by Cliff Rold
It may or may not turn out to be a good fight. We know going in we have an intriguing match. A pair of Olympians, both with one narrow loss apiece, have arrived at a chance to win their first major title.
Only one of them will pull that off.
For Dirrell, many expected this moment years ago. The athletic gifts were evident when he won Bronze at Middleweight in 2004, ousted by eventual Silver Medalist Gennady Golovkin. He came close to a title against Carl Froch in the first round of the Super Six tournament in 2009 but inactivity has plagued him in the five years since. He won his second tournament fight but claimed a lasting injury from a disqualification win over Arthur Abraham and withdrew. Dirrell all but vanished until three fights in 2014 and watched as his brother Anthony won, and lost, a belt in the division and Olympic teammate Andre Ward win the Super Six.
If Dirrell is ever going to make a statement, the time is now.
DeGale bettered Dirrell at the 2008 Games in China, winning Gold at Middleweight. Where Dirrell’s only loss came to Froch, DeGale saw his unbeaten mark broken early in a clash with George Groves. The majority decision was debatable, but it’s what came of it that counts. DeGale continued to toil. Groves rode the win to a pair of clashes with Froch.
The Froch-Groves clash drew over 80,000 fans.
DeGale has to wonder if that could have been him. Maybe it can be some day. A loss on Saturday would be a dramatic step away from those sorts of dreams.
Let’s go the report card.
The Ledgers
James DeGale
Age: 29
Title: 1st title opportunity
Height: 6’0
Weight: 167.2 lbs.
Hails from: Harlesden, London, United Kingdom
Record: 20-1, 14 KO
Rankings: #3 (BoxRec), #4 (Ring), #5 (ESPN), #6 (BoxingScene), #8 (TBRB)
Current/Former World Champions/Titlists Faced: 0
Vs.
Andre Dirrell
Age: 31
Title: None
Height: 6’1
Weight: 167.8 lbs.
Hails from: Flint, Michigan
Record: 24-1, 16 KO
Rankings: #6 (ESPN), #7 (Ring), #10 (BoxRec)
Record in Major Title Fights: 0-1
Current/Former World Champions/Titlists Faced: 2 (Carl Froch L12, Arthur Abraham WDQ11)
Grades
Pre-Fight: Speed – Dirrell A; DeGale A-
Pre-Fight: Power – Dirrell B+; DeGale B+
Pre-Fight: Defense – Dirrell B; DeGale B+
Pre-Fight: Intangibles – Dirrell B; DeGale B+
Which version of each fighter can we expect Saturday (NBC, 4:30 PM/1:30 PM PST)? Will we get the DeGale who has been on a streak of stoppages? Will we get the Dirrell who was outfoxing Arthur Abraham or the one who sometimes crosses the line from boxing to running so overtly that he starts slipping to the floor because his back leg slips out from under him?
Those questions are why for many this is more intriguing as a match of top Super Middleweights than as a potentially exciting fight. Since embarking on a sustained comeback, we’ve seen a better Dirrell in terms of offense. He’s showing more patience; more calm where there used to be anxiety.
How they match up will be interesting in an all-southpaw clash. Who will lead? DeGale sometimes fights very loose. That could make him vulnerable to the straight shots of Dirrell at range. When they are closer, the awkward angles of DeGale could wreak havoc on a Dirrell who, for all his talent, can be sloppy.
Dirrell’s athleticism is premiere, but that sometimes makes his skill set overrated. He’s got inconsistent balance and that could be a big edge for DeGale. The Brit has the better feet, leaving him in better position to execute his offense when he needs to. When Dirrell bites down, plants, and let’s go, he can be a force.
Can he do that for a whole fight with a quality opponent? Even in the Abraham fight, which he was winning handily, there was drama late as Dirrell started to tire. He appeared to be knocked down late in that fight and was in retreat when a frustrated, foul Abraham decked him on the floor off a slip. Against Froch, Dirrell closed pretty well but he didn’t maintain his edge in the middle of the fight when he needed to on the road.
We just don’t know enough yet about both of these men as professionals. DeGale is just arriving at the title level. Dirrell is returning after just missing his jumping on point five years ago.
Hopefully, getting some more answers will be entertaining.
The Picks
This is a coin flip fight and the edge may not be physical. DeGale appears to be a little mentally tougher. He'll be more willing to make it a fight when he needs to and that could be enough in the second half. The speed gap, favoring Dirrell, will be a factor early. If there is a knockout, it would probably be the more explosive Dirrell scoring it earlier in the fight. A knockout feels unlikely. The issue for Dirrell will be what happens when the fight settles down. DeGale’s work rate could be more consistent and he seems to know who he is more as a fighter. This is a fight where a highly debated decision won't be a surprise but the pick is DeGale by decision.
Report Card and Staff Picks 2015: 34-9 (Including staff picks for Povetkin-Perez and Boxcino)
Cliff Rold is the Managing Editor of BoxingScene, a founding member of the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board, and a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. He can be reached at roldboxing@hotmail.com