By Jeff Aranow: WBC super middleweight champion Badou Jack says he’s going to break IBF champion James DeGale down with pressure on Saturday night to take his title on January 14 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The fight is on Showtime.
This is a match that has slowly been build up over a year now, and it’s finally about to take place. Jack (20-1-2, 12 KOs) has studied DeGale’s fighting style, and he believes he can defeat him by walking him down and hitting him hard to the head and body. Badou’s pressure style of fighting has worked for him in two out of his last three fights in wins over Anthony Dirrell and George Groves. Where it failed Jack was in his last fight against Lucian Bute last April.
(Photo credit: Idris Erba/Mayweather Promotions)
Bute outworked Jack, and landed more shots. Bute never stopped throwing punches for an instant. He showed a tremendous amount of energy for a 36-year-old fighter. The 32-year-old Jack didn’t have to deal with that kind of a workrate in his fights against Groves and Dirrell. Both of those guys fought at a slower pace, and that enabled Jack to control the fights with his pressure.
“I’m going in there to break him down. I’m going to be the better fighter,” said Jack. “If I get an opportunity to land something that can change the fight, I’m going to take my chance…I believe I can knock anybody out who gets in the ring with me. If you don’t believe that in yourself, then you’re in the wrong sport. I’m not expecting an easy fight, but I’ll do whatever it takes to win.”
Jack has done a great job of coming back from his 1st round knockout loss to Derek Edwards in 2014. Since then, Jack has won four out of his last five fights. He just has that one draw against Bute to mar hat has been perfection since the loss to Edward.
DeGale has fought well since losing to Groves in 2011. DeGale is fighting into Saturday’s fight with a 13-fight winning streak over the last six years. DeGale’s last four wins have been pretty impressive in beating Rogelio Medina, Lucian Bute, Andre Dirrell, and Marco Antonio Periban. The only real negative about DeGale’s performances is the way he’s tended to fade in the second half of his bouts.
DeGale has great boxing skills, and tons of ability. He showed that in winning a gold medal in the 2008 Olympics. DeGale cannot afford to fade in the last half against Badou, because he’s got a good engine and he’ll punish him. Badou isn’t as fast as DeGale, but he’s just relentless with his nonstop attacking style of fighting.
“Movement, speed and angles are my keys,” said DeGale. “If I’m focused and take no rounds off, that should do it. It will do it. Anything can happen in boxing, but I’m too prepared for this…I look at Badou Jack, and even though he’s been getting better, I think I’m a much better fighter. He’s very high quality and I have to be on my game. It’s going to be a great fight, but I will be victorious.”
In the co-feature bout is IBF super featherweight champion Jose Pedraza fighting #8 IBF Gervonta Davis. This should be a great fight. Davis has been knocking out everybody he’s faced lately.
