Warren Hopes to Turn Olympic Trio Into World Champions

The lure of turning professional has proved too seductive for Britain's Olympic middleweight gold medalist, James DeGale, to resist. He has agreed to a three-year deal to be managed and promoted by Frank Warren, along with the 2007 world lightweight gold medalist, Frankie Gavin, and a third member of the Olympic squad, Billy Joe Saunders.

Warren said he planned for the three to fight on the same bills a minimum of six times a year, on the under cards of promotions topped by domestic, European and world title contests, and that he would give them an opportunity to build up a fan base throughout the country as they appear at many of the nation's major venues.

"This is about building them up to be world champions," Warren said. "All of them are talented and have shown their quality as amateurs. There has never been a British gold medalist who has gone on to win a world title, and now it is up to James DeGale to prove that it can be done. There is never guarantee of success in this business, but I think that he can do it.

"They will be following in the steps of Naseem Hamed, Nigel Benn, Joe Calzaghe and Ricky Hatton, who were all my fighters. It will be their goal to emulate their achievements and it is my job to bring them through, nurture their talent and turn them into stars. We will take them round the country, so the fans can see them in the flesh and get to know them."

Warren has beaten off several bids from the United States for the young fighters' signatures, including promotional heavyweights in Bob Arum and Oscar De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions. Sizeable offers were also made by Mick Hennessy, Dennis Hobson and Frank Maloney, who are Warren's principal rivals within British boxing promotion.

All three fighters say winning world titles is their dream. Less predictable was the withering criticism given by all three to the amateur boxing governing body in Britain, the ABA of England. All said they had received little if any direct advice or guidance about their futures since the Olympics and DeGale went further in his condemnation, describing the ABA's principal officials as "arseholes".

DeGale, 22, from Harlesden in north London, might have been most tempted to remain amateur for the 2012 London Olympics but he said the ABA's inability or reluctance to provide him with serious offers to stay within the amateur ranks had prompted him to sign with Warren.

"I was tempted to sign for Golden Boy, but I wanted to stay here," he said. "I didn't want to leave my family in London and I wanted my fans here. Frank has proved himself with Calzaghe, Hatton, Naz and Amir [Khan] and now I'm there. I want to be the next big thing.

"People are saying I hold and spoil, but you don't get to win Olympic gold without a bit of power and ability. So I say to the doubters, don't be silly. With my elusive style and my boxing brain I can't wait to get going. I will be a world champion, I'm going to do it. In this business you must have confidence and I have it.

"I don't want people to be upset that I won't be representing my country. Who knows what might have happened? From now to 2012 is a long time. I could have got an injury, anything, and the ABA did nothing. I haven't even had a call from them since the Olympics. That told me I had to strike while the iron is hot."

Gavin, 23, who had to return from the Olympics when he failed to make the weight for competition, rounded on head coach Terry Edwards, saying he should have been allowed to compete in a higher weight division. "I more or less knew I couldn't make it weeks before," he said. "I was running in saunas to try to lose weight. People didn't know it but I pulled out and they persuaded me to go to China. I really wasn't eating anything and it was terrible. But they knew I was in trouble weeks before. I'm glad to be away from the amateurs because it is really badly run."

Saunders, 19, added: "The ABA suspended me during the games over a minor issue. It was blown up out of all proportion and I think what happened to me was about people in the ABA trying to get at Terry [Edwards]. Apart from the disciplinary hearing, when I was fined £250, I had no contact with them and only heard from them for the first time since the Games when a letter arrived yesterday."