Comments Thread For: James DeGale Vacates IBF Title, No Jose Uzcategui Fight

[Chrismart]

Hmm does this this mean BJS?
He's got a few fights left and if he's looking to cash out the domestic scene is always a seller.

Is DeGale a free agent? I saw an interview with him at the Haye/Bellew fight alongside Hearn and he said he was desperate to fight on a big Hearn card in the UK again.

[BillyBoxing]

Smart move lol

[Vinnykin]

Strange move from De Gale, his stock really hit a low after the Jack pummelling, and then going on to lose his title in front of his home fans.... I don't think he raised his stock much by winning it back either.

Apart from BJS who will fight him? Will Groves be interested with no belt on the line? he will need to get ranked with the WBA for a voluntary. His chance to leave a legacy would have been a unification, he just needed to take care of one mandatory and fight the Groves/Smith winner in a huge fight.

Bad move for De Gale, I hope Groves doesn't fight him.

[Scipio2009]

Looks like he'll be fighting BJS in September then.

Yawn.

Degale-Saunders at 168lbs
...

Uzcategui-Plant for the IBF 168lb
Jacobs-Andrade for the WBO 160lb
Derevyanchenko-Murray for IBF 160

[R_Walken]

I think the plan was to use the belt to get a better deal from whomever he fought. He couldn't do a deal before the mandatory came up however and had to weigh the dangers of taking the fight and what another loss would do to his rep so soon after Truax against what the belt brought.

Boxing is often about timing isn't it? Groves being in the tournament, Eubank going back to school etc. None of it happened at the right time for Degale.

Good post and I get that point of view and it makes complete sense

I’m just saying as a fan of his I don’t like the move. It’s a b.itch move the way I see it l. Regaining your strap only to have no intention of defending it and no fight announcement letting people know if him dropping the belt was justified or is this him not wanting to fight Uzcategui l. Because if his next fight isnt a big $ UK fight and against a scrub then he kind of goes out like a b.itch

He probably will get a $ fight next and he’s earned it but If he fights Saunders next good scrap between 2 names( fan of both ) but it loses significance because what Degeale just did l. If it’s Groves , great rivalry fight but it had a chance to be a unification fight and now just a grudge match between 2 fighters on their last legs

Right now though Degeale relinquishing his strap can’t be looked at as a positive no matter how you spin it

[apollocreed]

I'd be down with your sentiment if his recent record was impressive but it's not been. A dubious draw to Badou Jack followed by a loss to Truax and then winning unconvincingly in a stinky rematch isn't the kind of form that grants you the privilege to evade a legit challenger like Uzcategui and avoid criticism. Fair enough if he's got another, better fight already lined up, but I doubt that. Groves is committed to the WBSS final, and the only other name that would make me take notice would be Eubank - and if Degale was in negotiations to fight Eubank I feel like one way or another we'd have heard about it by now.

That would be an interesting matchup though. Two guys who are skilled and physically gifted but tactically inept.

Eubank Jr is not skilled.

[ThoughtYouKnew!]

Uzcategui is a very high risk, low reward opponent. It’s an obvious duck by Degale.

[chaosisme]

People on here are giving Uzcategui too much credit for beating a shot Dirrell.

[chaosisme]

Also, this is probably who Gary Sullivan is fighting on the Golovkin undercard. LOL

[chaosisme]

Sullivan vs Degale is a true mexican style battle.