Groves backs DeGale against Dirrell this weekend

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George GrovesJames DeGale (20-1, 14 KO’s) is readying himself for the most important night of his career this Saturday when he will take on Andre Dirrell (24-1, 16 KO’s) for the vacant IBF World super-middleweight title in Boston, Massachusetts.

The Brit and his American opponent will battle for the title that was stripped from Carl Froch over the year due to his inactivity. Also, Froch chose to vacate his IBF title in February instead of fighting DeGale, who was his mandatory challenger at the time. Dirrell, a former Froch opponent, was elevated to fill the opposite corner after three wins in relatively quick succession during the latter part of last year.

One name that is never far from the lips when DeGale is mentioned is that of fellow British super-middleweight George Groves (21-2, 16 KO’s). The pair have shared a colourful and entertaining rivalry that stems all the way back to the amateurs, and they met in the pros in 2011 when they were both very much still in the prospect phase of their careers. Groves emerged victorious via a razor-thin majority decision that could realistically have gone either way, and since then, talk of a rematch between the two has been ongoing.

Groves spoke to Sky Sports about why the rematch has yet to take place, revealing the same hardheadedness that makes him so entertaining when we see him antagonise his opponents.

“When they were first talking about the rematch with James, it was going to be back at the O2 within a short span of time and I don’t need to fulfil other people’s dates because they’ve booked venues. Some people ask when I am going to fight him but because people snap their fingers and tell me to fight on such-a-date, you’re going to earn this much money, these are the terms and conditions and I am supposed to sign my life away?”

Groves has always been one to disregard some of the conventions of the boxer-promoter relationship that do not sit well with him personally, and this is an example of that. He has shown through his numerous verbal exchanges with the head of Matchroom Sports Eddie Hearn that he does not care to follow directions, but rather control his destiny, which opens up the possibility of Groves becoming his own boss in the future. The fact that Hearn now promotes DeGale means there could be some unnecessary friction in the air when Groves and his Sauerland Promotion team sits down with them to begin negotiations; if and when that happens.

Groves has an idea of what he and DeGale could do the second time around if the event is managed in what he sees as the appropriate manner.

“When that comes around, if it’s marketed right, if it’s billed right and if the timing is right, it will be as big as my fight with Froch at Wembley last year because of the history between us.”

And, if all goes to plan for each man they will both be world champions by that time. DeGale hopes to better Dirrell this Saturday and Groves is the frontrunner to face the newly crowned WBC champion Badou Jack, who incidentally won his belt in an upset win over Dirrell’s little brother Anthony in Chicago on April 24th. As a unification bout would couple with their underlying rivalry, we could well see that event eclipse Froch-Groves II, an event responsible for drawing the largest post-war crowd to a boxing event on British shores.

Groves wished DeGale luck for his trip overseas and must have been hoping he can pull out the win, as it makes their proposed fight down the line, a much bigger occasion.

“We will see if he can step up to the mark and perform – and I wish him the very best of luck. I think he can do it. He can do it. If he goes out there and performs, if he’s up for it. I don’t think he’ll get a stoppage but a points win wouldn’t surprise me.”

Although this is viewed as a very tricky assignment for him, DeGale is a man with tremendous momentum behind him at the moment. After signing with Matchroom last year, he has put together two stoppage wins in under four rounds on pay-per-view cards against respectable American opposition. He looks to be on the cusp of making history as the first Brit to win a gold medal at the Olympics and go on to claim a world championship.

His unusual southpaw style, from which he throws an awkward, swooping backhand and a short, hard right hook, is one designed to frustrate. He slopes and slides away from punches before swinging back big counter shots. Since overcoming an ongoing hip injury, he has looked well able for the knockout.

But, he will be up against a man whose approach is likewise contrived to eek mistakes out of the opponent. Andre Dirrell is a fleet-footed boxer with long levers that he uses to full advantage alongside very good timing. He frustrated Carl Froch almost to tears when they met in Nottingham in 2010, as the hometown man could barely lay a glove on him. He was unlucky not to be crowned then and there, but he hasn’t fought anyone of note in five years, and on that night against Arthur Abraham, he prevailed only due to a disqualification, as Abraham hit him after he slipped over.

This is a match-up full of intangibles but has been courteously scheduled for the late afternoon Stateside so that DeGale’s UK fans do not have to stay up until late to watch it. If he wins, the ball is rolling for the Groves rematch. If he loses, he will not be heading to Wembley Stadium any time soon.