DeGale insists he ‘made’ rival Groves

James DeGale has taunted George Groves ahead of their respective fights this weekend, claiming the Hammersmith man should be “grateful” to him for boosting his profile.

DeGale, beaten narrowly on points by Groves as an amateur and when they met in May 2011, is the mandatory challenger for the IBF super-middleweight title Carl Froch successfully defended by twice beating Groves.

Harlesden’s Olympic gold medallist, 28, faces former world title challenger Marco Antonio Periban of Mexico on Saturday at Liverpool’s Echo Arena, where his bitter rival and fellow west Londoner Groves will take on American Denis Douglin.

Groves, 26, is in line for another world title tilt next year – he is the mandatory challenger for the WBC belt currently held by Anthony Dirrell.

But DeGale said: “He should be grateful to me, 100%. I’ve made him.

“When we turned professional, I came back as an Olympic gold medalist and all of a sudden the talk was ‘Groves beat him as an amateur’ and all stuff like that.

“I was the hyped-up Olympic champion and then they just brought him in to build a rivalry.”

The pair are products of the Dale Youth Boxing Club in Notting Hill, where both caught the eye as amateurs.

DeGale added: “He has never liked me since the day he came in the gym. I was the main boy at the gym – the golden boy – I really was.

“Obviously I won the national titles and all that, then he beat me on a majority decision as an amateur.

“He shouldn’t have won but it doesn’t matter. Me going to the Olympics killed him.”

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