IBF super middleweight champion, James DeGale (21-1,14ko), says that assuming he gets past his Nov. 28 date with Lucian Bute in Canada, then a big unification with WBC champion, Badou Jack is firmly on his radar.
The Londoner, who is with influential advisor, Al Haymon, won his title on the PBC platform against Andre Dirrell in Boston back in May, and makes the maiden defence of his IBF trinket out in the veteran’s Canadian backyard, also under the PBC banner.
Matchroom boxing boss, Eddie Hearn, has one eye on a huge UK super-middleweight unification between IBF champion, James DeGale and recent signing Martin Murray, provided both come through their next outings.
Murray challenges for Arthur Abraham’s WBO 168 lb strap in Germany on Nov.21, while DeGale defends his IBF strap a week later against former champ, Lucian Bute in Canada, and the Beijing 2008 gold medalist has stated that unification fights are on his mind for the future – including one against Murray should he prevail.
WBC super-middleweight champion, Badou Jack, has stated that he is keen on a unification fight with Britain’s IBF champion, James DeGale in the future, though has admitted he may end up fighting Julio Cesar Chavez Jr first.
Jack recently beat DeGale’s bitter rival George Groves in Las Vegas on the Floyd Mayweather/Andre Berto bill, and is keen to get his hands on the Beijing 2008 gold medalist for a unification next year, provided ‘Chunky’ gets past Canada’s Lucien Bute on Nov. 28 first.
Former IBF super middleweight champion Lucien Bute, has insisted he was surprised at James DeGale’s decision to travel to his Quebec backyard on Nov. 28 to make the maiden defence of the belt he won in Boston back in May.
IBF champion, DeGale, will be giving the now 35 year old Bute a golden opportunity to win his old belt back – a title he held for 9 successive defences before travelling to the UK himself in 2012 and being destroyed by hometown hero Carl Froch.
IBF super-middleweight champion, James DeGale, is relishing the task of beating former champion Lucien Bute in his Canadian backyard on November 28, claiming that when he does so he wants the big names in the division next.
DeGale, newly signed to Al Haymon and coming off of his triumphant title win over Andre Dirrell in Boston back in May, is venturing out of the UK once again to fight the 35 year old Bute, who was knocked out by Carl Froch back in 2012 and is fighting to save his career against the Beijing 2008 gold medalist.
George Groves has conducted his first sit-down interview since losing in his WBC 168 lb title challenge to Badou Jack on last month’s Mayweather/Berto undercard, using the opportunity to put the boot into bitter rival James DeGale, claiming that he will ‘always have his number.’
Following the loss to Jack, Groves deleted his social media accounts and parted for good from trainer Paddy Fitzpatrick, although now he has had a month to reflect, appeared to be using a bit of reverse psychology regarding old foe DeGale, claiming he was in ‘no rush’ to land a fight with the IBF super middleweight champion.
Former super-middleweight world champion Carl Froch may well be one of the most perfectly placed to speak on IBF 168 lb champ, James DeGale’s next opponent, Lucien Bute, and claims today in his Sky Sports column that the Romanian simply isn’t the same fighter that he was before being “Cobra’d” by Froch in 2012.
Froch was fantastic that night in his hometown, entering at the time as a slight underdog and facing the cold reality that a defeat could really put the skids on his career at elite level, as he’d just come off being soundly beaten by Andre Ward in the final of the Super Six and was thus, belt-less.
It’s been confirmed that IBF 168 lb champion James DeGale will make the maiden defence of his title on November 28th against former champion Lucien Bute in Quebec, Canada – the Romanian fighter’s adopted backyard – and following that fight “Chunky” has stated he only wants the big names in the future.
There had been high hopes of a rematch with bitter rival George Groves – who squeezed past DeGale in their close 2011 encounter – although those plans were scotched when Groves came up short in last month’s WBC title tilt against Badou Jack on the Mayweather/Berto undercard in Las Vegas.
It’s been officially confirmed that Britain’s IBF super middleweight champion James DeGale, will indeed face Canadian-based Romanian Lucien Bute on November 28th in Quebec, Canada.
The British former Olympic gold medalist is newly ‘advised’ by Al Haymon, and will be making the maiden defence of the title he won back in May by scalping Andre Dirrell in Boston, in doing so becoming the first British gold medal winning Olympian in history to go on and win a world title in the professional ranks.