DISASTER FOR DEGALE
Out-of-sorts Degale suffers shock defeat to unfancied Truax
‘Chunky’ shockingly loses his IBF supermiddle crown to Caleb Truax in Stratford
JAMES DEGALE’S
miserable 2017 hit a thoroughly unexpected new low as 16/1 underdog
Caleb Truax
relieved him of his IBF super-middleweight title and put a line through all the Brit’s big plans for the new year.
This was supposed to be a fight to make Degale look good. A homecoming for the Londoner – who had not boxed in this city since Carl Froch-george Groves II in May 2014 – which would also allow him to test out his right shoulder following major reconstructive surgery back in June.
Truax, the former middleweight rated 15 by the IBF and far lower by most right-thinking people, had very different plans for the evening. The man from Minnesota kept a very low profile during fight week, but would have picked up on Degale’s suggestions that he was preparing for an ‘easy’ one, before unification fights next year. In the end, it was everything but easy.
“All week all I heard was who he was going to fight next,” Truax said. “Guess what, those fights are mine now.”
Degale was boxing for the first time since drawing with Badou Jack in January, when only a 12th-round knockdown prevented him from unifying the WBC and IBF titles. Then, after a proposed summer clash with Callum Smith fell through, he went under the knife.
It has been a long, arduous rehabilitation, and Degale had only been able to punch for the seven weeks before this contest. Despite that, he showed few signs of ring rust when comfortably claiming the first.
But Truax grew in confidence and worked steadfastly behind a jab while occasionally releasing his right. Degale began to slip back into his bad, old habit of retreating to the ropes and covering up. In the past, he remained elusive in that shell, but here
‘THAT WAS NOT THE JAMES DEGALE YOU’RE USED TO SEEING’
Truax was getting through at will.
Through three and four, the visitor’s belief that he could actually win continued to grow, and he translated that feeling into a huge fifth round, during which he snapped Degale’s head back with a series of stiff back hands.
It was during the fifth, it is understood, that Degale’s nose was broken, the result of which was a late night trip to the hospital. He finished the round covered in blood and seemingly on his way to an unlikely defeat.
Truax maintained the pressure as best he could, but understandably began to tire in the later rounds, while Degale rallied. The champion was still spending far too much time on the ropes, but was releasing encouraging combinations whenever he emerged to centre ring.
Degale probably won the last three rounds, but it was deemed too little, too late by two of the judges, who confirmed that Truax had pulled off arguably the shock of the year. Benoit Roussel had it 115-112, while Alex Levin scored Truax a 116-112 winner. The third judge, Dave Parris, who was scoring a British fight for the final time, had honours even at 114-114.
As referee Phil Edwards held the new champion’s hand aloft, Truax crumbled to his knees in the the ring. Degale, meanwhile, was left to pick up the pieces of his 26-fight career.
“To say I’m devastated is an understatement,” he said. “That was not the James Degale in the ring that you’re used to seeing and I will have to go back to the drawing board and analyse what went wrong because in all honesty I should not have lost to Caleb Truax.
“I know that I’m leagues above him, but for whatever reason I just didn’t perform in there on the night and I’m at loss to explain why. It’s still quite soon after the fight so I’m not going to make any immediate decisions and I’ll take some time out over the Christmas and New Year period to reflect.” It was speculated afterwards that Degale may even consider ending his long association with trainer Jim Mcdonnell, who has steered “Chunky” to British, European and world titles. It would be a huge move for Degale, one of British boxing’s most fiercely loyal men, who treats Mcdonnell, his wife and sons, like part of his own family. There is also an insinuation that the 2008 Olympic gold medallist may never box again.
“I don’t want to be in any other position than No. 1, so I’m going to take some time out to reflect and make some decisions going forward,” he added.
It was a happier night for Britain’s other world champion on the bill, as
Lee Selby comfortably retained his IBF featherweight title with a unanimous decision victory over Eduardo Ramirez.
The Welshman has had to endure a testing year in and outside the ring, but can now look forward to an extremely prosperous 2018 after handling business at the Copper Box Arena.
Selby’s Las Vegas debut was cancelled in January after there were complications with the pre-fight blood test of his opponent, Jonathan Victor Barros. He did finally get his hands on Barros in July, but boxed just days after the death of his mother. Selby then lost his grandad later in 2017.
But the 30-year-old says boxing helps him forget, albeit briefly, about life’s troubles, and he looked thoroughly at home throughout his clash with Ramirez.
The man from Sinaloa, Mexico was unable to win the belt after weighing in two pounds over the featherweight limit on Friday, but was not in London just to make up the numbers. As such, Selby had to work hard for his win, but looked a class above his opponent whenever he found his groove, switching happily between left hooks to the body and lead rights to the head. When Selby is in full flow, there is perhaps no more watchable boxer in Britain, and he showed glimpses of his brilliant best here.
So it was no surprise when all three judges had him a comfortable winner. Mr Roussel’s 116-112 card seemed a touch close, but Marcus Mcdonnell (119-110) and Mr Levin (118-110) were closer to the money. Michael Alexander was the referee.
As is customary on Frank Warren’s BT Sport/boxnation bills at the Copper Box, there were impressive stoppage wins for his two brightest starlets, Anthony
Yarde and Daniel Dubois. Both fought in scheduled 10-rounders here.
Ilford’s Yarde became the first man to stop Montenegro’s Nikola Sjekloca after forcing Steve Gray to interject after 1-55 of round four. Sjekloca, now 39, is a former world title challenger at supermiddleweight, but looked badly out of his depth against the light-heavyweight dubbed “The Beast”, who floored him twice en route to victory. Greenwich’s Dubois put a stop to
Dorian Darch after 51 seconds of round two which was, eerily, the exact time it took Anthony Joshua to do the same to the Welshman in 2014. Darch, who had been decked in round one, went down three more times in the second, the last of which resulted in Robert Williams waving it off without bothering with a count. Brentwood’s Joe
Mullender stopped Lee Churcher after 50 seconds of the penultimate session of their 12-rounder, having dropped the Newport man four times in front of referee Gray. Peckham’s Johnny Garton, meanwhile, ended the resistance of France-based Moldovan Mihail Orlov after 2-27 of the 10th (set for 12), when Mr Edwards stepped in to stop it.
Welling’s Archie Sharp had eight good rounds with Nicaragua’s Rafael
Castillo, which was scored 80-71 in favour of Sharp, while Sanjeev Sahota of Hornchurch won all six sessions against Slovakia’s Ivan Godor. Mr Williams officiated both contests. Chigwell’s former amateur standout
Harvey Horn kicked off his professional career by stopping Czech Denis Bartos with a body shot after 1-39 of round three (slated for four). Mr Williams took charge.
THE VERDICT
Below-par Degale opens the door for Truax to shock the world.