Joshua: James DeGale hopes Anthony Joshua joins him by adding world title to Olympic gold
Tuesday 5 April 2016 20:40, UK
James DeGale is expecting Anthony Joshua to join him in the British boxing history books by winning a world title.
The IBF world super-middleweight champion was the first ever Olympic gold medalist from Britain to win a professional world title, beating Andre Dirrell out in America last May.
If Joshua beats Charles Martin at The O2, on Saturday, live on Sky Sports Box Office, he will follow in the 30-year-old'sfootsteps by winning both Olympic gold and a professional title and DeGale, who won gold in Beijing back in 2008, wants another British fighter to emulate his achievement.
"Sometimes it doesn't mean because you are a good amateur, you're going to be a good professional," he told Sky Sports in an exclusive interview.
"Remember 36 minutes is a long time and some people can't deal with or handle the longer rounds and when I boxed my rounds were only two minutes long and even now the numbers of rounds has changed. It is a tough sport even as a amateur, it's hard.
I will go down in the history book as the first Olympic gold medalist to come from Britain and become a genuine world champion. It's pretty satisfying to know that.
"I am so glad I have done that because I will go down in the history book as the first Olympic gold medalist to come from Britain and become a genuine world champion.
"That's pretty satisfying to know that. And seeing Joshua do the same? That will be great to see... and it will make me feel even more proud of just what I did."
DeGale will travel to America to defend his title against mandatory challenger Rogelio Medina on April 30, but will be at The O2 on Saturday night to see if Joshua can do what only he has done.
DeGale is hoping to top the bill himself in the near future and believes the intense atmosphere and home support for Joshua could be the main reason why Martin will lose his IBF strap at the first time of asking.
"It's going to be a rocking atmosphere and will Charles Martin be able to hold his nerve?" he added.
"Will he be able to handle how hostile it will be; the boos, people calling him names. Will he be able to hack the pressure.
"Questions are going to be answered about both of them on Saturday night. But I am expecting Anthony Joshua to knock him out inside the first six rounds.
"But it's the heavyweight division, he could of course be knocked out himself.
"We know Joshua is good, but we still don't know really how good he is. I am expecting him to win though and I am looking forward to being there."
Charles Martin vs Anthony Joshua, live on Sky Sports Box Office on April 9. Order the event online.
