• Boxing

Groves ready to beat DeGale for speed

ESPN staff
May 16, 2011
There is no love lost between James DeGale and George Groves © Getty Images
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George Groves has insisted he will dazzle James DeGale for speed when the pair meet for the British and Commonwealth super-middleweight titles on May 21.

The pair have a well-documented dislike for each other, which stems back to when Groves won a disputed points decision against DeGale in their amateur days in 2006.

DeGale went on to win gold at the Beijing Olympics, while Groves has made solid strides since turning professional.

Both have made positive noises about securing victory at the O2 Arena, with DeGale insisting it will hand him the chance to take the "itch off his back". DeGale is the favourite with the bookmakers, but Groves feels he has skills to back up his win from their amateur careers and will look to take his rival out of his comfort zone.

"I just know how to beat him," Groves told The Times. "He won't be able to stay with my pace. Naturally I'm more of an athlete than him.

"When I take him out of his comfort zone, once he can't relax, he is going to fatigue pretty quickly."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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