DeGale Tells Froch To Stay Retired
James DeGale has told Carl Froch to forget about coming out of retirement to fight him because he is an "old man who is old news".
Froch recently fuelled comeback talk and claimed he would give IBF super-middleweight champion DeGale a "pasting" if they met in the ring.
The four-time world champion later put the record straight in his column for Sky Sports, insisting he was happily retired - unless a fight emerged to reignite his desire.
DeGale, who claimed a unanimous decision over Andre Dirrell in May to become the first Briton to win Olympic gold and a world crown, also believes boxer-turned-pundit Froch should forget about any comeback.
"I think it's just a bit of publicity for him saying he will come back and give me a pasting," DeGale told Sky Sports News. "Froch is old news, he's an old man.
"If I was him, I would just stay retired and chill. He's achieved a lot in boxing, he's earned a lot of money... just sit back and relax. There's no point in coming back and fighting me, trust me."
DeGale will make his first defence of Froch's old IBF 12 stone title against the 38-year-old's former victim Lucian Bute in Canada on 29 November.
"Chunky" is confident of victory and warned Bute, whose undefeated run of 30 straight wins was ended by Froch in May 2012, he is "feeling like a monster".
"He is still a very good fighter, a dangerous fighter. He was a world champion for a long, long time, but I just think I'm too young, too fresh," he said.
"I've just come off a fantastic win, I'm just flying at the moment even in the gym, sparring, I'm just feeling like a monster and it doesn't matter who's in front of me - I'm going to retain my title and look good."
Romanian-born Bute will be fighting in front of his adopted fans in Quebec City, but DeGale believes his performance will win over the home support.
"It doesn't bother me, because at the end of the day they will probably be cheering me out because I put on such a great performance."
