The IBF World super middleweight champion James “Chunky” DeGale returns from his travels as a road warrior this weekend, the 9th of December to defend his title, when he takes on American Caleb Truax at London’s Copper Box arena in a homecoming of sorts after three years and four World title wins across the pond.
DeGale has plenty to prove fighting for the first time in almost a year after an injury to his shoulder cost him a draw in a unification bout against then WBC champion Badou Jack in New York in January this year.
Op was bigger than expected. They found a 180 degree tear 😬 Bit of a longer recovery but still hoping to fight this year 👊🏽 pic.twitter.com/3bYdFS04P2
— James DeGale (@jamesdegale1) June 8, 2017
DeGale also found himself on the canvas for the first time in his career, and finished the very close fight minus a tooth and damaged ear drum.
The draw was still a decent performance in hindsight as Badou Jack has since proved himself once more by ripping the WBA Light Heavyweight belt away from Welshman Nathan Cleverly in August in emphatic fashion in five one sided rounds.
The super middleweight division is bursting with talent at this time and most of it is British, with former opponent George Groves now the WBA champion and young guns Callum Smith and Chris Eubank Jr all looking to triumph in the Super Series. Therefore it is highly important for DeGale to throw down the Gauntlet to his fellow English trio with a destructive win over the capable but highly beatable Caleb Truax.
The Minnesota US native Truax has lost only 3 of 33 contests with his wins coming over moderate opposition mostly in the middleweight division, and when he has stepped up in class he has tasted defeat as in his points losses to Jermaine Taylor in 2012 and a more respectable performance staying the distance with Daniel Jacobs for the middleweight belt two years ago.
However, he was exposed in April last year when stopped in dramatic fashion on the ropes with two very heavy right hands from highly ranked Anthony Dirrell whose only loss comes to Badou Jack.
https://twitter.com/boxnationtv/status/937774773408382976
The form is set, the question for me is not about who but how? And James DeGale I expect to answer in spectacular fashion with an early stoppage to stamp his claim to the chasing pack.
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DeGale: I’m Pulling For Groves