What's up next for James Degale?

[magwitch]

Coming up to three months an IBF world champion. Any news on what may happen next? Voluntary in England maybe?

[bripez]

You would think so, however most of his fights have been in shopping malls and leisure centres.

It depends on what he wants financially as I can't see him selling out a big venue at this stage or wanting a first defence that would warrant a PPV.

Also add in that both Froch and Groves will surely pop up and take the piss.

[Boxerbeetle]

Rumours on CS that he'll be fighting Bute next.

[magwitch]

You would think so, however most of his fights have been in shopping malls and leisure centres.

It depends on what he wants financially as I can't see him selling out a big venue at this stage or wanting a first defence that would warrant a PPV.

Also add in that both Froch and Groves will surely pop up and take the piss.

Well you have a point because although he's boxed in the big London venue, O2 I think, he's had the likes of Mitchell on there Groves-Froch if I'm not wrong. Before that he was at the Bluewater shopping centre on C5. Degale has a few wins in him yet. If he keeps going I'm sure they'll get him on big shows - of course with an IBF belt he should be headlining. I'd pay to go and see him.
What's for sure is that Froch has rightly called it a day and Groves isn't interested in going over old ground for high risk.
I don't know what Bute's done of late. They (Degale's lot) must fancy it if that's the rumour. Personally I'd back James over Chavez Jnr, who seems to have discipline problems.

[MarkMcBurney]

James is in a funny situation as there is a widening gap between the truly elite in the division and the 'also rans' now that Froch has retired, and Groves is tied up with next month's world title shot.

Bute and Chavez Jnr would be laughable for me; Bute hasn't been anything like the same since Carl dismantled him, and Chavez Jnr is just ridiculous. It was ridiculous for a fighter like Froch to be fighting him as a genuine title challenger, never mind James Degale now that Chavez has been iced in the meantime.

Groves III will happen next summer I'm certain of it; both of them fancy it and believe they'll win, but where does that leave Degale now? Ideally you'd want a home voluntary in a semi-competitive fight that is a relatively low risk occasion, but who fits the bill? The problem when you become world champion is that people then expect you to mix exclusively with the top table, but at 168lb who is there that would be available this side of Christmas? Andre Ward isn't travelling, Kessler has been mentioned but he's been retired two years now...unification with Abraham? Unlikely to travel and a massive risk for James.

Eddie has a tricky job on his hands at this point with James - I reckon the deal with Haymon was with a view to getting Degale in with Ward, but he would surely want a homecoming first, which makes me think Hearn might stick him in with Murray? He's never going to put either Fielding or Smith in with him as they'd lose and that gravy train instantly hits the buffers.

[GlobalBox]

It's a shame that James does not have the cult following type thing that generates a lot of tickets, he may almost have to settle for the other guy being the drawing power and normally that would mean fighting away, hence the link with Haymon I think. I would hope however that after a couple of fights which he should win perhaps Bute in Canada and then another top/reasonable American in the states, then the obvious "big" fights over here can be made and sell out either a medium or large stadia, or certainly our biggest arena.

If Groves beats Jack, then why not do that one again and of course after the couple of fights abroad why not next summer perhaps Callum Smith in a stadium, there are still some great opportunities for Degale but to get towards those he may have to go on the road.

Good luck to him, he has developed for me over the past 12-18 months and looks a better fighter, if he was a fighter that worked for a full 12 rounds instead of his customary time off in each bout, he would be very very difficult to beat in my view.

[ElJefe]

Looking at the IBF rankings at there's nobody at #1 or #2. Gilberto Ramirez is at #3 but he's also well ranked with the WBO and I'm sure I've heard Arum say he wanted to make Ramirez vs Abraham. That leaves Rogelio Medina (36-6) at #4 and Julius Jackson at #5, according to BoxRec they're scheduled to fight in September, the winner of that is likely to get a mandatory shot soon I'd guess. Bute seems like a lose-lose considering what Froch has already done to him.

Strange situation for DeGale, finally wins a world title but seems to be in limbo slightly with a lack of obvious opponents and no clarity over where he'll be fighting.