Monday 16 January 2017 06:13, UK
What did we learn about IBF super-middleweight champion James DeGale after his majority draw against WBC holder Badou Jack?
Despite the dramatic late tumble that cost DeGale, the London visitor still believes he had built enough of a lead to edge the final scorecards, only for a pair of 113-113 verdicts to scupper him.
Looking back, DeGale was likely cruising after three or four rounds – an early knockdown gave him a 10-8 round, before his quicker and crisper work shone brighter than Jack’s orthodoxy.
Jack clambered back at the deficit during the middle rounds, forcing DeGale to stop circling and remain at punching range to his detriment. In the fifth and sixth, the most eye-catching shots were both Jack’s – first a right hand clearly stung DeGale, before the Londoner was forced to absorb a nasty body shot.
The seventh was a coin toss but, in the eighth, DeGale withstood a thunderstorm from Jack who sensed an early finish that ultimately never came. For the scorecards, it brought Jack right back into contention.
A second wind for DeGale carried him through the ninth, tenth and eleventh – at this point, he seemed likelier to get the nod, but Jack’s last-round knockdown would have counted as a 10-8 and effectively rescued the draw from the clutches of defeat.
Front tooth sent flying into the front row. DeGale has never really worked within the notorious hurt business – the one-time drama school student became a world champion with flashy footwork that might have been utilised in the West End, so the toughness on display against Jack represented a new string to his bow.
The mouthpiece that fell to the canvas on three occasions revealed a hollow space which once lit up DeGale’s stage-worthy smile. The tooth was likely punched out by Jack between the fifth and eighth rounds, meaning DeGale was forced to show significant bravery until the final bell. The damage accumulated also included a bloodied nose and lip, swollen eyes, and damage to his eardrum.
DeGale’s willingness to withstand such physical stress without it affecting his performance represents a major turning point for the IBF super-middleweight champion, who had never previously been asked to justify his place in the trenches.
There was never previously a doubt about DeGale’s chin (he had never been stopped, or majorly hurt, after all) but he had also never remained steadfast through a tornado like Jack brought.
The knockdown in the closing stages might have been a balance issue for DeGale, so his survival in a tumultuous eighth round was more indicative of his ability to rule a division that was previously reigned over by the brawn of Chris Eubank, Nigel Benn, Joe Calzaghe and Carl Froch.
A lesser champion than DeGale might have buckled under the hurtful shots that Jack landed, as DeGale’s blood splattered across the ring, even staining the referee’s face and shirt.
By his own admission, DeGale had never previously trained over Christmas, favouring turkey over track work. There were signs in the build-up, not least his assertions about his healthy living, that DeGale was focusing on pure fitness ahead of boxing Jack.
Nick Palma, his strength and conditioning coach, deserves a cheat meal after watching his new client work harder, and more efficiently, than we’ve ever seen. The importance of such physical training was proved with the effectiveness of DeGale’s performance over a 12-round distance – would he have survived the difficult moments without his newfound stamina?
Sky Sports’ Carl Froch, a former super-middleweight world champion who prided himself on relentless work-rate inside the ring, was even bowled over by James DeGale version 2.0.
Too often in the past, his showmanship has masked the necessity for DeGale to take his foot off the gas, and draw breath. The worry was that an opponent of Jack’s calibre would expose his requirement to recharge the batteries mid-fight, yet in the closing stages the Londoner was still chest-to-chest with his foe. The one alleged vulnerability about DeGale’s skill-set may have been eradicated.
Sheer toughness will always be lauded by us mere mortals, while the fitness of an elite boxer seems extraordinary to normal folk who see the inside of a gym twice a week. But what separates the true greats, the select handful who are remembered long after their gloves are hung up, is adding chutzpah into the mix.
There were times during Saturday night’s fight where it seemed DeGale had forgotten more punching combinations than Jack could ever learn. Southpaws always look more stylish, much like the vaunted left-footed footballer, and DeGale is an audacious example.
The straight left hand that caused a first-round knockdown was effective because of the pristine timing, angles and delivery rather than the pure power that a less talented boxer might rely on. Even when hurt and tired, some of the lightning-fast combinations from a variety of positions left Jack with few answers.
This bout was unquestionably between the finest two super-middleweights in the world, and although we are no closer to establishing an undisputed No 1, the disparity in natural talent between DeGale and Jack should leave Britain proud of its representative.
DeGale’s immediate call for a rematch, the obvious solution to this unfinished chapter, doesn’t look promising after Jack’s insistence that he can no longer make the 168lbs weight limit. Surely he can be tempted?
Floyd Mayweather, Jack’s promoter, was non-committal but the fleet of fast cars under his ownership suggest he can be convinced by a big enough wad of cash.
Could Jack become the latest overseas world champion to be brought over to England? Mayweather, who retired at 49-0, had everything his own way inside the ring but, in the promotion game, might face a more rigorous examination.
Callum Smith remains the dangerous elephant in the room. The mandatory challenger for the winner, he must have sat befuddled at ringside when ‘majority draw’ was declared. Having travelled to New York to watch his next opponent, the Liverpudlian must have feared a wasted journey when DeGale asked for a rematch.
However, Smith remains in a strong position. DeGale remains IBF champion, and can still make a convincing argument that he is the division’s top dog despite being held to a draw. Should he move on from Jack, there is no more exciting title defence for DeGale than ending his North American tour to fight the unbeaten Smith on British soil.
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