James DeGale v Rogelio Medina
Britain's James DeGale will look to defend his IBF super-middleweight title against Mexico's Rogelio Medina on Saturday in Washington DC.
It is the 30-year-old's second defence after he beat former champion Lucian Bute by a unanimous decision last year.
A win for the former Olympic champion would set up a potential unification bout with WBC title holder Badou Jack.
Sweden's Jack, who previously defeated Medina, will face Romanian-Canadian fighter Bute as the card's main event.
DeGale was originally due to fight Jose Uzcategui, but the Venezuelan pulled out because of illness in February.
That left Medina as the mandatory challenger and the 27-year-old heads into the fight with 36 wins from 42 fights.
DeGale has said he will give fellow Englishman Callum Smith, who stopped Hadillah Mohoumadi inside one round earlier this month, a shot at the title.
Unbeaten Smith is the mandatory challenger for the WBC belt, though Jack is likely to first face DeGale should both win this weekend.
James DeGale faces Rogelio Medina in IBF super-middleweight title defence - BBC Sport
Re: James DeGale v Rogelio Medina
Re: James DeGale v Rogelio Medina
Re: James DeGale v Rogelio Medina
I'm sure he'd rather give Callum Smith a shot than be fighting a journeyman on the undercard of a guy he just beat:P I feel like Bute has a reasonable shot against Jack though, would a rematch between him and DeGale be that interesting?
Re: James DeGale v Rogelio Medina
I was wondering why Degale has been seemingly quiet.
Re: James DeGale v Rogelio Medina
Not a terrible replacement and hope for some fireworks. It might be sign of a very long day that this can be also billed as "Chunky vs Porky" though ;D
Re: James DeGale v Rogelio Medina
James DeGale made the weight and reiterated his desire for a London unification bout with Badou Jack ahead of his fight with Rogelio 'Porky' Medina on Sunday.
The IBF super-middleweight champion was inside the 168lbs limit, weighing in at 167.6lbs, with his Mexican opponent tipping the scales slightly heavier at 167.8lbs.
The 30-year-old's bout against Medina will be the second defence of his IBF title, which he won by beating Andre Dirrell. He followed that up with a win over Lucian Bute.
DeGale insists he is out to make a statement against the 27-year-old in Washington DC, live on Sky Sports 1 HD, but clearly had one eye on WBC champion Jack, who takes on Bute on the same card, and is keen on a UK unification fight later in 2016.
"That's what I want in September, it is pencilled in; me and Badou Jack, hopefully in London, that's what I want," DeGale told Sky Sports News HQ.
James DeGale makes weight ahead of Rogelio Medina fight | Boxing News | Sky Sports
Re: James DeGale v Rogelio Medina
George Groves is a damaged fighter, he's greedy and our careers have taken different trajectories: James DeGale speaks out ahead of clash with Rogelio Medina
James DeGale's added motivation for successfully defending his world super-middleweight title this Saturday night is that victory over a rugged Mexican will take him one step nearer the super-fight which is the heart's desire of every elite boxer.
Unfortunately he suspects that his British arch-rival George Groves no longer qualifies as the go-to opponent for a domestic showdown in a London football stadium, let alone a place alongside him on the global stage.
Chunky, as this former Olympic champion is known, lost a narrow and somewhat disputed decision to the Saint when these unfriendly neighbours met early in their careers.
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Re: James DeGale v Rogelio Medina
Now, as he prepares to face Rogelio Medina in Washington, DeGale has this to say about Groves, who is trying to rebuild his career after a third successive failure to win a world title: 'George is damaged now as a fighter. The boxing public see it and I think the chance for our rematch has gone.
'His prime performance was in his first fight against Froch when he had Carl in real trouble but still could not close the show. And by the way a very good referee called Howard Foster was right to stop that fight before he got badly hurt.
'Then he suffered that huge knock out by Carl at Wembley, from which he has never fully recovered. That showed when his best chance of winning a world title came against Badou Jack here in America but he got knocked down and never looked like winning.
'I don't need to put him down. Don't want to. Our careers have now taken different trajectories.
'Me, I've kept rising to win my world title in America and defend it in Canada, both against high-class opposition. He's gone into decline.'
DeGale suspects that Groves, behind his bravura persona, must regret not accepting their rematch when it was offered. For that, he accuses the Saint of putting jealous avarice before ambition, saying: 'After I won my world title there was a million pounds on the table for him to challenge me in what would have been a big fight in England at that time.
'He turned it down because he couldn't stand the thought of me getting a bit more as the champion. He's always greedy. He is a very good salesman but when he promoted himself against Froch he made a lot of money for Carl.
'That's George. He's intelligent but sometimes a bit too clever for his own good. He's a weird character.'
Groves hopes to put down his marker for a fourth title shot when he fights another of our nearly-world champions, Martin Murray, on the undercard of Anthony Joshua's first world heavyweight title defence in June.
If the Saint finally achieved his goal, would Chunky see sense in a unification match?
'Maybe,' says DeGale. 'But only if he had a full world title. He's going for a WBA belt, which is the softest option, but probably only for what they call their 'regular' title which is not worth much. And he's not certain to beat Murray. Martin's a hard man and that is a 50-50 fight.
'After that, even If he gets past Murray and goes on to win a belt, the money will still be a problem for George. I expect to have two belts by then, which would qualify me for two-thirds of the purse. He wouldn't like that.'
The prospect of a second belt beckons in the Armory here in DC in the shape of promotional double header.
In addition to DeGale v Medina for the IBF title, Jack defends, against former champion Lucian Bute, the WBC belt he won by beating Groves.
The two winners are pledged to meet each other in a unification bout later this year.
DeGale, having beaten Bute in Canada, hopes Jack comes through, saying: 'It's not ideal to box someone you've already defeated quite comfortably. If Bute does win, then probably the only place our second fight would make financial sense would be back in his country.
'But I want my next fight to be back in England. I need to re-connect with my fans at home and Jack says he would be willing to go to London.'
Much depends on the view of Al Haymon, boxing's American Svengali. And the money.
Haymon, as advisor to scores of leading fighters, is a shadowy figure but DeGale says: 'When I first joined Al he told me he would make me rich and famous. Well, he's certainly taking care of the finances. Instead of earning two or three hundred thousand dollars-a-fight in the UK, I'm getting seven figures now.
'If that means fighting in America, so be it. But after these two fights I need a really big name.'
That might require moving up to the light-heavyweight division, where the brilliant Andre Ward has agreed to fight fearsome Russian KO artist Sergey 'Krusher' Kovalev in the autumn.
DeGale never ducks a challenge and says: 'Once I unify the super-middleweight division I should be ready for either of them. Ward is a very clever boxer but I know I have the skills to defeat him. Kovalev is powerful and dangerous and can win if he catches Ward. But I believe that with my speed I can outbox him, as well as take his punches if needs be.'
Such a move would emulate Amir Khan daring to go up more than one division for next Saturday's startling assault on world middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez.
DeGale says: 'I worry that Canelo will be too strong for Amir but I admire him for doing it. Like me, he is prepared to take on anyone. And his speed gives him a chance, if he can avoid getting caught by big shots for the full 12 rounds.'
The alternative for DeGale would be to try to trim down to middleweight for the biggest box office fight of all, against the phenomenal Gennady Golovkin.
'Getting to that poundage would be hard for me,' says DeGale. 'I'm 30 now and as you get a bit older it's difficult to change your body. But it would be a great fight. He may want to come up to super-middle once he's beaten all the middleweights and I would love that fight. He knocks everyone out but he doesn't scare me.'
Chunky expects to be the one inflicting the KO in DC. He says: 'Medina's a typically tough Mexican but I should take him out fairly early.'
His self-confidence sometimes borders on the brash and can jar on the British public. But in distant America, southpaw James DeGale is establishing himself as a genuinely world class boxer.
Re: James DeGale v Rogelio Medina
If Bute doesn't shit himself - being outside Canada - he has a good chance of beating Jack.
DeGale needs to get back to England for fucks sake. The majority of people don't give a shit about fights happening in the early hours of the morning. Totally under the radar
Re: James DeGale v Rogelio Medina
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Originally Posted by
Primo Carnera
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Originally Posted by
p4pking
I'm sure he'd rather give Callum Smith a shot than be fighting a journeyman on the undercard of a guy he just beat:P I feel like Bute has a reasonable shot against Jack though, would a rematch between him and DeGale be that interesting?
Firstly I don't think he would rather be fighting Callum Smith, because Callum Smith would take his title. Secondly, that Journeyman is his Mandatory. If he wants to keep his title , he has to fight him.
I reckon Degale and Jack will both win, fight each other and Jack will win.
Take it you're not a big DeGale fan? Firstly, I think he's very good. Secondly, way to soon to know if Callum Smith would beat him or not. Thirdly, I wouldn't give Jack a great chance at all. Fourthly, I reckon the use of connective adverbs gave your post a condescending overtone.
Re: James DeGale v Rogelio Medina
Firstly, I was just messing around :p Why don't you rate DeGale much? His feet aren't great and he's got some holes, but he's also a dynamic puncher and a very akward lefty who is seemingly really tough as well. I think he'd be a hell of a task for anyone who hasn't been tested a bit more than Smith(who does look like a beast, granted). Jack I just don't see as doing anything special, and I doubt he'd be able to take DeGales power. He's got some skills, but isn't nearly as elusive as Andre Dirrell for instance.
