Dirrell Doesn't Consider DeGale As Tough As Froch
May 14, 2015 • 5:08 AM ET
By Keith Idec
Andre Dirrell expects a difficult fight against James DeGale when they meet May 23 in Boston for the vacant IBF super middleweight title.
Dirrell doesn’t think DeGale will be his toughest foe from England, though. When asked to compare DeGale to Carl Froch (33-2, 24 KOs), the super middleweight champion who narrowly defeated Dirrell by split decision in their title fight 5½ years ago in Froch’s native Nottingham, Dirrell made that perfectly clear.
“As far as skills, I give the edge to James DeGale,” Dirrell said on a conference call Thursday. “But as far as toughness – mental toughness, physical toughness – that’s Carl Froch all day. We all know how tough Froch is. … I have to give the edge to Carl Froch in that aspect.”
The 31-year-old Dirrell (24-1, 16 KOs) has fought just six times since Froch defeated him in October 2009.
The 29-year-old DeGale (20-1, 14 KOs) hasn’t succeeded in trying to lure Froch into a fight that’d do big business in England. DeGale’s lone loss came by majority decision against England’s George Groves (21-2, 16 KOs), whom Froch has stopped in each of his past two fights.
The Dirrell-DeGale fight will be broadcast by NBC as part of Al Haymon’s “Premier Boxing Champions” series.
Keith Idec covers boxing for The Record and Herald News, of Woodland Park, N.J., and BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.
