James DeGale has told the locals in Liverpool they will not deter him from becoming British champion.
The London super-middleweight challenges champion and local favourite Paul Smith at the Echo Arena as part of Frank Warren's 30th anniversary celebrations.
Smith has promised the Olympic gold medalist a hostile reception from the 11,500 capacity crowd on Saturday night when he tops a bill packed with Merseyside's finest prospects.
But DeGale has laughed it off and is ready to assume the role of pantomime villain to ensure he gets an early Christmas present in the shape of the super-middleweight belt.
"Scousers are passionate," he told skysports.com, no stranger to the city thanks to his close friendship with Paul's brother Stephen.
"One of my good friends at the press conference told me they're not British, they're Scouse and they all stick together.
"I'm expecting a hostile reception but that will just push me on and drive me even more.
"I have learned to shut it all out. It gets a bit pantomime in the end. Basically now I'm performing - apart from my first fight - it gets a bit like that. This is box office after all."
That first fight saw DeGale booed by some sections of the Birmingham crowd as he laboured to a points win over Vepkhia Tchilaia back in February 2009.
He readily admits it hurt, but in just 22 months as a professional he has become accustomed to boxing in big cities across Great Britain and has won in Liverpool before, stopping Ally Morrison in October last year in the same Echo Arena.
Confident
DeGale's first fight in front of his own supporters in London could be against bitter rival George Groves - who recently installed himself as the mandatory challenger for Saturday's winner - early next year.
But after eight professional bouts on the road and an amateur career that took him around the world, the 24-year-old says he didn't have to think long about going into Smith's backyard to get that British belt.
"Not for a second," he said. "It was Dean (Powell) that rang me and I said 'yeah, let's do this!'.
"To be honest I thought it was going to be in London, but he rang back an hour later an said it was in Liverpool and Smith didn't want to give up home advantage. I said 'that's cool, I'm so confident, let's do it'.
"I thrive on stuff like this. Look at the Olympic final - I was the massive underdog but I went in there and did the business.
"He's the best super-middleweight in the country, and I think this shows my character. I'm going right into the lion's den and that shows my hunger."
Entertainer
DeGale is no fool though and for all his bad-mouthing Groves, he has no plans to turn the heat up on himself and turn on Smith ahead of Saturday night.
He is convinced he will return south with the belt but is refusing to give a public prediction as to which round will see him crowned the new British champion.
And he says he will enter the Echo Arena with minimum fuss - as much a sign of respect for Smith and his Scouse army as an indication that he means business.
"I'm saving my ringwalks for the bigger fights," he said. "But I've got some special shorts you might see. I'm an entertainer after all!
The London super-middleweight challenges champion and local favourite Paul Smith at the Echo Arena as part of Frank Warren's 30th anniversary celebrations.
Smith has promised the Olympic gold medalist a hostile reception from the 11,500 capacity crowd on Saturday night when he tops a bill packed with Merseyside's finest prospects.
But DeGale has laughed it off and is ready to assume the role of pantomime villain to ensure he gets an early Christmas present in the shape of the super-middleweight belt.
"Scousers are passionate," he told skysports.com, no stranger to the city thanks to his close friendship with Paul's brother Stephen.
"One of my good friends at the press conference told me they're not British, they're Scouse and they all stick together.
"I'm expecting a hostile reception but that will just push me on and drive me even more.
"I have learned to shut it all out. It gets a bit pantomime in the end. Basically now I'm performing - apart from my first fight - it gets a bit like that. This is box office after all."
That first fight saw DeGale booed by some sections of the Birmingham crowd as he laboured to a points win over Vepkhia Tchilaia back in February 2009.
He readily admits it hurt, but in just 22 months as a professional he has become accustomed to boxing in big cities across Great Britain and has won in Liverpool before, stopping Ally Morrison in October last year in the same Echo Arena.
Confident
DeGale's first fight in front of his own supporters in London could be against bitter rival George Groves - who recently installed himself as the mandatory challenger for Saturday's winner - early next year.
But after eight professional bouts on the road and an amateur career that took him around the world, the 24-year-old says he didn't have to think long about going into Smith's backyard to get that British belt.
"Not for a second," he said. "It was Dean (Powell) that rang me and I said 'yeah, let's do this!'.
"To be honest I thought it was going to be in London, but he rang back an hour later an said it was in Liverpool and Smith didn't want to give up home advantage. I said 'that's cool, I'm so confident, let's do it'.
"I thrive on stuff like this. Look at the Olympic final - I was the massive underdog but I went in there and did the business.
"He's the best super-middleweight in the country, and I think this shows my character. I'm going right into the lion's den and that shows my hunger."
Entertainer
DeGale is no fool though and for all his bad-mouthing Groves, he has no plans to turn the heat up on himself and turn on Smith ahead of Saturday night.
He is convinced he will return south with the belt but is refusing to give a public prediction as to which round will see him crowned the new British champion.
And he says he will enter the Echo Arena with minimum fuss - as much a sign of respect for Smith and his Scouse army as an indication that he means business.
"I'm saving my ringwalks for the bigger fights," he said. "But I've got some special shorts you might see. I'm an entertainer after all!
War Degale!
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