LONDON CALLING
Selby and Degale team up with Warren, writes George Gigney
Next fight details confirmed for British world champions Degale and Selby
IBF champions Lee Selby and James Degale are both pursuing big domestic fights after joining forces with promoter Frank Warren and his Boxnation/bt Sport platforms.
In a surprise announcement, Warren last week confirmed that featherweight Selby and super-middleweight Degale will defend their titles at the Copper Box Arena in London on December 9.
For Wales’ Selby, the move to a new platform could finally see him secure the lucrative clashes he has long been pursuing since winning his title in 2015.
“I’m going to finish the year now with three fights, that’s perfect for any world champion. It allows for a three month training camp, a fight and then a month’s rest,” he told Boxing News.
“Do that three times a year, that’s perfect. It’ll be perfect for me to finish the year with three fights, another win under my belt and then next year I’m looking for the big fights, that’s all I want to be involved in.”
There are two fighters in particular that Selby is keen to meet; Leeds’ Josh Warrington and Northern Irish superstar Carl Frampton, who both joined Warren and BT Sport earlier this year.
“That’s the reason I made this decision; these guys can’t avoid me now. They’re saying they want to fight me, now I’ve joined the platform they’re on just to make sure the fights can be made,” Selby confirmed.
“People who really don’t know me or who aren’t proper boxing fans say I’m avoiding fights – I don’t avoid anybody. It’s them [other fighters] who are avoiding me. I’m here, I’m ready. Each year I want to fight the best, so if any big fight doesn’t get made it’s not on my behalf. I’ll travel anywhere to fight anybody.
“Obviously I’m not going to fight the best fighters in the world for peanuts, I want to be well rewarded, but not so well rewarded that the fights can’t be made. I won’t ask for too much, I just
‘TO BE DEFENDING MY WORLD TITLE IN MY HOME CITY IS A DREAM COME TRUE. I’M BACK, FIT AND READY TO GO’
‘I WON’T ASK FOR TOO MUCH. I JUST WANT WHAT I’M WORTH’
want what I’m worth.”
Though neither Selby nor Degale are tied to long-term deals with Warren, they have both clearly developed plans with the veteran promoter. For Selby, that is this fight in December, then a mandatory defence against Warrington, who recently became the IBF No. 1 challenger, and then a blockbuster battle with Frampton.
“We had a disappointing 2016 where, for one reason or another, things didn’t go our way and he [Selby] wasn’t as active as he would’ve liked so it was important for him, in 2017, to have three fights, two world title defences,” Selby’s manager, Jamie Sanigar, told Boxing News.
“Lee wants to be in the big fights but sometimes it takes time for them to transpire. Leading into 2018 those fights with Josh Warrington and Carl Frampton are clearly on the radar. With our linkup with Al Haymon there’s still the prospect of [ Abner] Mares, Leo Santa Cruz, Gary Russell Jnr, so you’ve got some big fights that really need to be made in 2018 and that’s what we’re really keen to make happen. “The IBF letter that came to us after the
[ Jonny] Barros win [in July] stated that his next mandatory [defence] would be due by April 15, 2018. Lee will box in December so we’ll be looking to make the mandatory defence sometime in that timeframe.
“I’m not privy to Carl’s plans, he’s obviously made a lot of changes behind the scenes, but the information that I’m getting is that he wants to settle in with his new trainer, which I can understand, and then in the summertime he’s been very vocal about boxing at Windsor Park and for that fight he’ll be looking for a huge name like Selby, Santa Cruz or Mares. So the winner of SelbyWarrington would be one on his radar because, no doubt, he wants a crack at that world title.”
Selby added: “It’s going to be a huge 2018 and I’m going to whoop them all.”
Both Selby and Degale have previously worked with Eddie Hearn and boxing on Sky Sports, but they are now free agents after their contracts with Matchroom expired. The Welshman, whose career has stagnated since his breakout win over
Evgeny Gradovich in 2015, intends to take advantage of being one of the bigger names on this new stage.
He said: “I believe I can become a star on this BT Sport platform. I’m managed by, in my opinion, the best managers in the country, I’m advised by Al Haymon, the most powerful man in world boxing and I’m promoted by Frank Warren, probably the best promoter in the world, he’s been around for years. I’ve got the best team around me, now it’s just for me to do my job in the ring.” Londoner Degale has not fought since his gruelling draw with Badou Jack back in January. The 31-yearold has recovered from various injuries and will fight in London for the first time since winning his world title in 2015.
Though he is not part of the ongoing World Boxing Super Series, which includes his compatriots Callum
Smith, Chris Eubank Jnr and WBA champion George Groves, Degale hopes to fight the winner of the tournament next year.
“To be defending my world title in my home city is a dream come true,” he said.
“I’m back in full training and feeling fit and ready to go on December 9. Fans can look forward to an explosive performance.”