DeGale wants Golovkin, Ward or Groves in June

By Boxing News - 03/27/2017 - Comments

Image: DeGale wants Golovkin, Ward or Groves in June

By Scott Gilfoid: IBF super middleweight champion James DeGale (23-1-1, 14 KOs) is looking for a big fight in his next bout in June, as he wants to face Gennady “GGG” Golovkin, Andre Ward or George Groves. DeGale, 31, is also interested in facing unbeaten Callum Smith. DeGale is reportedly close to a deal on fighting one of those guys. It would be interesting to know which one it’ll be for DeGale. My guess is Groves. DeGale lost a close 12 round decision to Groves in 2011, and he’s been wanting to avenge that title for a long time.

DeGale plans on fighting in London in June. He says he’s willing drop down in weight to 160 to fight Golovkin or move up to 175 to fight Ward if he can get either of those fighters to face him. Fighting in June wouldn’t give those fighters much time to negotiate the fight with DeGale and prepare for the match. For that reason, I doubt that DeGale will get his wish for one of the big names to fight him.

DeGale has unfinished business with Badou Jack after fighting to a 12 round draw against him last January. DeGale didn’t finish the fight in a strong manner with him getting knocked down in the 12th round. More than a few boxing fans thought Badou was the better fighter on the night. Badou and his promoter Floyd Mayweather Jr. certainly that he’d won the fight. If DeGale is willing to move up to 175 to fight Andre Ward, then he should be willing to face Jack in a rematch, because that’s a fight that needs to be made.

“Golovkin? I walk around less than a stone above the super middleweight limit and could easily go down to fight this great man for the middleweight title,” said DeGale to the dailymail.co.uk. “Ward, like Golovkin, is among those quoted as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. It would be an honor to share a ring with him and just as I could go down for Gennady, I could go up to light heavy for Andre.”

DeGale has had it pretty tough in his last four fights against Jack, Rogelio Medina, Lucian Bute and Andre Dirrell. None of those fights were easy ones for DeGale. He struggled against all of them. He won 3 of the fights, but he took punishment and he was hardly dominating.

It’s smart for DeGale to be looking to get the biggest money fight as possible right now, because he might not have much time left as the IBF champion. Dirrell is ranked #2 with the International Boxing Federation, and I have my doubts that DeGale would beat him a second time around. At least if DeGale gets a big money fight against Ward or Golovkin, he’d have that going for him.