George Groves confident best is yet to come under Shane McGuigan
By Tim Hobbs
Last Updated: 07/01/16 1:34pm
George Groves says he will reach for the top again with new trainer Shane McGuigan behind him.
The British super-middleweight returns to the ring on January 30, just over four months after his latest unsuccessful world title attempt against WBC champion Badou Jack in Las Vegas.
Groves (21-3-KO16) will top the bill against Andrea Di Luisa (18-3-KO14) at the Copperbox, London, live on Sky Sports.
Now I am working with McGuigan and I'm really enjoying it, the work we are doing, and I know the performances are going to reflect the way I am feeling.
George Groves
The 27-year-old admits he contemplated walking away from boxing immediately after his third world title defeat, when he parted company with trainer Paddy Fitzpatrick.
But Groves believes the switch to McGuigan has made him hungry again and is happy to be back in the ring - "sooner rather than later".
"There's nothing cynical about it, it's not like I can't get to the top," he told Sky Sports' Ed Robinson.
"I lost a split decision in Vegas and I could've done better and should've done better.
"I will rectify that, sooner rather than later. The best way to go about that was, most importantly, to change training team - that wasn't working out.
"Now I am working with McGuigan and I'm really enjoying it, the work we are doing, and I know the performances are going to reflect the way I am feeling.
"It's nice to be enjoying my work, going to the gym and above all, having a fight to focus on again.
"I could've delayed, I could've not boxed until the middle of the year, had Christmas off, spent some more time with Shane and made sure we got on, but I knew that the stuff we were doing was working, so why not get back in there, sooner rather than later?"
Groves expects to box more frequently in 2016 as he looks to develop under McGuigan and is back in the same gym as old friend David Haye, who makes his comeback on January 16 three-and-a-half years after his last fight against Dereck Chisora.
Groves admitted toying with the idea of following Haye into retirement after losing to Jack but, like the heavyweight, is looking at another crack at winning a world title.
"I wouldn't say I knew straight away [about retiring]," he said.
"I got up that night, I was a bit achey and I thought 'is this for me? Couldn't I find something a bit less strenuous, a bit less stressful?'
"But that didn't last long as always and we were back home in a couple of weeks and talking about fighting. I want to get back to the top so I have to go back to the drawing board."
George Groves v Andrea Di Luisa will be live on Sky Sports, on January 30.
