By Declan Taylor, in Quebec

IT WAS two years ago this week that Carl Froch and George Groves clashed for the first time on a highly charged and controversial night in Manchester. Meanwhile, down south in the London suburb of Harlesden, another 12 stone man was being slowly enveloped by ever-worsening depression.

The Olympic gold medal, secured five years earlier in Beijing, was still displayed proudly in the family home but the promising career of the gifted, silky southpaw had stagnated.

A defeat against Groves was the only blot on a tenure which had already gleaned British and European super-middleweight titles and left him, it seemed, only a few fights away from a shot at the world crown.

But for James DeGale, it already felt like time to give up. The money earned to that point had been invested wisely, in property mainly, and his name alone, he thought, would be enough to earn a few grand a month as a personal trainer. He was ready to turn his back on a sport with which he had fallen out of love.

Only a few months earlier he had flown to Quebec for an eight rounder. In a function room at the Hilton Lac Leamy, he stopped Sebastien Demers inside two. He did not enjoy it. Boxing, he said, had become nothing more than a job and he wanted out. Watching Froch and Groves capture the imagination of the British public did not help one bit.

But after some words of advice from his indomitable mother, Diane, along with the support of the rest of his family, DeGale fought back. Now, two years on, he has returned to Quebec in slightly more auspicious circumstances. Never mind boxing in it, DeGale has occupied a sprawling penthouse on the top floor of Quebec City's Hilton for almost two weeks as he prepares to make the first defense of his IBF title.

What's more, he will be paid almost $3m for the night's work, across town at the Videotron Centre, when he faces Lucian Bute live on Showtime and Sky Sports. Add that to the $1.5m he banked from beating Andre Dirrell to capture the title in May, and the past 24 months are scarcely believable. His depression a thing of the past.

“It's funny how things turn out,” DeGale says. “Back then, when Froch and Groves were fighting, I was out. I mean that.

“To see Groves put on a performance and hear people cheer him after he lost and shit like that, that was hard to take.

“I knew I was up there with the elite so it was just annoying me that I wasn’t getting the chances. I was really, really down. I was badly depressed.

“I wasn’t getting the chances or the fights. I wasn’t motivated and it was horrible. Boxing became secondary, I just saw it as a job. It was fighting to earn money.

“But all along my mum and dad always said to me, back when it was hard, that everything would turn out alright. They told me to keep working hard and we’d all be alright.”

DeGale even concedes that when he clashed with former amateur team-mate Groves in their 2011 grudge match, he was the most hated boxer in Britain. At the time, he seemed to revel in the role of villain. But, now 29, the Londoner says he appreciates the admiration of the fans.

When asked whether he cares what people think of him, he said: “I do actually.

“Before, I was thick-skinned but now I’m seeing it’s nice for people to appreciate what you do. People didn’t used to want to say 'hello' because they thought I was rude or whatever. But I think I’m slowly turning people round. The reception I’ve got since my last fight has been unbelievable.

“When I boxed George Groves I was the most hated boxer in Britain. I’d only won the gold medal for the country a few years beforehand so it’s crazy to think but it’s true. I’m not anymore though, trust me.”

The irony is, however, that while public perception back home is turning in his favour, the chances of him actually boxing on British soil appear more remote than ever. Having signed with Al Haymon, it appears that most chances of unifying titles and making more money lie this side of the Atlantic.

He explains: “It’s a possibility that I won’t box there ever again I suppose. I could box Julio Cesar Chavez Jr next, then Badou Jack and that will be getting on for the end of next year.

“I won my gold medal in Beijing, my world title in Boston, now this. I'm not scared of going overseas to defend my title. I'm willing to go on the road all my career – I might even sell the house and buy a tour bus.”

Although he says that with tongue in cheek, his response is deadly serious when asked how he'd liked to be remembered.

“I’d like to go down as the best British fighter that ever lived,” he says. “To do that I'll need another 10 big fights I reckon.

“My all time top three from Britain is: Joe Calzaghe, Naseem Hamed and John Conteh.

“I want to be remembered in the same bracket as those three guys. Nigel Benn as well. I remember me, my mum, dad and the family staying up to watch him against Chris Eubank. I want to be mentioned with those kind of guys.”

Before that, he must get past Bute, the former long-time incumbent of his current belt, in a place where the challenger has lost only once before, a decision up at light-heavyweight to Jean Pascal.

It has been suggested that winning the title and banking over $4m since May might have taken the edge off DeGale's desire and handed the hometown favorite a chance to upset the odds.

But the visitor said:  “I know for a fact I'm going to batter Lucian, but it's natural to think about these things. He's shitting himself right now.

“When you box, a lot of it is acting. When you walk into that ring and 20,000 people are on top of you, you can't turn back. You are scared inside and you're anxious about what's going to happen.

“Are you going to win? No matter how good you are, we're only humans. I'm scared of losing the roll I'm on, my money and my popularity. You want people to love you. I've been through hard times in the past – depression - and I don't want to go back there.

"All I want is people to say ‘you know that James DeGale? He was a good fighter.’"