James DeGale: I can fight George Groves after Callum Smith

James DeGale

It took ages, this [Badou Jack] is the fight Iโ€™ve been waiting for. Iโ€™m over the moon. I literally canโ€™t wait, this is the best two super-middleweights in the world, going by results and the two belts weโ€™ve got, and weโ€™re fighting to see whoโ€™s No. 1. Iโ€™m excited to unify the division.

One hundred per cent, this is the biggest fight of my career. Thereโ€™s two belts on the line, the WBC โ€“ the most prestigious belt โ€“ and the IBF which is next in line. This is the biggest fight, itโ€™s at the Barclays Center, a lovely venue, in America, on Showtime and Sky Sports, you canโ€™t get any bigger. Iโ€™m really looking forward to it and this is when youโ€™ll see the best of me. As Eddie Hearn said, Iโ€™m a โ€˜buzzโ€™ fighter, I honestly believe that. The big arenas, the big fights, with everything on the line.

Iโ€™m massively motivated to be going over to America, the press conference actually felt like I was in a big fight this time around. Al Haymonโ€™s pulled it out of the bag.

Badou Jackโ€™s a very good fighter, a very underrated fighter. If you just go through his last four opponents, theyโ€™re four very good wins and itโ€™s the same for me as well. Weโ€™re both very good fighters and weโ€™re basically in our prime, so youโ€™ve got two quality fighters in their prime boxing to unify the division to see who the best is. This is what boxing needs; the best fighting the best.

Itโ€™s what boxingโ€™s about. There are too many fighters out there who think theyโ€™re the best but they donโ€™t want to box the best, they donโ€™t want to put their world titles on the line. I think me and Badou Jack will get respect.

I donโ€™t want to keep on saying it, but Iโ€™m a road warrior. I donโ€™t care, Iโ€™ll go abroad. If anything, I actually like it because the pressureโ€™s off a little bit more. Iโ€™m in boxing for the big fights, the titles and the money. Iโ€™ll go where the titles are and Iโ€™m going to make the most money.

I think Iโ€™m a big favourite, itโ€™s crazy. Badou Jack is a serious fighter. He doesnโ€™t do anything spectacular but heโ€™s a solid all-round fighter, heโ€™s got a very good jab, he does the basics well, he works well to the body, he has a nice tight defence. Overall heโ€™s a complete fighter, if Iโ€™m not 100 per cent thereโ€™s a big possibility I can lose.

Iโ€™m fit already. Iโ€™m going to be a beast. Iโ€™ve actually changed a few things in training as well. Believe it or not, but in my professional career I have never done strength and conditioning until now. Iโ€™ve never looked at the sports science side of things. After my last fight I thought, โ€œIn my last few fights Iโ€™ve fatigued at the end.โ€ My breathing is fine, I was just fatigued, there was something missing. I do a little bit of strength with my trainer Jim McDonnell but I saw that everyone else is doing strength and conditioning, so after my last fight I teamed up with my strength and conditioning coach Nick. For five months Iโ€™ve been working a lot on my strength, I can feel the differences and everyone will see.

If Iโ€™m being honest, I didnโ€™t pay too much attention to George Grovesโ€™ fight. He boxed alright, stuck to the job. Heโ€™s struggling at the minute though. Hopefully he can win a world title and if he does, itโ€™ll be against Fedor Chudinov because thatโ€™s his only chance. That would set up our rematch, as long as I beat Jack. Iโ€™d like to fight him again, the British public want to see it. Hopefully heโ€™ll win the WBA title and weโ€™ll get it on, but you never know with George. Heโ€™s a good fighter but I donโ€™t know if heโ€™s a world class fighter. Thereโ€™s room for improvement. But right now Iโ€™ve got Badou Jack, then Callum Smith. After that, it can happen.

This article was originally published in Boxing News

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