James DeGale desperate to bounce back from torrid 2017 by beating Chris Eubank Jr in ‘The Retirement Fight’

DeGale's future in the sport has become the topic of conversation since he requested that his February 23 showdown be billed as 'The Retirement Fight'

“It’s a difficult one innit?” James DeGale asked nobody in particular while absent-mindedly shadow boxing in a hotel on Regent Street. “What do you do after boxing?”

But before giving himself the opportunity to reach a conclusion, the two-time super-middleweight world champion stopped pondering and got back to selling his next pay-per-view fight.

“Actually let’s not talk about that because I’m going to fuck Eubank up then I’ll probably get [George] Groves and then I’ll call it a day, that would be perfect.”

DeGale’s future in the sport had become the topic of conversation after the Harlesden man requested that his February 23 showdown with Chris Eubank Jr be billed as ‘The Retirement Fight’ because, in his opinion, the loser at the o2 Arena next month will have to ‘knock it on the head’.

At 32, and after Olympic, British, European and a pair of world titles, DeGale is one of a tiny firm of boxers who can genuinely claim to have done it all. As such, his name still carries much weight and a domestic clash with another high-profile Brit in Eubank is expected to do big business on ITV's box office platform.

But this is no golden handshake for the man affectionately known as Chunky. “Everyone thinks this is my last fight and I am just cashing out,” he said. “It is annoying me.

“Everyone thinks I'm in it for the pay day but I'm enjoying boxing now, I'm sparring well. Before it was hard work getting up and sparring.

“I'm not one of those fighters who doesn't know when to stop. There are certain fighters who don't know when to give up - I won't be one of them.

“But boxing is in me, it's all I've known. I've only had one job, when I was a plumber for a year. I know nothing else but boxing. I left school in year nine and this is how I've made my money; I love it.”

However it looked as though his 10-year professional career, which began shortly after he claimed Olympic gold in Beijing in 2008, was over when he lost his IBF super-middleweight title to little-known American Caleb Truax in December 2017.

DeGale won the belt back in their April rematch but it seemed as though his star was fading fast. “Last year was shit,” he admitted.

DeGale relinquished the IBF title last July (Getty)

“I understand why people think I am on the decline, based on my last few performances, people are saying my speed, reflexes and movement have gone.

“I don't want to talk about my injuries but I had Achilles' tendonitis for two years and didn't even know it. My shoulder was mashed up. Everyone is calling me out now but I want the boxing reporters and writers to judge me on this next fight.

“This [Eubank] is a step down, of course. But I am getting paid extremely well and it is a fight that everybody wants to see.”

DeGale has crossed paths with Eubank before, during an infamous 2012 sparring session which both men claim they dominated. Now they will get the chance to settle their long-running feud for real.

Eubank Jr is still waiting on a statement victory (Getty)

“This guy is dangerous," said DeGale of Eubank. "Technically he is not the best but he has heart and big bollocks.

“But he's deluded because he thinks he beat [George] Groves, Billy Joe Saunders and me in sparring. I have sparred him, I know what he is like and I have watched him lose. He is all talk. He is too arrogant and ignorant to change or listen to anyone but himself.

“This fight is down to me, if I perform like I should perform then I win it convincingly. He probably will have some success because he's tough, strong, and he's game, but I'm too good for him.”