JAMES DeGALE is in California. The former world champion, who vacated his IBF super-middleweight title, is boxing Fidel Monterrosa Munoz at the Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario on Sunday (September 30). This may just be an eight rounder but itโs not a misstep. Itโs part of the plan.
DeGale is testing his body, tuning up for a more significant contest in December. โIโve got to take it extremely seriously and do a job on him. At the end of the year, somethingโs coming,โ he tells Boxing News. โTest all my injuries have healed up. You canโt beat putting those little gloves on with no headgear and punching someone.โ
โI gave up my title because we had different options,โ he explained. โMe being me, I was going to fight him [his mandatory, Jose Uzcategui]. But if Iโm brutally honest with you, I was going to get a quarter of the money Iโve been earning and itโs a dangerous fight. I spoke to my advisor [Al Haymon] and he said weโve got better options.
โItโs always hard giving up a title but I will get another chance to box for another world title before I retire.โ
โIโm going to get another chance to box for a world title very, very soon,โ he promised. โIโm happy with it.โ
Not this year but eventually he believes a rematch with old rival George Groves will be inevitable. โIf we both get through our next couple of fights, for me my next couple of fights and George gets through his next one, I think weโd be stupid for it not to happen. If we let egos get in the way, or the politics of boxing, weโd be very, very stupid. You never know, listen George Groves is very hard to deal with so Iโm not too sure if it will happen but weโd be stupid if it didnโt happen. I think boxing would like to see that one. It would be a great story as well, seven years on weโve both been world champions, weโve both had a couple of good wins, I think people will want to see it. But weโll see,โ DeGale said. โAll it takes is one or two fights in boxing and youโre back.โ
He will be an interested observer of George Groves and Callum Smith as they fight for the WBA super-middleweight title in the World Boxing Super Series final in Jeddah. โItโs a bit weird, two Brits boxing for a world title, in a big fight, a massive fight and itโs out in Saudi Arabia. Itโs crazy, the boxing public obviously want to see Brits going for a world title. I canโt see why itโs in Saudi Arabia, because you canโt have a drink theyโre not going to get people to go out to Saudi Arabia. It doesnโt make any sense. Obviously they must have made a deal with someone over there before it was announced,โ he said. โThey must have been committed to it. But if Iโm being honest, itโs stupid.โ
DeGale has warning from his own experience for Groves. He felt heโd come back too soon from a shoulder injury when he lost his world title to Caleb Truax in 2017. (He won it back in April of this year before vacating.)
โIโve been thinking about his shoulder as well. If this shoulder holds up you have to pick him [to win], obviously going by the past couple of performances.ย Iโm just worried about this shoulder. Obviously my shoulder injury and his are different but itโs still a shoulder injury and he still had to have surgery. So Iโm not too sure how the healing process has been with him. But with mine it took my ages, a year and a half and itโs only feeling normal now,โ DeGale said. โIs it too soon? But if his shoulder is healthy and strong, itโs a real good fight but youโd have to say Groves.
โThis is Smithโs big chance and letโs see if he can do it.โ