DeGale's debut date

Golden boy: James DeGale beat Emilio Correa in the middleweight final at the Beijing Olympics
13 April 2012

Olympic middleweight gold medallist James DeGale will make his professional debut in Birmingham next month alongside former amateur team-mates Frankie Gavin and Billy Joe Saunders.

The trio, who turned professional with leading promoter Frank Warren before Christmas, will feature on a busy card at the National Indoor Arena on February 28 which also sees Matt Skelton defending his Commonwealth heavyweight title against Martin Rogan.

The evening will be particularly special for world amateur champion Gavin, who hails from Hall Green in the second city. He fights on the same bill as fellow Brummie Don Broadhurst, making the first defence of his Commonwealth super-flyweight title against former British champion Andy Bell.

Opponents for the Olympic trio will be named at a later date with their fights to be officially announced in London on Monday, when Londoner DeGale will also reveal his choice of trainer.

DeGale, 22, will remain in the south of England rather than relocating from his native London and has narrowed his shortlist of possible trainers down to two.

He signed a lucrative professional deal after landing gold in Beijing last summer despite not being regarded as one of the favourites for a medal before the Games.

Indeed it was Gavin, 23, who was Great Britain's hot tip before he failed to make weight at the pre-Games training camp in Macau.

The 2007 World Amateur Championships lightweight gold medallist will campaign at light-welterweight under the tutelage of up-and-coming Manchester trainer Anthony Farnell.

While the three youngsters will understandably attract the lion's share of attention it will be 41-year-old world title contender Skelton who officially tops the bill.

The Bedford brawler will go up against unbeaten Prizefighter contest winner Rogan, who beat Audley Harrison in December, as he campaigns for a second shot at the one-time 'richest prize in sport'.

Skelton (22-2), who unsuccessfully challenged Ruslan Chagaev for the WBA title last year, is determined to rebuild and secure another shot at global honours.

"Rogan is a dangerous fighter and I was impressed by the way in which he dug deep against Harrison," said the 41-year-old, who only turned professional in 2002.

"Anyone with an undefeated record is a threat because they don't know how to lose. But I believe I will win this fight.

"When I lost to Chagaev people asked me whether I would quit, but I feel better than ever and I think that I'm still improving.

"That fight in Germany against Chagaev showed me that I can compete at the highest level and I'm not out of place on the world scene."

Skelton pulled off an excellent victory by dethroning Paolo Vidoz in Milan before Christmas and said: "Winning the European title in Italy against an Italian surprised a few people, but it didn't surprise me because I'm always very confident in my own ability."

Broadhurst, meanwhile, won the vacant Commonwealth title against Isaac Quaye in just his ninth professional fight in September and defends it in his native Birmingham.

"It's great to be headlining again in my home city," said Broadhurst. "The atmosphere when I beat Quaye was fantastic, and I know it is going to be so much better in front of a packed house at the NIA.

"Bell is definitely my toughest fight yet, especially as he is a former British champion. But these are the type of fighters that I have to beat if I want to become a world champion."

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