DeGale vacates the Euro title

[ILikeBeer]

From the BBC Website;

Beijing Olympic champion James DeGale has given up his European super-middleweight crown to focus on his pursuit of a world title.
DeGale won the belt last year and has since defended it twice. The 26-year-old beat Fulgencio Zuniga last week to land the lightly regarded WBC silver title.
"It has been an real honour to be EBU champion and it's a shame that I have had to choose between the two championship belts I hold," DeGale said.
"I feel the best course of action is to defend my WBC belt on route to a world title. The WBC belt will give me a wider choice of world class opponents."

[ILikeBeer]

Hasn't he got a Euro title defence scheduled in January? Is that not going ahead?

[Caustic]

Anderson v Smigga for the vacant title

[avidlemon]

Anderson v Smigga for the vacant title

Good shout.

Would they be able to fight for the British at the same time?

[Caustic]

Anderson v Smigga for the vacant title

Good shout.

Would they be able to fight for the British at the same time?

However I was taking the piss as they are both sh*t ... sorry.

[jameswilson]

Anderson v Smigga for the vacant title

Good shout.

Would they be able to fight for the British at the same time?

Yeah the British and European belts have been unified many times over the years. The EBU won't have that as their title fight unfortunately. Mouhamad Ali Ndiaye was the mandatory challenger and he will be asked to fight the next ranked opponent who wants to contest the title. The last rankings read as follows.

1. Kessler.
2. Stieglitz.
3. Groves.
4. Sjekloca.
5. Rebrasse.
6. Sartison.
7. Sanavia.

They will surely find someone else out of the top 7.

[avidlemon]

Anderson v Smigga for the vacant title

Good shout.

Would they be able to fight for the British at the same time?

However I was taking the piss as they are both sh*t ... sorry.

No worries, it's all opinions ain't it, i happen to think they're a match up. There's been worse that's fought for a euro belt!!

[Caustic]

No worries, it's all opinions ain't it, i happen to think they're a match up. There's been worse that's fought for a euro belt!!

A win over Tommy Tolan doesn't justify Smith getting a shot at the British never mind the Euro.

[Terrrrry]

Can see Groves going for this.

[Caustic]

Can see Groves going for this.

Was the lad that DeGale was due to box his mandatory? If so they'll probably try match him with someone on the January date.

Groves will be taking some time out after the Johnson fight, I think the EBU will want the title active before then.

[ILikeBeer]

Yeah the British and European belts have been unified many times over the years. The EBU won't have that as their title fight unfortunately. Mouhamad Ali Ndiaye was the mandatory challenger and he will be asked to fight the next ranked opponent who wants to contest the title. The last rankings read as follows.

1. Kessler.
2. Stieglitz.
3. Groves.
4. Sjekloca.
5. Rebrasse.
6. Sartison.
7. Sanavia.

They will surely find someone else out of the top 7.

He was scheduled to fight DeGale on 26th January. Boxrec still has it scheduled. I assume that isn't happening now.

Am I the only one who thinks it's a bit weird DeGale vacates now, when he has a planned opponent? Surely vacating the title could've waited a month, if he already had a fight planned. What's the point in vacating it now?

[Horse]

From the BBC Website;

Beijing Olympic champion James DeGale has given up his European super-middleweight crown to focus on his pursuit of a world title.
DeGale won the belt last year and has since defended it twice. The 26-year-old beat Fulgencio Zuniga last week to land the lightly regarded WBC silver title.
"It has been an real honour to be EBU champion and it's a shame that I have had to choose between the two championship belts I hold," DeGale said.
"I feel the best course of action is to defend my WBC belt on route to a world title. The WBC belt will give me a wider choice of world class opponents."

Why does he have to choose between the two titles?

Rabchenko fought for both the European and WBC Silver titles in his last fight.

Is DeGale just avoiding his European mandatory challenger Ndiaye?

http://boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?human_ ... &cat=boxer

[Caustic]

Is DeGale just avoiding his European mandatory challenger Ndiaye?

http://boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?human_ ... &cat=boxer

We know who DeGale was due to fight Forrest, no need to point it out to us.

[Horse]

We know who DeGale was due to fight Forrest, no need to point it out to us.

Just a reminder.

[Caustic]

We know who DeGale was due to fight Forrest, no need to point it out to us.

Just a reminder.

Neither needed nor appreciated.

[ILikeBeer]

Why does he have to choose between the two titles?
Rabchenko fought for both the European and WBC Silver titles in his last fight.

Is DeGale just avoiding his European mandatory challenger Ndiaye?

http://boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?human_ ... &cat=boxer

He doesn't.

And even if he did, why would you pick the WBC Silver title? It's not a prestigious title. In fact, it's barely a title. DeGale is not going to attract any name fighters purely because he has the WBC Silver title. He'd get tougher fights defending the EBU. Fights that would better prepare him for a world title shot, and bring a World Title fight about a lot quicker too.

Anybody who'd pick the silver title, over the EBU title shows a distinct lack of ambition. Especially when you consider it was in no way mandatory. Don't be surprised if you see DeGale lining up a bunch of bums, under the pretence that he's defending a legitimate title.

[jameswilson]

Why does he have to choose between the two titles?
Rabchenko fought for both the European and WBC Silver titles in his last fight.

Is DeGale just avoiding his European mandatory challenger Ndiaye?

http://boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?human_ ... &cat=boxer

He doesn't.

And even if he did, why would you pick the WBC Silver title? It's not a prestigious title. In fact, it's barely a title. DeGale is not going to attract any name fighters purely because he has the WBC Silver title. He'd get tougher fights defending the EBU. Fights that would better prepare him for a world title shot, and bring a World Title fight about a lot quicker too.

Anybody who'd pick the silver title, over the EBU title shows a distinct lack of ambition. Especially when you consider it was in no way mandatory. Don't be surprised if you see DeGale lining up a bunch of bums, under the pretence that he's defending a legitimate title.

He seems to be angling for a shot at the WBC Super middleweight championship by getting into the mandatory challenger spot. If he keeps defending his Silver title (used to be the WBC International title) then he will get there in the end, I'd go as far as to say he is only 2 defences of this belt away from the no 1 spot. Sanctioning bodies always rank someone favourably if they hold their International or Intercontinental title. Whether it is prestigious or not is irrelevant if it gets him to the no1 spot quicker.

[Caustic]

He doesn't.

And even if he did, why would you pick the WBC Silver title? It's not a prestigious title. In fact, it's barely a title. DeGale is not going to attract any name fighters purely because he has the WBC Silver title. He'd get tougher fights defending the EBU. Fights that would better prepare him for a world title shot, and bring a World Title fight about a lot quicker too.

Anybody who'd pick the silver title, over the EBU title shows a distinct lack of ambition. Especially when you consider it was in no way mandatory. Don't be surprised if you see DeGale lining up a bunch of bums, under the pretence that he's defending a legitimate title.

Which title is potentially the most lucrative?

[markfightoptions]

I reckon Magee would be up for this one, a good next step for Degale, Magee only gets beat by the top of the division and smashes up anybody teetering on the edges

[jameswilson]

Yeah the British and European belts have been unified many times over the years. The EBU won't have that as their title fight unfortunately. Mouhamad Ali Ndiaye was the mandatory challenger and he will be asked to fight the next ranked opponent who wants to contest the title. The last rankings read as follows.

1. Kessler.
2. Stieglitz.
3. Groves.
4. Sjekloca.
5. Rebrasse.
6. Sartison.
7. Sanavia.

They will surely find someone else out of the top 7.

He was scheduled to fight DeGale on 26th January. Boxrec still has it scheduled. I assume that isn't happening now.

Am I the only one who thinks it's a bit weird DeGale vacates now, when he has a planned opponent? Surely vacating the title could've waited a month, if he already had a fight planned. What's the point in vacating it now?

That fight was scheduled before DeGale had even fought Zuniga and when Mick Hennessy was pressed on his next opponent in the post fight interview he didn't say 'we have a fight set with ndiaye etc etc' which leads me to believe the fight has never actually been finalised.

[Caustic]

He seems to be angling for a shot at the WBC Super middleweight championship by getting into the mandatory challenger spot. If he keeps defending his Silver title (used to be the WBC International title) then he will get there in the end, I'd go as far as to say he is only 2 defences of this belt away from the no 1 spot. Sanctioning bodies always rank someone favourably if they hold their International or Intercontinental title. Whether it is prestigious or not is irrelevant if it gets him to the no1 spot quicker.

Eons ago when the WBC introduced the 'International Title' (think we had Gary Jacobs, Robert Dickie & John Davison all fight for them) they were for fighters ranked from 15 - 30, but if they won one it entitled them to a possible shot at the 'full' champion in a voluntary defense.

How come we have blokes in the top ten (top five even) fighting for them now, wasn't Khan's fight at the weekend for a 'Silver Title'?

[Horse]

He seems to be angling for a shot at the WBC Super middleweight championship by getting into the mandatory challenger spot. If he keeps defending his Silver title (used to be the WBC International title) then he will get there in the end, I'd go as far as to say he is only 2 defences of this belt away from the no 1 spot. Sanctioning bodies always rank someone favourably if they hold their International or Intercontinental title. Whether it is prestigious or not is irrelevant if it gets him to the no1 spot quicker.

Why couldn't he have defended both the WBC Silver and European titles against Ndiaye?

Can't Hennessy afford two sanctioning fees?

[ILikeBeer]

Eons ago when the WBC introduced the 'International Title' (think we had Gary Jacobs, Robert Dickie & John Davison all fight for them) they were for fighters ranked from 15 - 30, but if they won one it entitled them to a possible shot at the 'full' champion in a voluntary defense.

How come we have blokes in the top ten (top five even) fighting for them now, wasn't Khan's fight at the weekend for a 'Silver Title'?

It might have been. I noticed he was waving a belt around after it, and I wondered what it
was. As now they attach a redudant belt to almost everything, I'd forgotten about it after I'd turned off my television.

Look at the recent Pac fight. It was for the "Figher of the decade" title, or some such. The point is, if they are going to attach titles to every fight, just to create interest, these titles will mean nothing.

[ILikeBeer]

That fight was scheduled before DeGale had even fought Zuniga and when Mick Hennessy was pressed on his next opponent in the post fight interview he didn't say 'we have a fight set with ndiaye etc etc' which leads me to believe the fight has never actually been finalised.

You may be right.

After DeGale won in Hull, Mick was waffling on about trying to sign opponents. I remember wondering why they were acting like he didn't have another defence booked.

Seems odd that a venue was named though.

[jameswilson]

He seems to be angling for a shot at the WBC Super middleweight championship by getting into the mandatory challenger spot. If he keeps defending his Silver title (used to be the WBC International title) then he will get there in the end, I'd go as far as to say he is only 2 defences of this belt away from the no 1 spot. Sanctioning bodies always rank someone favourably if they hold their International or Intercontinental title. Whether it is prestigious or not is irrelevant if it gets him to the no1 spot quicker.

Why couldn't he have defended both the WBC Silver and European titles against Ndiaye?

Can't Hennessy afford two sanctioning fees?

I don't know but I think it's safe to assume Ndiaye won't be the next opponent DeGale faces.