Boxing: DeGale the 'golden boy' predicts easy win over Groves

(PA)

James DeGale endured a difficult start to life as a professional but has won the critics over en route to collecting the British super-middleweight title and he predicts tonight's meeting with his old rival George Groves will be "an easy night's work" at London's O2.

"I can't see it going 12 rounds, seriously," said DeGale, who already has his eye on another step up in class with European and world honours in his sights. "I'm ranked with three of the major organisations so I'm up there in the top 15 of the world," he added. "So I'm going to scratch this itch on my shoulder and move on to bigger and better things."

DeGale offered one crumb of comfort to his arch rival, saying Groves can recover should he lose tonight: "He will probably come back from it because he's getting beaten by the golden boy."

The grudge match will top the bill in Greenwich alongside Nathan Cleverly's first outing as WBO light-heavyweight champion, when the Welshman defends his title against Poland's Aleksy Kuziemski.