhammad Ali Trophy.

Neither man has a chink in his mental armour, seemingly. Groves is convinced that Eubank, stepping up from middleweight, is neither big enough, nor hits hard enough, to defeat him. And he believes Eubank has gambled, and that it will backfire. He intends to stop the Brighton man for the first time in his career.

Eubank is equally imperious. His confidence in his chin derives from the “savage beating” he took in sparring from Erislandy Savon, the Cuban super heavyweight, who is three stones heavier than him. Heavyweight world champion Anthony Joshua defeated the Cuban – just – in the first round of the Olympic tournament in London in 2012.