By Mark Vester
James DeGale, an English middleweight boxer who represented Great Britain to win Olympic gold at the Summer games, is flying to America to meet with Bob Arum of Top Rank to discuss a possible deal for the 22-year-old fighter to turn pro. During this year's games, he beat former Olympic gold medalist Bakhtiyar Artayev in the quarter-finals, Irish boxer Darren Sutherland in the semis and Cuban fighter Emilio Correa in the finals.
DeGale is said to be looking for a high signing bonus, estimated to be over $2 million dollars. If he can't make a deal, he will stay as an amateur and focus on defending his Olympic title in the 2012 games. DeGale will be Arum's guest at the Kelly Pavlik-Bernard Hopkins event in Atlantic City.
"I have spoken to a couple of British promoters and I'm looking forward to talking with Bob Arum. But I don't want people to think I am just a greedy guy out for what he can get. I haven't taken that figure out of the air. I have spoken to Amir Khan and others and they say that's what I should be looking for. I just want to get what I think I deserve," DeGale told The Independent.
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