DeGale: Floyd Mayweather Won't Be Able To Help Badou Jack

By Edward Chaykovsky

IBF super middleweight champion James DeGale is not worried about Floyd Mayweather Jr. being the promotional backer of WBC super middleweight champion Badou Jack.

The two boxers are scheduled for a Showtime televised unification on January 14th at a venue and location to be determined. The winner of the contest will have to face WBC mandatory challenger Callum Smith at a later date in 2017.

Mayweather and DeGale are both advised by manager/adviser Al Haymon.

When the fight takes place, Mayweather will be at ringside to cheer his fighter on, but unless he's getting in the ring to fight that evening - DeGale is not concerned with his presence.

"Jack is a part of Mayweather's team, TMT, so it's good," he told Sky Sports in an exclusive interview. "He's got very good backing from Floyd Mayweather and we all know Mayweather and we know he is still huge, but he's not getting in the ring with me on fight night, is he? It should be a good fight. Now it's finally being confirmed, I am on it. I'm in business."

Last year, DeGale felt Jack was a terrible fighter, but now his mind has completely changed on the matter. He views Jack as a very underrated boxer. DeGale was impressed by Jack's victory over George Groves last September in Las Vegas. Groves in the only fighter to hold a win over DeGale. Jack also got big wins over Anthony Dirrell and a draw with Lucien Bute - which almost everyone saw as a clear points win for DeGale.

"Badou Jack is an underrated fighter. He's a bit like me, he doesn't really get enough credit," said DeGale. "Since he won the world title, I think he's an improved fighter and got better. If I am not on my game, or not on the ball, I could easily lose to Jack. Don't forget Jack beat Anthony Dirrell to win the world title. Then he beat Groves convincingly - he put him down and I mean beat him convincingly - and then he handled Lucien Bute."