I’ll quit if rival beats me again, says DeGale

JAMES DeGALE reaches out for redemption tonight through the eye of a desert storm. Britain’s Olympic gold medallist from Beijing 2008 will attempt to regain his world title against a turbulent backdrop. Las Vegas is currently reeling from the cancellation of the Canelo Alvarez-Gennady Golovkin showdown. Canelo pulled out of the rematch next month in advance of the April 18 hearing into two failed drugs tests that he claims were caused by eating contaminated meat. His withdrawal has left Las Vegas dealing with thousands of refunds for high-cost tickets at the T-Mobile Arena and countless cancelled hotel rooms and airline tickets. All In addition to the blow of a $100million (£71m) casino shortfall on Mexico’s Cinco de Mayo holiday weekend. DeGale (below) goes into his rematch against Caleb Truax, the unheralded American who snaffled his IBF super-middleweight belt in London last December, conscious of the vortex into which he has flown. He welcomes the stand which the Nevada State Athletic Commission appears to be taking over Canelo. DeGale suspects he has found himself in the ring against opponents with potentially lethal drug-fuelled power and says: ‘It is good for boxing if authorities crack down on doping. Ours is a dangerous sport.

The risk of serious injury or even death is raised by drugs cheats and the problem is rife. Believe me. A lot of fighters are using. ‘There have been times when I felt there was something up. I think there’s been others.’ DeGale knows he cannot turn up the chance of becoming a two-time world champion, any more than he can afford to lose to Truax a second time. He has sworn to hang up the gloves unless he wins with a dominant performance. He says: ‘The way I lost my title to Caleb was horrendous, shocking . . . I could not go on if I embarrassed myself like that again.’ Truax is an honest Joe with a big heart. But a one-dimensional trier should never have been good enough to unseat a champion of DeGale’s talent.

Truax v DeGale is live on BoxNation late tonight.