IBF super-middleweight James DeGale hopes to fight George Groves at Wembley Stadium later this year – provided his old rival wins the WBA title later this month.
Groves will have his fourth attempt at world honours on May 27 when he fights Fedor Chudinov for the vacant title at Bramall Lane in Sheffield as chief-support to Kell Brook’s IBF welterweight title defence against Errol Spence.
DeGale is hoping Groves, who outpointed him in their 2011 grudge match, defeats Chudinov so they can renew their rivalry.
“I’m very happy for him because that means our fight is still on course. It’s his fourth chance, I said against Badou Jack that if he’s going to win a world title it’s against Jack. Really, if he doesn’t beat Chudinov, he’s in trouble,” he told Boxing News.
“Hopefully he can come through this and then, at the end of the year, we can get it on. That would be my Wembley Stadium fight.”
The bad blood between them stems back to their amateur days, when they both boxed for Dale Youth. Groves is open to a rematch, but has insisted his main focus is to win a world title first.
While DeGale went on to become IBF champion, Groves twice lost to Carl Froch – their second fight taking place at Wembley with ‘Chunky’ on the undercard – before being outpointed by WBC champion Jack.
“I don’t have to tell you how much we don’t like each other, how we don’t get along. Our history goes back, it’s no made up rivalry, this is serious,” DeGale continued.
“Hopefully we can get it done for the end of this year or early next year. It would be massive, two world titles, a genuine grudge match with two English fighters.”
DeGale’s next fight will be confirmed soon but for now he is back in the gym after recovering from the injuries he suffered during his gruelling draw with Jack in January.
DeGale dropped Jack in the opening round before hitting the deck himself in the final stanza, though a rematch was shelved when Jack confirmed his move to light-heavyweight.
“Obviously after my fight I had a perforated eardrum, that healed up pretty quick. I had my bridge knocked out in my mouth – it wasn’t my teeth, it was my bridge. I had my shoulder, that’s healed up now and I had an operation on my nose,” DeGale revealed.
“It took about six, seven weeks. Now, I’ve been training for three or four weeks, I’m always running anyway but I’ve been in the gym for the past couple of weeks. I’m feeling good and I’m back basically, it’s nice.”
