Olympic middleweight champion James DeGale has turned professional along with three of his compatriots.
Briton who made a big splash in China ready to hit the big time
Olympic middleweight champion James DeGale has turned professional along with three of his compatriots.
The Great Britain star, who overcame a bad-tempered final with Cuba's Emilio Correa to take gold in Beijing, has joined compatriots Billy Joe Saunders and Frankie Gavin in making the move from the amateur circuit.
All three have signed with promoter Frank Warren and are scheduled to make their professional debuts in 2009.
The decision prevents the trio from competing at the 2012 London Olympics, but Warren is convinced they can go all the way in the professional arena.
"I'm delighted to have signed James, Frankie and Billy Joe, and I'm very excited about working with them in the future," Warren said.
"I think they will all become world champions, and after their success as amateurs, the public is really going to get behind them and will want to watch their progress through the ranks."
World amateur lightweight champion Gavin, 23, failed to drop enough weight to appear at the Olympics, while Saunders, 19, failed to get past the second stage of the welterweight division.
