By Scott Gilfoid: EBU super middleweight champion James DeGale (14-1, 9 KO’s) says he wants to take on both WBA/WBC super middleweight champion Andre Ward and IBF champ Carl Froch in 2013. It seems that DeGale has gotten a little confidence from the series of soft touches he’s been fighting since his loss to George Groves last year in May.
DeGale said to Sky Sports News “I’d love to fight Carl and for British boxing that would be a massive fight…I hope to fight for the WBC title next year, either as the mandatory against Andre Ward or for the vacant title if he decides to give it up. I think Carl would like a big domestic world title fight.”
Froch seems to be mildly interested in the DeGale fight, saying on his twitter “I would happily fight @jamesdegale1 & @StGeorgeGroves ….on the same night! Just let me get the real fight done with @MikkelKessler first.”
I think Froch is probably just giving DeGale some false hope so he doesn’t crush the young lads dreams.
As far as Ward goes, I hate to rain on DeGale’s parade but Ward isn’t going to be vacating his World Boxing Association title anytime soon to move up to 175, because he realizes now there is nobody up there to fight. I mean, absolutely nobody. He beat the best fighter at 175 already in Chad Dawson, and all the rest of the fighters are pretty much mediocre at best. Ward is going to be staying at 168, and I really don’t like DeGale’s chances against him or Froch. DeGale is clearly a couple levels below Ward, so that’s not even a discussion point. To be sure, DeGale can fight him but it won’t be competitive. DeGale will lose every round until Ward knocks him out and sends him back to Britain bruised up for his troubles.
DeGale would be better off forgetting all about Ward and focusing on trying to get a fight with Froch before he retires from boxing. By the time Froch and DeGale fight, however, Froch won’t have his IBF title because he’s going to lose to Mikkel Kessler in their rematch, and he’ll likely lose to Lucian Bute as well in their rematch. I don’t see Froch and Ward ever fighting again because after Froch is picked off by Kessler and Bute, there won’t be any point in Ward beating Froch again. He’ll be too far down after the Bute and Kessler losses for Ward to want to waste time. But I do see a DeGale vs. Froch fight as still a possibility after those fights. Froch will be licking his wounds and a fight against DeGale will be just what he needs to get back in the win column with a nice easy victory over the slapping, flat-footed DeGale.
DeGale’s recent win over Fulgencio Zuniga last Saturday night highlighted pretty clearly why he won’t be able to ever compete against the likes of Froch, Kessler and Ward. DeGale just doesn’t have the power, he’s unable to stay in the center of the ring without needing constant rest breaks against the ropes, and his defense is horrible. It was kind of hilarious to see DeGale try the Mayweather Jr. shoulder role at one point late in the fight. Zuniga promptly tagged DeGale with a big right hand over DeGale’s attempted shoulder roll, making him look silly. Looked like a poor imitation, even worse than the one Andre Berto did in his loss to Robert Guerrero recently.
DeGale shouldn’t worry his head about fights against Froch and Ward, because he’s got enough problems with his next opponent Mouhamed Ali Ndiaye (22-1, 13 KO’s), who DeGale will be facing on January 26th in a defense of his European Boxing Union 168 pound title. This could be another life and death fight for DeGale like some of his recent fights have been against his B level opposition he’s been facing.
Comments are closed.