George Groves keen on renewing James DeGale rivalry in bare-knuckle boxing

Although both men have since made amends, Groves is open to reigniting his rivalry with DeGale

George Groves is keen to face James DeGale in a bare-knuckle boxing bout – even if the former world champion believes traditional boxers should ‘stay away’ from the brutal sport.

DeGale and Groves shared a rivalry that spanned both the amateur and professional codes over a decade, with the former losing to the latter as an amateur before going on to win gold at the 2008 Olympics.

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The pair then fought each other in the professional ranks, with Groves beating DeGale by majority decision in 2011 to secure the British and Commonwealth super middleweight titles.

Despite the two men burying the hatchet years later, Groves admitted he would be game to fight his old rival in a new arena.

Asked if he would take on DeGale in a bare-knuckle contest, Groves told iFL TV: “Absolutely, yeah.

“The bare-knuckle scene? I’m intrigued by it, and I enjoy anything that has a bit of showmanship. I don’t know all about it.”

DeGale made his Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) debut back in September, winning a gruelling contest against Matt Floyd in Manchester. Days after stating his intention to become a world champion in the sport, DeGale announced that he would be leaving bare-knuckle boxing, citing the brutal nature of BKFC.

Groves agreed that bare-knuckle fighting was not for everybody, stating that it took a different kind of fighter.

He continued: “I don’t think I’d reach the top in terms of bare knuckle. You’ve got to be built different - first of all you’ve got to be not brittle.

“A lot of boxers are brittle. We’ve got our bandages, our hands are wrapped, we still break our hands with gloves on.

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“Imagine hitting someone on the button! It’s not necessarily being able to take a shot, it’s the toughness that you need has gotta be there. There might be guys out there who are just hard cases that do well.

“Paul Malignaggi recently, I don’t think he was too successful. Frankie Gavin had a crack, think he got beat. DeGale didn’t set the world alight, it was a tight decision. Jamie Cox, a big punching amateur and pro boxing for a world title, he went in and didn’t do well.

“Maybe the old boxers should stick to that, and stay away from the bare-knuckle.”

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