DeGale loses world title in disastrous homecoming
The promise was of a masterclass from James DeGale but this was a disastrous homecoming for the southpaw who had a nightmare return to London in the fourth defence of his International Boxing Federation super middleweight crown here against American Caleb Truax last night.
DeGale lacked fluency, urgency and his usual snap after 11 months out of the ring and was ground down by his rival who took the title by majority decision, 114-114, 115-112 and 116-112.
Shaven-headed Turax merited the points victory. DeGale started brightly, but was out of sorts from the middle of the second round onwards, as the 34-year-old challenger – ranked No15 by the IBF, and 55 in the world by boxing site BoxRec – proved more than troublesome.
DeGale, considered by many as the No1 12st fighter in the world, looked lethargic and heavy on his feet. Hard as he tried, the 31-year-old could not shake off the ring rust.
“I’ve boxed at a high level for a long time but need to go back to the drawing board after this … I thought I won it. If I’m being honest, I think I’ve rushed back after the surgeries, and I should probably have come back next year. But a credit to him for winning it,” said a crestfallen DeGale, who suffered his second defeat in 26 fights. Who knows how much January’s brutal draw with Badou Jack in New York took out of DeGale. The bridge holding his two front teeth was knocked out, he had two surgeries on a deviated septum and a torn rotator cuff.
DeGale had only been punching with his right shoulder for two months and his comments suggest that the snap was not there in his body. Rival George Groves was quick to tweet that DeGale should “call it a day” but there was no talk of retirement last night.
Lee Selby retained his IBF featherweight crown with a skilled outing against Mexican Eduardo Ramirez, and will go on to face mandatory challenger from Yorkshire, Josh Warrington, in Leeds in the spring.
Selby won 118-110, 119-109, and 116112 on the cards, but met an unbeaten fighter who was unusually precluded by the Boxing Board of Control last Tuesday from challenging for the title after arriving in the UK 8lbs outside the 126lb featherweight limit.
Earlier, 20-year-old heavyweight Daniel Dubois maintained his unbeaten record and moved to 6-0 with a second-round knockout of Dorian Darch, dropping him four times. Anthony Joshua, the IBF and WBA heavyweight champion, also stopped Darch in his fourth contest in round two.
Anthony Yarde retained his WBO European light heavyweight title with a fourth-round stoppage of experienced Montenegrin Nikola Sjekloca.