Congrats to DeGale...

[macaca]

I actually gave it to Dirrell by one round, DeGale too damn lazy mid fight for me. Not going to argue against the result though (except the one stupid card). It's a fight DeGale almost lost himself.

I think he was lazy too mid rounds but a part of me wonders if he had the perfect plan for Dirrell and he did put it on the last rounds. Good game plan. But like someone said, Ward is a different matter, as is GGG, you cannot coast with these guys......

[crusader]

Would the perfect plan result in him giving up a sizeable lead, thereby forcing him to win the last two rounds to take the fight? He did enough to come through, but I don't think his inactivity during the mid-late rounds was a clever tactic that he benefited from.

[macaca]

This fight was super super close. An immediate rematch wouldnt dissapoint anyone and is probably warranted.

It was close, not super close, I think a rematch actually would disappoint. Degale doesnt have to give one, nor does he have anything gainable doing so.

Goodbye Dirrell, hang em up.

[macaca]

Would the perfect plan result in him giving up a sizeable lead, thereby forcing him to win the last two rounds to take the fight? He did enough to come through, but I don't think his inactivity during the mid-late rounds was a clever tactic that he benefited from.

Didn't say it was smart, UK fans were all worried, he pulled it out at the end ..... do fighters never take an early lead, take a breather and come back strong .....? Just asking.. for me it wasn't about giving up a lead as coasting

[crusader]

You didn't say it was smart, you actually suggested that he may have had the 'perfect plan' and then stated that it was a 'good game plan', seeming to suggest that his prolonged inactivity was part of that plan. While people generaly seem critical of how Degale fought during that stretch I've seen other comments which suggest that it was a clever move for him to drop his activity so he'd have more energy for later, but I don't understand what was smart about dropping a bunch of rounds and letting Dirrell claw back into it; does JD have such poor stamina that he wouldn't have been able to sustain a sufficient workrate to keep winning rounds unless he took a very long breather?

Of course it's not uncommon for fighters take rounds off, but typically not entire quarters of fights and even if they come back strong I don't think it's usually a beneficial move to drop so many rounds. Degale was up by 6 points at one stage on the 114-112 cards but had he dropped just more round on those cards the fight would've been a draw, and though he was victorious I don't think it's smart to count on winning rounds, as it seems he would've been doing had he knowingly thrown away the middle portions to save steam for later. I don't believe that he would've been in a tight situation had he not gone to sleep around the mid-point, and it's something that he should be mindful of in the future.

I also don't mean to take away credit from Dirrell, as he fought well in spots and was a significant contributor to Degale not looking so hot at times, but I think JD came very close to letting himself down and not winning because he didn't do something he was capable of.

[Taansend]

I didn't watch the fight, but the result really surprised me. I expected Dirrell to win fairly easy, something like a 8-4 type of contest. Well anyway, congrats to DeGale.

If not for the two KDs in round two, this would have been an easy Dirrell victory.

Well said. If Degale hadn't landed those hard blows he would have lost the fight.

Same with the Froch Groves rematch. If Froch hadn't landed that knockout punch when he did, the fight might have gone on longer.

Incredible when you think about it.

[Tony1244]

This fight was super super close. An immediate rematch wouldnt dissapoint anyone and is probably warranted.

It was close, not super close, I think a rematch actually would disappoint. Degale doesnt have to give one, nor does he have anything gainable doing so.

Goodbye Dirrell, hang em up.

Why should Dirrell hang them up? You said it was close yourself. DeGale is very good.

[palooka]

I was impressed by both, Dirrell looked better than I'd seen him, there'll be another chance for him.

[ikorolev]

I wasn't impressed by either of them. Clearly, they are on the same level. However, it is not clear what level that is until they face somebody proven like Ward or Froch. Dirrell did look good against Froch, but it was before the Abraham meltdown, so it is unclear if he could repeat that.

[littlepug]

anyone else surprised about the close decisions our lads have been getting in the states ? not complaining its just refreshing isnt it ?

[Tanzio]

I didn't watch the fight, but the result really surprised me. I expected Dirrell to win fairly easy, something like a 8-4 type of contest. Well anyway, congrats to DeGale.

If not for the two KDs in round two, this would have been an easy Dirrell victory.

Well said. If Degale hadn't landed those hard blows he would have lost the fight.

Same with the Froch Groves rematch. If Froch hadn't landed that knockout punch when he did, the fight might have gone on longer.

Incredible when you think about it.

Sarcasm well played However, sometimes the obvious needs to be punctuated. Dirrell was looking quite good until the big left landed. He didn't get his legs and head back for about two full rounds. If the first left would not have landed Dirrell was probably going to win that round. Even if DeGale had managed to win the next two rounds the fight would be going into the final 8 even. Then, if DeGale would have taken a break like he did last Saturday it would have been fatal to his chances.

It is not unlike what happened to (an admittedly past it) SSM, as well as Cotto v Pac. Pac Landed heavy artillery early which took the steam out of the opponent. Without those early KDs Pac may have ended up winning but it is also possible that a Ramming Speed I decision could have resulted.

If DeGale fights a top level boxer like he did Dirrell the other night, he is quite likely to lose trying to too finely calibrate how the judges are viewing the event.

[diddy]

This fight was super super close. An immediate rematch wouldnt dissapoint anyone and is probably warranted.

It was close, not super close, I think a rematch actually would disappoint. Degale doesnt have to give one, nor does he have anything gainable doing so.

Goodbye Dirrell, hang em up.

Hang em up? WTF? Hang yourself up for saying something so stupid.

[jezzamundo]

Close fight, but the correct verdict was made. Both guys impressed in parts, I think Dirrell has somewhat redeemed himself with this performance. I had DeGale winning rounds 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 11 and 12 for a 115-111 scorecard.

[macaca]

This fight was super super close. An immediate rematch wouldnt dissapoint anyone and is probably warranted.

It was close, not super close, I think a rematch actually would disappoint. Degale doesnt have to give one, nor does he have anything gainable doing so.

Goodbye Dirrell, hang em up.

Hang em up? WTF? Hang yourself up for saying something so stupid.

When Dirrell wins nothing in the next 5 years or sooner of note, WBA, WBC, IBF, then retires ..... you can say sorry for wanting me to end my life

[SFW]

I thought they both fought a good entertaining fight, and both can go on to do great things.

[Buonaparte]

True, he coasted, but you can coast and still win rounds.

You can indeed - Mayweather does it all the time - but DeGale didn't do that. He lost those rounds he coasted. It was his inactivity that made the fight much closer than it needed to be.