James DeGale and George Groves exchange bitter words ahead of Super Middleweight Championship bout
Bitter scenes overshadowed the announcement on Thursday that undefeated light-heavyweight Nathan Cleverly will challenge for the World Boxing Organisation title against Juergen Braehmer at London O2 Arena, on May 21.
Talking heads: James DeGale and George Groves were involved in a verbal slanging match on Thursday Photo: PA
By Gareth A Davies, Boxing Correspondent 6:44PM GMT 17 Mar 2011
It was not Cleverly and Braehmer at loggerheads, however, as super-middleweights James DeGale, the British champion, and George Groves, the Commonwealth title holder, slugged it out in an ugly, distasteful war of words.
Boxing's protagonists can be encouraged to hype these matters at times. This enmity is genuinely violent between two former amateur stablemates.
DeGale referred to Groves as “ugly” and “a moron”, while Groves countered that his rival was an egotist and that everyone "wants to smash DeGale's face in".
DeGale, the Olympic Games gold medallist, makes the second defence of the British 168lb title against Groves, who has benefitted from training alongside WBA heavyweight champion David Haye.
Both men have unbeaten records, and the contest bears the hallmarks of the intense rivalry between Nigel Benn and Chris Eubank, over 20 years ago.
DeGale opened the hostilities on Thursday against Groves with a brutal verbal assault on Groves.
The fallout dates back to 2006 when Groves defeated West London's Dale Youth amateur club stablemate in their only meeting as unpaid fighters.
“This is personal,” said DeGale. "If I'm brutally honest, George and me do not like each other. He's lived in my shadow for half his life.
"He's always been the ugly kid behind James DeGale. He's going to be bitter and jealous and we have to sort it out in the ring.
"Ask any of the coaches in the gym, I used to play with George in sparring. Ugly kid, you're getting it... You're getting it, moron... In real life you're worse - look at you, ugly boy. Moron," said DeGale.
“You've got worse, ugly kid, you're deluded.”
Groves was equally bitter. "Everyone wants to smash DeGale's face in. He's the most arrogant, egotistical fighter out there,” he assuaged.
“Our rivalry comes from the fact James DeGale was Olympic champion but number two in his own gym. When we fought there was a lot of hype about him, but look on YouTube, I beat him. It's there for everyone to see."
Braehmer, meanwhile, the WBO champion, has been pursued by Cleverly, and promoter Frank Warren, for some time. The German has knocked out 29 of his 38 previous opponents.
Victory for Cleverly against the hard-hitting champion would put him in elite company alongside his mentor Joe Calzaghe, the former undefeated two-weight world champion.
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