By Scott Gilfoid: James DeGale will be taking a tune-up this Sunday against welterweight journeyman Fidel Monterrosa Munoz in an eight round off TV fight at the Citizens Bank Arena in Ontario California. This will be a fight at light heavyweight. For DeGale to be fighting at this level against a fighter of this caliber, it’s a real shame to see how far he’s fallen. It’s not surprising that DeGale’s fight won’t be televised , because it’s such a bad mismatch.
DeGale weighed 172. His opponent 30-year-old Muno (39-18-1, 31 KOs), started his career out at lightweight and now fights at 147. Munoz is from Mexico, and he’s lost five out of his last six fights since 2017. All five of the losses have been by stoppage. This is a fight that DeGale should win without too many problems. Not only is DeGale fighting a journeyman, but one that fights three divisions below him at welterweight. That’s what you call stacking the deck in your favor.
The fact that DeGale is fighting a journeyman from the 147 pound division suggests that there’s some concerns whether he can beat a lower level fighter from his own weight class at 168. You have to remember DeGale was beaten by #15 IBF Caleb Truax last December by a 12 round unanimous decision in what was supposed to be a soft voluntary defense. DeGale took the fight after having been out of the ring 11 months following right shoulder surgery after a 12 round draw against Badou Jack in January 2017.
DeGale lost the fight to Truax, and then beat him by a controversial 12 round unanimous decision in their rematch last April. DeGale looked every bit as bad in the rematch with Truax than he did in the first fight. The only thing he did different in the second fight was hold nonstop and run. It was a similar performance that we saw from heavyweight Hughie Fury in his loss to former World Boxing Organization heavyweight champion Joseph Parker in 2017. Hughie held and ran the entire fight and was given a loss. DeGale did he same thing against Truax in the rematch and was given a 12 round decision win. You can argue the judges were extremely kind to DeGale in giving him the win.
The southpaw DeGale vacated his International Boxing Federation 168 pound title last July after the IBF ordered him to defend against his mandatory challenger Jose Uzcategui. The fans think DeGale ducked the Uzcategui fight. DeGale’s official rationale for vacating his IBF title was so he could take the big fights. Munoz isn’t exactly a big fight, is it? DeGale beats Truax in a fight that looked to be a robbery to some fans, and then he vacates and is fighting a welterweight on Sunday. How sad it is. DeGale-Munoz will barely get a peep on Sunday unless DeGale loses.
The main event between featherweight Brandon Figueroa and Oscar Escandon and the co-feature bout between heavyweight prospect Joe Joyce and Iago Kiladze will be televised on Premier Boxing Champions on Fox Sports 1.