Dirrell believes it is a great match-up between two quality boxers…
Andre Dirrell has insisted that he is excited about the prospect of returning to England to face James DeGale for the vacant IBF super-middleweight world title.
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Initial suggestions were that the American would be against travelling to the UK for the title bout given his history here after losing on a split points decision against Carl Froch in Nottingham in 2009.
However, the 31-year-old insists that he is ready to return given the prize on offer and the excitement around his fight with a boxer of DeGale’s talent and is confident that he can return home a champion.
“The fight with James DeGale is supposed to be happening,” Dirrell told Boxing News.
“I’m super excited about it, man. It’s about time I fought for another world title – it’s definitely time for another one, I’m excited.
“I have a lot to offer with my speed and skill-set, and he has a lot to offer with his boxing ability, you know? To the fans, in London, I’m gonna have that chance to beat DeGale. The fans in America, my fans, I know a lot are looking at it at as a 50-50 fight, they wanna see what I’m bringing to the table, and I know I’m gonna get the job done when the time comes. This is an A+ fight.”
Dirrell was highly complimentary of DeGale in the interview, adding that the Brit was a “great fighter” and that the pair would put on a great fight given their boxing skills.
Both men are southpaws and are known for their ability to box in the ring rather than brawl, and so it promises to be an intriguing battle for the title that Froch vacated last week between the top two ranked fighters by the IBF.
Meanwhile, Dirrell’s brother, Anthony, will continue to keep George Groves waiting for his shot at the WBC belt after the governing body allowed him to make a voluntary defence in the coming months which will set Groves back another few months.
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