Big Fight Preview: DeGale vs Eubank Jr

Big Fight Preview: DeGale vs Eubank Jr

It’s being promoted by some as the retirement fight, and with both fighters having two defeats apiece, could it be 3 strikes and you are out for the loser.

I don’t quite see it like that, certainly not in the case of Chris Eubank Jr. Another loss for the enigmatic Brighton pugilistic at the O2 Arena in London would probably see him get repackaged as a middleweight, which really is where he should already be plying his trade.

But if Eubank Jr can finally get that elusive signature win at ‘proper’ world level he will almost certainly be condemning James DeGale to retirement. It would be hard to see where DeGale could go, and at a stage of his career where he already has one foot in the exit door, I don’t see the former Olympic champion wanting to go through the long road of getting back to the title picture.

A long series of injuries throughout his career have hampered his success, and that despite him being a two-time world super middleweight champion. DeGale falls into a category of despite what he has achieved, which is plenty, he could have done more.

The feeling is DeGale is on the slide, a body no longer able to do what it once could. Two desperately hard fights with Caleb Truax seem to very much indicate that perception.

DeGale lost his world title to Truax, which a recently repaired shoulder obviously played its part. But the rematch wasn’t much better despite DeGale getting his title back, it looked way harder than it should have been.

Now the IBF title has been given up to chase the money fights, which is where Eubank Jr comes in.

Even before Eubank Jr turned pro there was already a certain amount of hype around him. Comments from his father comparing him to Floyd Mayweather might have grabbed headlines, but in the long-term didn’t really help. Hype is one thing, realistic targets would serve him better.

The ego was already firmly set in place, but that sort of comparison no doubt fed it some more. Eubank Jr has shown breath-taking arrogance at times, thinking he can get there on his own, without the use of a trainer.

A subtle difference is often the key in any sport, but surely having a trainer is a given, a standard requirement in a sport where you never stop learning.

But finally thanks to what George Groves did to him, the penny seems to have finally dropped. Nate Vasquez is the man chosen to add what is missing. You can’t improve unless you admit to yourself what’s wrong, the hiring of Vasquez is a good start.

Eubank Jr looks good on the little videos he releases on social media, hitting the blistering combinations on some immovable object. The same applies in the ring against a certain type of opponent.

But in his two real fights at world level, the flaws were obvious. Eubank Jr can’t seem to handle a jab or movement, stationary targets are fine, anything else gives him real problems.

The addition of Vasquez is welcomed, but it might have come too late to iron out all the bad habits, back to basics springs to mind.

The talent has always been there, but Eubank Jr has been exposed as extremely raw, and refinement to his style is long overdue.

I hope Eubank Jr’s self-reflection hasn’t come too late, and in later years he looks back on what might have been. He might deem his career a success so far, and if he views it based on the money he has earned, then it is.

But despite the IBO belt he once owned, he can’t realistically call himself an ex-world champion, every time he has stepped up in class he has been beaten. The vacant IBO is again on the line on Saturday, not that anybody really cares.

The Billy Joe Saunders loss was a case of too much to soon, while Groves was simply better on the night, and probably would be on any night.

In both fights Eubank Jr struggled to get going, he found it hard to get into range. Forcing his way in close rather than any real science to it, there was little method in his work. By the time he got into both fights, the fights were already as good as over.

Can a few short months listening and learning with his new trainer really bridge that gap, I have my doubts.

DeGale is the proven operator, the one with the pedigree, he’s tried and tested. The loss to Groves was razor-thin and could realistically have gone either way, while the loss to Truax you could use the recently operated on shoulder as a legitimate excuse.

DeGale has a similar style to both Groves and Saunders, when he wants to he is an excellent boxer. But like Eubank Jr there are doubts, is DeGale now on that irreversible slide.

It’s a fascinating fight, picking a winner is far from easy. I picked Eubank Jr in the fights with Saunders and Groves, and I was wrong, dare I pick him again. I expected improvements from the Saunders fight, I didn’t see any.

If DeGale was at his peak, I would almost certainly be picking him to win. But I can’t get over hard the two fights with Truax were. Even if you give him a pass for the first one, you can’t ignore how difficult the second fight was. Yes, DeGale got his revenge but it was another incredibly hard fight for him.

DeGale talks about being injury free and how high his motivation is, but everything takes its toll.

But as I alluded to earlier how much can Eubank Jr improve with his new trainer, has Vasquez had enough time to make that much of a difference. Eubank Jr has got this far by being virtually self-taught, impressive in many ways, but he needs far more to defeat the elite and not just compete with them.

SKYBET ODDS:

James DeGale 11/10
Draw 16/1
Chris Eubank Jr 8/11

The odds courtesy of SkyBet have Eubank Jr the slight favourite, but the long odds of 16-1 for the draw might be very tempting to many.

PREDICTION:

Who wins will largely be determined by who can make it their type of fight, if DeGale keeps it at range, he wins. Eubank Jr needs to make it more of a fight, keep on top of DeGale and not give him the time to breathe or the space to do his best work.

If Eubank Jr can improve now he finally has a normal set up, that coupled with the decline of DeGale I think tips the balance in Eubank Jr’s favour ever so slightly.

Despite being more street fighter than boxer at times, Eubank Jr gave Saunders his hardest fight to date, and the Groves loss was hardly a disgrace. That version of Groves would have beaten DeGale far easier than he did when he took away DeGale’s unbeaten record in 2011.

DeGale always seems to have issues fighting the full 12 rounds, be it a mental thing, concentration issues or problems with his conditioning, the pattern is pretty consistent. The habit of staying on the ropes could be his undoing against Eubank Jr.

It might be another slow start for Eubank Jr, but I just have a gut feeling it will be his night. I don’t think it ends inside the distance, the odds say if it goes the distance DeGale wins, but I disagree.

Eubank Jr is undoubtedly the fresher fighter, and that will be the key. I just think he will stay the course the better and that will enable him to grind out a decision.