James DeGale vs Hadillah Mohoumadi - EBU title

[earsjohn]

Have some bloody perspective people. It's his 14th fight.

In their equivalent fights:

Carl Froch KO1 Damon Hague (23-3-1)
Joe Calzaghe TKO8 Stephen Wilson (11-1-0)
Nigel Benn TKO2 Byron Prince (5-0-0)
Chris Eubank PTS 10 Randy Smith (20-16-0)
Michael Watson TKO 4 Franky Moro (11-18-0)

If anyone can provide a convincing argument as to why any of their 14th opponents are better than DeGales proposed choice, then I'll gladly hear it, but I won't hold my breath.

How many of those contests were live on national television?

I'd guess at zero.

Your guess is at least 60% wrong.

Calzaghe v Wilson was live on ITV (top of the bill)
Froch v Hague was live on BBC1 (top of the bill)
Benn v Prince was live on ITV (On Tate v Sibson u/c)

I have seen the Eubank v Smith fight, although only on a camcorder recording, so I couldn't say whether it was broadcast. Same goes for the Watson fight (although I've not actually seen that one)

[jameswilson]

Have some bloody perspective people. It's his 14th fight.

In their equivalent fights:

Carl Froch KO1 Damon Hague (23-3-1)
Joe Calzaghe TKO8 Stephen Wilson (11-1-0)
Nigel Benn TKO2 Byron Prince (5-0-0)
Chris Eubank PTS 10 Randy Smith (20-16-0)
Michael Watson TKO 4 Franky Moro (11-18-0)

If anyone can provide a convincing argument as to why any of their 14th opponents are better than DeGales proposed choice, then I'll gladly hear it, but I won't hold my breath.

How many of those contests were live on national television?

I'd guess at zero.

You guessed very wrong. You're punishment = death. Never post here again.

[jameswilson]

jameswilson: It's the same notice DeGale has had and all those I named are due a bout, so they are likely to be to ticking over in the gym.

Name me some big fights that have taken place then where an opponent who could lose something was brought in at a few weeks notice. Cleverly v Bellew is the only one that jumps into my head and he as we know was gaining a World title shot from it way before (I know you read the board Tony so this isn't a dig at all, just my opinion) he had earnt it. You're being way unrealistic if you think Bika or Balszay (when the fornicate has a Universum fighter fought on an away promoters bill?) are gonna come over here on a few weeks notice even if they know DeGale has had only a bit more notice.

[gobbles]

As far as I'm aware, they are hoping to go again with DeGale in December. This is the fight to get off the ring rust and introduce him to a C5 audience, step up next time.

[Coco]

I did not realise Calzaghe's first title fight was televised? And I thought Duff had a deal with the BBC

[gobbles]

Have some bloody perspective people. It's his 14th fight.

In their equivalent fights:

Carl Froch KO1 Damon Hague (23-3-1)
Joe Calzaghe TKO8 Stephen Wilson (11-1-0)
Nigel Benn TKO2 Byron Prince (5-0-0)
Chris Eubank PTS 10 Randy Smith (20-16-0)
Michael Watson TKO 4 Franky Moro (11-18-0)

If anyone can provide a convincing argument as to why any of their 14th opponents are better than DeGales proposed choice, then I'll gladly hear it, but I won't hold my breath.

How many of those contests were live on national television?

I'd guess at zero.

Your guess is at least 60% wrong.

Calzaghe v Wilson was live on ITV (top of the bill)
Froch v Hague was live on BBC1 (top of the bill)
Benn v Prince was live on ITV (On Tate v Sibson u/c)

I have seen the Eubank v Smith fight, although only on a camcorder recording, so I couldn't say whether it was broadcast. Same goes for the Watson fight (although I've not actually seen that one)

Calzaghe v Wilson was not live on TV. Top of the bill was Billy Schwer and it was BBC, they would have shown highlights and just main event live. Likewise with Benn v Prince. ITV would show main event after the news (and Sibson v Tate was held up by a riot). Benn would have been on tape.

I also seem to remember that lots of early Froch fights were Friday nights and they would get shown on Grandstand the next day, or just highlights very late at night.

[jimcook]

since eubank jr was mouthing off about kicking degales arse in sparring why dont they just have an eight round fight on ch5 . people would watch, degale gets a piss easy opponent and shakes off the cobwebs, and eubank jr gets his face smshed in....everybodys happy.

[whiskey]

Have some bloody perspective people. It's his 14th fight.

In their equivalent fights:

Carl Froch KO1 Damon Hague (23-3-1)
Joe Calzaghe TKO8 Stephen Wilson (11-1-0)
Nigel Benn TKO2 Byron Prince (5-0-0)
Chris Eubank PTS 10 Randy Smith (20-16-0)
Michael Watson TKO 4 Franky Moro (11-18-0)

If anyone can provide a convincing argument as to why any of their 14th opponents are better than DeGales proposed choice, then I'll gladly hear it, but I won't hold my breath.

Hi John,

If you put up what they respectively earned and compared it to Degale your argument would burst into flames. There is a weight of expectation given the massive exposure and wages he is being paid and the Olympics was 4+ years ago now.

Those names mentioned were fighting very regular and rattled through opponents in their early years. They simply had too to forge a living - they werent on national lottery shows and BBC1 radio one every day.

Degale - pro 3 years plus olympic exposure
Froch - pro 2 years
Calzaghe - pro 2 years
Benn - pro 1 year

I don't wish to sound like Im picking holes in your point, just trying to add to it mate. There is a basis as to why people have an 'expectation'.

The truth is that they've not been afforded much time, hence the opponent. That's understandable and nobody is going overboard with their criticsm here, just that they thought it would actually be someone and not a nobody.

[Bronxbull666]

You are correct, gobbles. Froch was never live on BBC, the fights were shown the next night at around 11pm around the time of Howard Eastman, Khaliq, Robin Reid etc... When Nottingham Arena started holding boxing shows. I guessed the rest weren't live, didn't think they were, thanks for the info.

[Bronxbull666]

jameswilson: It's the same notice DeGale has had and all those I named are due a bout, so they are likely to be to ticking over in the gym.

Name me some big fights that have taken place then where an opponent who could lose something was brought in at a few weeks notice. Cleverly v Bellew is the only one that jumps into my head and he as we know was gaining a World title shot from it way before (I know you read the board Tony so this isn't a dig at all, just my opinion) he had earnt it. You're being way unrealistic if you think Bika or Balszay (when the eff has a Universum fighter fought on an away promoters bill?) are gonna come over here on a few weeks notice even if they know DeGale has had only a bit more notice.

I'm naming fighters that are available and are around the level I expect in a title fight, anyone around them would have done.

[stujones]

Have some bloody perspective people. It's his 14th fight.

In their equivalent fights:

Carl Froch KO1 Damon Hague (23-3-1)
Joe Calzaghe TKO8 Stephen Wilson (11-1-0)
Nigel Benn TKO2 Byron Prince (5-0-0)
Chris Eubank PTS 10 Randy Smith (20-16-0)
Michael Watson TKO 4 Franky Moro (11-18-0)

If anyone can provide a convincing argument as to why any of their 14th opponents are better than DeGales proposed choice, then I'll gladly hear it, but I won't hold my breath.

Hi John,

If you put up what they respectively earned and compared it to Degale your argument would burst into flames. There is a weight of expectation given the massive exposure and wages he is being paid and the Olympics was 4+ years ago now.

Those names mentioned were fighting very regular and rattled through opponents in their early years. They simply had too to forge a living - they werent on national lottery shows and BBC1 radio one every day.

Degale - pro 3 years plus olympic exposure
Froch - pro 2 years
Calzaghe - pro 2 years
Benn - pro 1 year

I don't wish to sound like Im picking holes in your point, just trying to add to it mate. There is a basis as to why people have an 'expectation'.

The truth is that they've not been afforded much time, hence the opponent. That's understandable and nobody is going overboard with their criticsm here, just that they thought it would actually be someone and not a nobody.

A bit of perspective on some of this.

Not sure if Benn 14th fight was shown live.... but he had lots of national exposure on terrestial TV before this. There was even a segment on Nigel Benn on ITV's 1987 Boxing Year in Review show (remember those). Having a segment on such a show highlights that he was making the press - remember 1987 the year of Hagler vs Leonard (shown on ITV) the year Tyson unified the Heavyweight title (shown on ITV). ITV devoted as much time to Benn as they did these.

Benn recorded one of the fastest KO's ever before his 14th fight - and this, whilst not shown live, was shown on a good time slot on Saturday - remember there were only 4 channels available at this point.

I do believe that the BBC showed the Froch vs Hague bill live - also worth noting that the BBC also showed some of Damon Hague fights before, so it could build up a bit of a comparison.

However, people also seem to have forgotton that Channel 5 themselves showed Degale's pro debut on a delayed basis.

[jameswilson]

You are correct, gobbles. Froch was never live on BBC, the fights were shown the next night at around 11pm around the time of Howard Eastman, Khaliq, Robin Reid etc... When Nottingham Arena started holding boxing shows. I guessed the rest weren't live, didn't think they were, thanks for the info.

They weren't shown the next night. Haye v Thompson was shown the next day but Froch's fights at that time were shown that night.

[Newport Daz]

You are correct, gobbles. Froch was never live on BBC, the fights were shown the next night at around 11pm around the time of Howard Eastman, Khaliq, Robin Reid etc... When Nottingham Arena started holding boxing shows. I guessed the rest weren't live, didn't think they were, thanks for the info.

They weren't shown the next night. Haye v Thompson was shown the next day but Froch's fights at that time were shown that night.

Yeah, I remember watching friday night fight on sky and them ruining the result of the Haye V Thompson fight!

[orbtastic]

the Calzaghe fight was shown after the news, from memory. Wasn't the full fight, either.

Was that the fight that Duff celebrated with Calzaghe by buying him a Chinese take-away?

[Bronxbull666]

You are correct, gobbles. Froch was never live on BBC, the fights were shown the next night at around 11pm around the time of Howard Eastman, Khaliq, Robin Reid etc... When Nottingham Arena started holding boxing shows. I guessed the rest weren't live, didn't think they were, thanks for the info.

They weren't shown the next night. Haye v Thompson was shown the next day but Froch's fights at that time were shown that night.

Yeah, I remember watching friday night fight on sky and them ruining the result of the Haye V Thompson fight!

Well they weren't fornicating live, end of!

Jesus, you guys are dumb mutha fuckers!

[jameswilson]

They weren't shown the next night. Haye v Thompson was shown the next day but Froch's fights at that time were shown that night.

Yeah, I remember watching friday night fight on sky and them ruining the result of the Haye V Thompson fight!

Well they weren't effing live, end of!

Jesus, you guys are dumb mutha fuckers!

It's reasoned debate like that, that makes this board so great.

[Bronxbull666]

Not even a debate, I'm saying those fights weren't live and nobody has proved that they were live. Just pointless ramblings about time slots, I don't give a flying fcuk tbh. DeGales opponent is still a bum IMO.

[Final round]

Not even a debate, I'm saying those fights weren't live and nobody has proved that they were live. Just pointless ramblings about time slots, I don't give a flying fcuk tbh. DeGales opponent is still a bum IMO.

Yeah but to really evaluate DeGales opponent we need to know if those fights were broadcast live on Terrestrial TV! then it can be proven that other British champs have fought other poor opposition at similar times in their careers perfectly justifying such poor opposition. Without that there is nothing.

[Bronxbull666]

Not even a debate, I'm saying those fights weren't live and nobody has proved that they were live. Just pointless ramblings about time slots, I don't give a flying fcuk tbh. DeGales opponent is still a bum IMO.

Yeah but to really evaluate DeGales opponent we need to know if those fights were broadcast live on Terrestrial TV! then it can be proven that other British champs have fought other poor opposition at similar times in their careers perfectly justifying such poor opposition. Without that there is nothing.

I detect a hint of sarcasm?

[orbtastic]

Maybe CH5 will show this delayed to even things up.

[Bronxbull666]

Maybe CH5 will show this delayed to even things up.

Probably

[Darcy Delaney]

the Calzaghe fight was shown after the news, from memory. Wasn't the full fight, either.

Was that the fight that Duff celebrated with Calzaghe by buying him a Chinese take-away?

the fight calzaghe was top of the bill on itv was the first defence of the british title and that was vs my brother mark and yeah in his book he say's that the only time duff paid for anything was the chinky he bought after the fight

[josh fg]

Problem with DeGale in terms of his development is he was thrown into some horribly difficult fights from fighting Smith in his 9th fight. Olympic achievement aside he could have done with fighting easier opponents more often so the professional game seems more normal. I think he's doing this a bit the wrong way but he's been in too many early wars and could do with a couple of easy fights in quick succession then a bigger fight so he can get a better idea himself of the kind of fighter he is.

[JamesH]

Rakhim Chakhkiev won gold at the same olympics as De Gale, is 3 years older than De Gale, he's 14-0 and next fights a 9-3-0 opponent. Chunky's doing just fine.

[hurlock]

Degale has been inactive for a good while & don't have tons of expieriance.what do people expect