(Photo Credit: Frank Coppi/Matchroom Boxing) By Scott Gilfoid: With Andre Ward and Carl Froch both now officially gone from the super middleweight division, IBF 168lb champion James DeGale (21-1, 14 KOs) thinks he’s now the No.1 fighter in the division. Of course, this is just the 29-year-old DeGale’s opinion, because he still has unfinished business with Andre Dirrell from their very close fight earlier this year, and DeGale still hasn’t prove that he can beat Anthony Dirrell, Badou Jack, Julio Chavez Jr., or Arthur Abraham.

On November 28th of this month, DeGale will be fighting former IBF super middleweight champion Lucian Bute 32-2, 25 KOs) at the Centre Videotron, in Quebec City, Quebec.

Bute may be getting up there in age at 35, but he’s still a harder puncher than DeGale, and quite capable of reaching back for some of his old magic to score a knockout of DeGale if the British fighter isn’t careful with him.

“I think I am the best super middleweight out there right now. There are hard fights in the division. Badou Jack is a good fighter, but I think I beat him and beat him well if I stay switched on for the full 12 rounds,” DeGale said.

I think Badou beat DeGale with pressure, body shots and his strong chin. However, that fight isn’t going to be happening anytime soon, because Badou will likely be facing Chavez Jr. next, and who knows after that. #1 WBC Callum Smith will likely get a title shot against Badou Jack before DeGale gets his chance. If I was DeGale, I would be just hoping that I can get by Bute, because if there’s still life in that body, he’s quite capable of making a mess of DeGale and knocking him out with a body shot.

“Arthur Abraham is still a tough customer and hopefully Martin Murray can do the business. I think he will beat him, although it’s hard to win in Germany.”

It’s no harder to win in Germany than it is anywhere else like in places like the UK. I mean, if Martin Murray has the talent to beat Arthur Abraham this Saturday night in their fight at the TUI Arena in Hannover, Germany, then we’ll see Murray get his hand raised at the end of the fight. But if Murray comes out there running and holding all night long like he did in his 11th round knockout loss to Gennady Golovkin last February, then of course, Murray will lose the fight. He’s got to stand his ground and let his hands go if he wants to win the fight.

My spider senses are telling me that DeGale is going to see his brief title run end on November 28th with him getting knocked out by one of Bute’s signature body shots. Bute doesn’t lose at home in Canada except to other adopted Canadian fighters. The last time I checked, DeGale isn’t an adopted Canadian, so I don’t see him beating Bute.

“I want to prove I am the best, I will go anywhere to do it and that’s why I am defending my title in Canada,” DeGale said. “I firmly believe I beat everyone in this division. I like boxing away from home – maybe it’s time I started being called ‘the road warrior.”

Well, if DeGale is going to prove that he’s the best in the division, then he needs to start proving it already and start fighting the likes of the Dirrell brothers, Arthur Abraham and then look to fight Gennady Golovkin. I’d like to see how DeGale handles Golovkin.

I have a feeling that it would end badly for DeGale with him getting knocked out quickly. DeGale would last as long as his legs could carry him around the ring, but once he stops running, I see it ending in a last stand like the way Martin Murray fell apart and was knocked out in the 1th round by Golovkin once he stopped running from him.

Bute looked really good in his last fight against Andrew Di Luisa last August in stopping him in the 4th round. Bute’s punching power was as good as it ever was. He just didn’t look quite as sharp or as fast as he was in his prime. But the power was still definitely there for him. That’s why you have to say that Bute is a live dog in this fight against DeGale. If he lands one of his big body shots, then I can definitely see DeGale flopping around on the canvas like a fish out of water.