Warren may have to find DeGale a Groves substitute
Big-time British promoter Frank Warren may be forced to choose another opponent for prospect James DeGale (8-0, 6 KOs) in December.
Monday Warren invited super middleweight George Groves (10-0, 8 KOs) to accept terms for a bout against DeGale on December 11. Groves was given 48 hours to respond to an offer that stated the fight would be on a Warren-promoted card in London.
Instead Grove’s promoter, Adam Booth, issued a ‘counter-offer’ to DeGale, saying they would accept the fight if DeGale accepted their terms.
In response Warren said: "Booth and Groves have been calling out for this fight for over a year now and have enjoyed courting the media and telling them of their efforts to make it happen. DeGale is a much bigger name and higher profile boxer than George
Groves and if both walked down the street, it would be DeGale whom the public would recognize – a fact that Booth himself has acknowledged.”
DeGale is a 2008 Olympic gold medallist.
"The fact is, Groves needs DeGale much more than DeGale needs Groves,” Warren concluded. “And if he wants to steal James' mantle then he has the opportunity to do it on my show on December 11.”
Warren added that while Booth said he never called for a DeGale-Grove fight to happen, in fact he did in February for the David Haye-John Ruiz undercard.
If Groves decides to accept Warren’s offer it will be his biggest payday to date.
"If Groves does not want the fight then he should stop using DeGale's name to publicize himself in the same way that Dave Haye did by calling out the Klitschko brothers," Warren concluded.
DeGale is the WBA International super middleweight champion. In his last bout he stopped challenger Carl Dilks in the first round of a title defense.
Groves is promoted by David Haye’s promotional company, Hayemaker Promotions.
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