By Marcus Richardson: Fringe contender Caleb Truax (29-3-2, 18 KOs) pulled off a MAJOR upset in defeating a ring rusty IBF 168 lb. champion James DeGale (23-2-1, 14 KOs) by a 12 round majority decision on Saturday night in what was supposed to be a tune-up level fight for him at the Copper Box Arena in London, England.
Coming off a 11-month layoff and surgery on his right shoulder and nose, the 31-year-old DeGale looked terrible in getting outworked and badly hurt by #15 IBF Truax. This was a one-sided fight. The judges had the fight 116-112, 115-113 for Truax a 114-114. Boxing News 24 scored the fight for Truax by 10 rounds to 2 score.
Truax appeared to win the fight by a 118-110 score. The only rounds in which DeGale CLEARLY won were rounds 1 and 12. Other than that, Truax outworked DeGale in the other 10 rounds.
DeGale stopped throwing punches after the 1st round. He spent most of the last remaining 11 rounds on the ropes, covering up, and letting Truax outwork him. DeGale came to life a little bit in round 12, and landed some weak punches. He might have done enough to win the 12th, but it was still a loss.
DeGale did nothing in rounds 2 through 11. I couldn’t give DeGale any of those rounds.
Round 5 saw Truax blasting away at DeGale on the ropes with right uppercuts, left crosses and uppercuts. The uppercuts from Truax snapped DeGale’s chin back repeatedly. At one point in the round, it looked as if DeGale was going to go down. Somehow, DeGale stayed on his feet during the entire round, but he took some terrifying punishment. By the end of the round, DeGale was bleeding from the mouth, and his left eye was swollen. DeGale’s teeth didn’t appear to fall out like they had in his last fight against Badou Jack, but blood was coming out of his mouth.
After the fight, a dazed looking DeGale said he thought he won the fight. DeGale said he felt he came back too soon from his shoulder operation, and he felt that he needs to give it more time. DeGale wants a rematch. Whether he gets one or not is open for debate. Truax might do it if the money is right.
”I thought I won it, but we got to change things,” said DeGale. ”I should have waited until next year. I want the rematch. That’s what I want. I’m going to talk to Al [Haymon,]” said DeGale.
The DeGale that fought to a 12 round draw against Badou Jack last January would have easily beaten Jack. Tonight, DeGale wasn’t throwing any punches after the 1st round. He looked like DeGale was tired and weight drained. He said his surgically repaired right shoulder didn’t feel right. He needed to test it out more before taking the fight.
”I noticed that he didn’t like pressure,” said Truax in talking of him scouting DeGale before the fight. ”I had to make it a dog fight, and that’s what I did. I couldn’t let him box me. He never hurt me,” said Truax.
