Quotes from James DeGale

I've got the 'fat gene' in my family, so I've always got to watch what I eat.

Don't let the good looks and the playboy image fool you. I'm very serious.

It's a tough business, boxing, but I've got my family and a great team.

Against Dirrell I was thinking: 'Hold up, he's not as fast as me.' I can hit him with my left hand. It's a wonderful feeling.

I love watching old fights. It's hard to watch the black-and-white footage, although I know about Randolph Turpin and people like that, but I'm talking about Hearns, Haggler, Leonard, those guys. Sugar Ray Leonard, he was way before his time, throwing bolos and all that, those big wind-up bolo shots.

I'm not really a reader, but every Thursday and Friday I read my Boxing News. I read the papers every day, but I'm not really a book reader.

I will be a world champion, I'm going to do it.

By 2012 I'm going to be a world champion or knocking on the door for a world title.

I want the biggest fights, the biggest risks, the biggest money. All the titles. That's what I want.

I was fighting on PPV for British titles, making good money from pretty much day one, so how can people who I've never ever met before tell me that I've made wrong decisions in my career.

Prior to a fight when I have to make weight, obviously I can't eat all the rubbish - chocolate and stuff like that. Straight after I can relax and eat what I want.

Listen, if anyone hits you on the chin you are probably going to get hurt.

I said Lucian Bute is a world-class fighter.

The worst thing is having to make weight before a fight. It's hard to cut down.

When I retire, if people see me on the street and remember me, just give me a smile. That's all I want.

Badou Jack ain't a trash-talker. He's very respectful.

Anthony Joshua has smashed it, he's one of the biggest sportsmen in the world but when you talk about boxing careers I've done just as well as him.

The first couple of years of my career were going fantastic, everything running smoothly. I was the next best thing. Obviously there were problems that were out of my hands, changing promoters and all different things behind the scenes that people don't see.

Don't worry, everyone - I'm not going to be just this silly little idiot who thinks he's 'it,' who has been to the Olympics, won a gold medal and come back thinking he's 'it.' That isn't me, trust me.

All I get on my Twitter is 'Please fight Groves again' and 'Why won't Froch take the fight?' and 'Get in the mix... ' But it's just so hard to do that. I wish it were easy.

If I won another gold medal in 2012, in my home city, imagine that. To be the face of 2012, that'd be unbelievable.

It's an unbelievable feeling. I'm world champ. I'm world champ! I made history.

People are saying I hold and spoil, but you don't get to win Olympic gold without a bit of power and ability.

Family is paramount, I am the baby of the family, I get looked after, everyone spoils me and I couldn't live without them. They are my life, and they keep me grounded. If I get out of line, my mum will tell me off.