• Super-middleweight

Groves wants Froch before DeGale

George Groves would happily step into the ring with unified super-middleweight champion Carl Froch, although the Hammersmith fighter believes a rematch with fellow Brit James DeGale would be a backward step in his bid to land a world title shot.

Unbeaten Groves has long desired a title bout and further stirred the tension by sparring with Mikkel Kessler, before the 'Cobra' avenged defeat to the Dane at the O2 Arena in May.

Groves dispatched Noe Gonzalez Alcoba on the undercard of the Froch/Kessler rematch, and has made no secret of his desire to meet the Nottingham fighter on the canvas.

"Carl Froch is now talking about superfights and desperately trying to avoid younger fighters and then there is me, putting in a good performance, pushing for a world title," Groves told Buncey's Boxing Podcast.

"People keep asking me if I'd like to have shot at Carl Froch - of course I would. It is exciting times with the British super-middleweight scene, let's hope it does [happen]."

The 25-year-old has long been the target of DeGale, who recently touted a rematch with his compatriot following a June 8 defeat of Stjepan Bozic.

The pair first met in 2011, where Groves narrowly edged victory by a points decision. However, the WBO No. 1 does not believe fighting DeGale again would aid his hopes of a big title fight.

"The truth about James is, he is Olympic champion but in many ways he's become the ugly duckling of the situation and fortunately for James there is a big fight out there for him and that fight is with me," Groves added.

"His potential is sort of offset by what I do in the ring. Because I'm boxing well. Obviously, fighting the likes of Carl Froch would be exciting, but because of our [Groves and DeGale] rivalry, it gets people excited.

"When he [DeGale] was boxing last week, my Twitter was going mental saying 'I can't wait for the rematch'. The fight is never a million miles away, but the main aim is winning the world title, fighting the likes of Froch and not regressing and fighting James DeGale.

"Until one of us wins a title, the fight probably won't happen."

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