By Edward Chaykovsky
Trainer Jim McDonnell, who works as the head coach for Olympic gold medal winner James DeGale, is confident his man will overcome Andre Dirrel on May 23rd in Boston when they battle for the vacant IBF super middleweight title which Carl Froch vacated earlier this year. DeGale was the mandatory challenger to Froch, who wasn't too interested in facing the boxer called "Chunky."
"I'm a realist, and with Dirrell at his best, against James at his best, James DeGale wins the fight," McDonnell told MailSport. "James DeGale at his best against Dirrell, coming up against someone at a level he hasn't boxed against for his last three fights, on a personal level, well, the fact that he didn't want James in the UK tells me everything.
"That tells me everything. He may talk a good game but when the bell rings, he's on his own, and he gets hit with every shot, and this kid (DeGale) hits 130 shots a round. To go in there, I just don't think, with the pace James is going to bring, he's going to have the guile to get through."
McDonnell says DeGale is training very hard and focusing on a very active workrate.
"I watched James spar this week and he's bringing such a work rate and pressure to the table. The fact is that he can keep it going round-after-round, and watching Dirrell's last few fights and being real, as tricky and good as he is, James knows how to cut the ring down and work the body. I can't see anything other than a world title. I really can't."
