George Groves

“I didn't fool myself into thinking I was world class just because I'd beaten James DeGale.”

“In any other sport an easier route to the final is your best route - but in this sport it isn't.”

“A rivalry is me and James DeGale. That is ingrained in people now.”

“I think it is good when your blood is pumping, you are feeling lively, nice and warm, you are loose, you are awake, and your brain is switched on.”

“Any fight, if you prepare correctly and you're ready for it, you should be just there to enjoy it.”

“I don't care what people think anymore. I don't think I've got anything to prove.”

“Boxing has been good to me and I believe I have been good for boxing.”

“What happened with Gutknecht does frequently cross my mind, but I can't do anything about my situation. I need to carry on boxing so that's what I've been doing.”

“I don't think anything affects my nerves.”

“Ego can be a dangerous thing. We all have one but it needs to be contained.”

“I never get nervous and I'm always very confident to the point where some people think I'm cocky.”

“People have a right to express themselves.”

“When I become world champion, what do I need? I need opponents, I need someone to pick a venue, negotiate a date, and I need a promoter.”

“There are plenty of massive fights out there for me, I know that, but the goals always going to become world champion.”

“I will beat Carl Froch every night of the week and it doesn't matter if it is the best Carl Froch or the worst Carl Froch.”

“You have to ride your luck a bit, you have to take opportunities when they come.”

“On fight night I feel alive and full of tingles. You feel your blood flow hot but that's how we like it. We're mammals, we're warm-blooded creatures.”

“I've never been the biggest boxing fan. If I know the guy I will watch him. But if it's two great fighters and I don't know either of them then I won't bother.”

“It's hard to win people's minds over. The only way to change their minds is to perform.”

“If you're driving home and your kids are playing up in the back seat, I'm pretty sure that's taxing. You're trying to hold your composure, you're trying not to shout at them.”