James DeGale would welcome a fight with Gennady Golovkin at super-middleweight
Friday 4 December 2015 17:21, UK
James DeGale is willing to face Gennady Golovkin if the fearsome Kazakh puncher makes the step-up to the super-middleweight division.
Golovkin's promoter Tom Loeffler has revealed that 'GGG' would be willing to move up from the middleweight division while holding tentative talks with Carl Froch, the former WBA and IBF super-middleweight champion
Sky Sports pundit Froch has suggested he will not return at super-middleweight if he comes out of retirement, but current IBF champion DeGale would accept a challenge from Golovkin at 168lbs.
If Golovkin stepped up and wanted to fight me then why not? I've always said I'm in boxing for the big fights and all the titles, so if he moves up and he wants to fight me - let's do it.
"I would like to think that I probably am the No 1 fighter at 168lbs out there," DeGale told Sky Sports. "I'm the IBF world champion and I'll beat (Badou) Jack or (Arthur) Abraham or whoever.
"If Golovkin stepped up and wanted to fight me then why not? I've always said I'm in boxing for the big fights and all the titles, so if he moves up and he wants to fight me - let's do it.
"He's a bit of a beast Golovkin, he is good. But as I say, I'm confident of getting in the ring and boxing anyone.
"Golovkin has been put up there - pound-for-pound one of the best in the world - but once I have done all my training, I've trained hard and I get in the ring, I'm confident of beating anyone."
DeGale retained his IBF title at the weekend after a unanimous points win over Lucian Bute and his immediate aim is a world title unification clash with Badou Jack, who successfully defended his WBC title with a points win over the Londoner's rival George Groves in September.
DeGale defeated Bute in his home country of Canada and would be happy to travel to Jack's Las Vegas base for the two-belt battle.
"That is the dream fight. If we can make that in the early part of next year, that would be the fight that I would want, 100 per cent," said DeGale. "I think it's a winnable fight and it's a big fight for me.
"From a young boy you dream about boxing in Las Vegas, so for two world titles - that would be fantastic.
"Me and Badou Jack, it's a winnable fight for me. I don't want to say that it's an easy fight, but it's a winnable fight for me."
Martin Murray, another fellow British fighter, came up short in a points defeat against Arthur Abraham last month and DeGale has revealed that negotiations have already been held about a possible clash with the WBO champion at Arsenal's football ground.
The Harlesden man, who is an Arsenal fan, said: "They are talking about me against Abraham at the Emirates, so we'll just have to see.
"Once again I look at him and I think it's a winnable fight, I beat him easy, but it's a bit different when you get in there.
"Arthur Abraham is that kind of fighter. He looks average but when you get him in front of you, he's a little bit harder."
