Eubank Jr Proves Too Much For DeGale

Eubank Jr Proves Too Much For DeGale

The IBO super middleweight title which was on the line tonight at the O2 was a mere irrelevance, an irritation even. The fight was about relevance for Chris Eubank Jr and for James DeGale it was about survival in more ways than one.

I picked Eubank Jr to finally get his first real signature win, primarily based on the fact that I didn’t think DeGale was what he once was, he wasn’t, not even close.

DeGale has lost many of the attributes that made him such a superb fighter, if an underappreciated one, but the one thing he hasn’t lost is his immense heart.

After a close opening round which DeGale edged, it became a matter of survival, fighting to stay in the fight rather than fighting to win it.

DeGale was dropped in the 2nd, and again in the 10th, and I thought that would have been a good time to pull him out, last fight or not. Those punches he took in the final 2 rounds were unnecessary and will leave their mark.

For DeGale retirement shouldn’t be considered it should be a given. There is no more to give, the official scores of 114-112, 115-112, 117-109 largely flattered DeGale in my opinion, the 117-109 was about right.

Eubank Jr got the win he desired, the win he badly needed. Did I see much improvement, minor ones maybe, but pretty much the same version we have seen before. Nate Vasquez hasn’t yet had the time to correct the many flaws, this win will give him that time.

Photo Credit: Action Images