George Groves wants a world title fight in the summer - with James DeGale a possible opponent
Thursday 28 January 2016 19:26, UK
George Groves has set his sights on a world title shot this summer - and believes it could be against James DeGale.
The super-middleweight star is back in the ring on Saturday night, live on Sky Sports, against Italy's Andrea Di Luisa.
It is just over four months since he lost to WBC world title holder Badou Jack in Las Vegas, completing an unwanted hat-trick after his back-to-back defeats to bitter rival Carl Froch.
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Groves (21-3-KO16) says he is ready to fight anyone put in front of him, but made it clear that a fourth world title challenge is on his radar and refused to rule out DeGale as an opponent.
Groves handed DeGale his only professional defeat in May 2011, winning a majority points decision at London's O2 Arena.
"I've got nothing but good will to James DeGale," he said.
"He has had his own tough times, but right now he's riding high. A lot of people have said his last fight with Lucian Bute was closer than the six rounds he was given it by, but I didn't see it.
I should be in contention for another world title in the summer because I have the profile and the performances to match. If James is still world champion then maybe our paths will cross.
"As long as he's still winning, good luck to him. My time will come and I am not worried about him, I just have to concentrate on myself, get the win this weekend to kick 2016 off in style.
"I should be in contention for another world title in the summer because I have the profile and the performances to match.
"If James is still world champion then maybe our paths will cross, but I am just focused on getting myself into range of a world title shot and that's what I want."
Groves has already been linked with DeGale and fellow British super-middleweights Martin Murray and Callum Smith.
Di Luisa (18-3-KO14) has been beaten by former world champion and recent DeGale victim Lucian Bute, but the Hammersmith man wants to put on a show and prove he still has what it takes.
"Right now, it's January, it's my first fight since the Jack fight and it's Andrea Di Luisa.
"He has boxed at a high level and has wins and losses at that level, he's here to present problems and he has a style that if you are not switched on he will take advantage of your mistakes.
"I believe he'll try and set traps for me but at the same time I think he'll give me openings and I will take them and get a good knockout win to kick-off 2016 in style."
"I could have come back and had a fight down the bottom of an undercard and knocked out some nobody inside two or three rounds, but I haven't done that.
I'm topping the bill live on Sky Sports against an opponent that is going to be hungry, he's live and he's here to ask serious questions."
