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DeGale to fight on Burns undercard as Groves looms

James DeGale will fight a warmup fight on Saturday as he waits to hear from George Groves' camp

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James DeGale will fight on the undercard of Ricky Burns' WBO super featherweight title defence in Glasgow on Saturday, as he 'stays busy' prior to a British super-middleweight title defence with George Groves next month.

DeGale, an Olympic champion at middleweight at the 2008 Olympics, will participate in the eight-rounder - against an opponent yet to be announced - as preparation for the forthcoming bout with Groves.

"I need the rounds, I need to stay busy," DeGale said. "Frank [Warren, his promoter] got me this fight to stay busy, so I'm pleased."

David Haye's promotion company, Hayemaker, recently won the purse bids to stage the DeGale-Groves showdown, with an agreement in place that it must take place before April 11.

But with no venue or firm date announced so far, Warren is getting concerned.

"If you put in a purse bid, you do so with an intention of promoting the fight," Warren said. "As of this moment, we've signed a contract to fight George Groves on April 9. No venue has been announced, there has been nothing. Bottom line is I have to get my man out, and he's fighting [on Saturday]."

Groves fought his own warmup fight last Saturday, knocking down Daniel Allotey inside four rounds. After offering some strong words for DeGale in the aftermath of that victory, the British champion was happy to fire right back.

"I want to get on with things and knock out Groves," said DeGale. "I don't want my career to get held up because of him. But of course I still want to fight him.

"We don't like each other. He has been in my shadow for half of his life, obviously he is going to be a bit bitter and twisted.

"I want to get in there and knock him out. I really don't like the kid. He is smug and horrible."

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