DeGale Not Backing Repeated Calls To Fire McDonnell

James DeGale has rejected calls to sack trainer Jim McDonnell but accepts he may be forced into a rethink should he lose again.

DeGale is still smarting after enduring the first defeat of his professional career with a disputed majority points loss to bitter foe George Groves.

The spotlight has since fallen on McDonnell with Groves among those suggesting a change of coach is required.

"McDonnell is at fault. James has a reasonable amount of talent, but clearly isn't fulfilling his potential under Jim," said Groves.

"He went into the fight with nothing and literally ran out of ideas during the first round."

Tactically DeGale came off second best and McDonnell has been blamed for the lack of a plan B when the fight was slipping away.

Talks were subsequently held with McDonnell and promoter Frank Warren, but the 25-year-old Olympic gold medalist has opted to keep faith with his trainer.

"I'm not going to lie, a lot of people have said I should change my trainer. It's a big question that people ask me," said DeGale.

"I keep on reading 'change your trainer'. Why though? He's technically very, very good and I'm super fit.

"I know that in this business loyalty doesn't come into it, it's my career.

"But I'm not going to change because he's brought me on this far and if it weren't for him I wouldn't be in this position.

"I've had a chat with Jim. I had trainers ringing me saying 'I need to work with you'. I said 'no'. Over one silly loss? No, I'm not going change.

"I can see why people are saying 'change your trainer', but I'm not going to.

"Frank obviously has a say, but the decision is down to me. Frank trusts me to make it.

"I love Jim, we have a great bond, we train hard and I'm not going to change. We work well together.

"But say if I get knocked out, touch wood it won't ever happen, or I have another loss, maybe I have to think about it then. But now, no."

McDonnell was a vocal presence in the build-up to the Groves showdown and joined DeGale in goading the 23-year-old.

"Sometimes Jim rides off me a little bit and I have to tell him to hold it down," said DeGale.

"He gets the confidence and the vibe off me and he goes with it and I have to say 'Jim, hold it down!'. He's mad."

McDonnell insists he was prepared for the discussion over his future.

"I told James before this defeat took place, everyone will say 'sack your trainer because he's wrong'," said McDonnell.

"That's come true and it's only now that you find out who your friends are. We'd already dealt with this barrier before we'd even reached it."

DeGale's demand for a re-match has been ignored by Grove's camp, who claim to see no benefit form meeting again at this stage in their careers.

Even outside DeGale and his circle the decision remains contentious with many feeling he had done enough to nick the verdict in a dramatic, if low-quality, contest.

But having come to terms with the result, DeGale is determined for the sense of injustice to be replaced by determination to nudge his career back on track.

"You have to dust yourself off and move on. It's a minor blip. I know where I'm going and everything's still on course," he said.

"I had a meeting with Frank the other week. He said it was a minor blip, I should have thrown more punches.

"Maybe I was a bit too relaxed in the first six rounds, letting him nick them. But I didn't know George could be that negative.

"I've known George since he was a young boy and he's always been brave and proud, I don't get it. He never opened up. It's a bit daft, I don't really get it.

"But I look at the great fighters I love - Sugar Ray Leonard, Pernell Whitaker - they've all lost but went on to do great, big things.

"The James DeGale story hasn't ended, it just become interesting."