Caleb Truax vs. James DeGale II - April 7, 2018

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Erislandy Lara, the longest reigning world champion at 154-pounds, will clash with IBF champion "Swift" Jarrett Hurd in a highly-anticipated super welterweight title unification live on SHOWTIME (10 pm ET/7 pm PT) as part of an exciting card presented by Premier Boxing Champions Saturday, April 7 from The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

In the co-main event, Super Middleweight World Champion Caleb Truax will make the first defense of his IBF title against James DeGale in a rematch of one of the biggest upsets of 2017 that saw Truax wrestle the belt from DeGale on his home turf in London last December.

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In less than a month..

I hope DeGale has his motivation back. I THINK HE prefers USA..

[Evander]

Got a rematch that quickly, some were saying there was no rematch clause so I guess they negotiated one.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Got a rematch that quickly, some were saying there was no rematch clause so I guess they negotiated one.

And it's been announced literally a month before it takes place. I hope DeGale has been preparing.

[Evander]

Got a rematch that quickly, some were saying there was no rematch clause so I guess they negotiated one.

And it's been announced literally a month before it takes place. I hope DeGale has been preparing.

Probably the only negotiating tactic they had was to go straight into it and give on venue and the rest of the minor intangibles.
I like it though, puts pressure on both of them but more especially DeGale.

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http://www.worldboxingnews.net/2018/03/ ... on-april-7

He said, “I’m happy to have the opportunity to rematch Traux and regain my IBF title.

"I am not going to make excuses for my poor performance, actions speak louder than words. I am excited to be boxing in Vegas and on Showtime again. The real JD will be back on fight night!”

Is it me, or does he always say that?

[littlepug]

Truax is unbelievably 5-1 to win

[jamamb]

every fight is hard these days for degale

[Ruthless-RKO]

every fight is hard these days for degale

DeGale started having hard fights ever since he won the IBF title.

[Enlightened-One]

Got a rematch that quickly, some were saying there was no rematch clause so I guess they negotiated one.

Things like rematch clauses are kind of redundant when both guys are with Haymon.

If Haymon didn't want the rematch to happen, it wouldn't have, even if one existed. The opposite is also true.

Al Haymon controls the destiny of these guys.

[keirw]

I thought Degale had an injured shoulder? If so this is a very quick turnaround.

Either the shoulder was never injured (and was an excuse for a sh1t performance) or he os going into the rematch with the same injury (likely with the same outcome).

If Degale can find a bit of form it should be a foregone conclusion, bit if Truax is being priced as a big underdog i will certainly be tempted.

[Ruthless-RKO]

I thought Degale had an injured shoulder? If so this is a very quick turnaround.

Did he injure it again in the Truax fight? I'm sure he rehab'd it after Jack.

[diddy]

Truax is +460 on American soil. Absolutely laughable. Just put $250 on him. He probably took 10-11 rounds off DeGale in the last fight. He can win 7 this time.

[Ezzard]

Great card. Not sure Hurd can win but I'll be cheering him on.

Truax's victory was what's so great about the sport. I expect the rematch to be much closer...but who really knows.

[keirw]

I thought Degale had an injured shoulder? If so this is a very quick turnaround.

Did he injure it again in the Truax fight? I'm sure he rehab'd it after Jack.

I'm not sure, he mentioned it after the fight but whether he was referring to an old injury or trying to make an excuse i don't know. The interviewer couldn't seem to get much sense out of him.

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James DeGale: On My Best Day, No One at 168 Can Beat Me!

Former world champion James DeGale arrived in Los Angeles on Saturday to finish training camp at the Team Watson Boxing Club as he prepares for his world title rematch against IBF Super Middleweight Champion Caleb Truax Saturday, April 7 live on SHOWTIME from the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

"When the doctor told me that some athletes recover from that injury in six months, I had it set in my mind that I would box again in December," said DeGale. "No one was going to tell me otherwise. I rushed my injury and I wasn't at my full fitness. I can only blame myself."

"My mindset at the time was that I can beat Truax with no hands," said DeGale. "It was the wrong way to think. I'm an elite fighter and this is a dangerous sport. I've only got myself to blame.

"This time, I'm going to make it right. My training is like night and day compared to last camp. On my best day, no one in this division can beat me. No disrespect to Caleb Truax, but I'm a much better fighter. Now I'm training how I should have trained for the last fight."

"The U.S. is really my second home now," said DeGale. "In the past when I've fought on the East Coast I've gone down to Miami to train heading into the fight. This time California seemed like the perfect place to go before Las Vegas.

"This is my first time training in California, but so far I've been really comfortable at the Team Watson Boxing Club. I've got some great sparring lined up, including working with Gabriel Rosado. Most importantly my body is super fit and injury free. Everything is geared to getting my title back on April 7 and leaving no doubt in the ring."

[Enlightened-One]

Got a rematch that quickly, some were saying there was no rematch clause so I guess they negotiated one.

They're both Al Haymon guys that follow orders.

[Ringnews24]

Caleb Truax talk’s rematch, being the underdog, the dodgy scorecard, DeGale's big mistake and proving the first fight wasn’t a fluke

Truax went into the fight knowing he was the underdog and he believed DeGale was making mistakes leading up to the fight. Newly crowned IBF super middleweight champion Caleb Truax spoke to Ringnews24:

“Absolutely, any kind of motivational material is good, I was the underdog. I kept getting messages from my buddy’s saying ‘DeGale was overlooking me and thinking about the next fight’ - I used that to fire my belly, I used that as fuel.”

http://www.ringnews24.com/2018/03/22/ca ... t-a-fluke/

My interview with Caleb Truax ahead of the rematch with James DeGale.

[Evander]

Got a rematch that quickly, some were saying there was no rematch clause so I guess they negotiated one.

They're both Al Haymon guys that follow orders.

DeGale fully recovered ?

[Enlightened-One]

Got a rematch that quickly, some were saying there was no rematch clause so I guess they negotiated one.

They're both Al Haymon guys that follow orders.

DeGale fully recovered ?

I wasn’t aware that James DeGale had suffered another injury, since the surgery he had on his shoulder prior to his defeat to Caleb Truax. He apparently claims that he’s now fully-fit and injury free.

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As he tries to win back his world title James DeGale brings in Paulie Malignaggi as one of his trainers

Jim McDonnell will still be the main man in “Chunky’s” corner on April 7 when he tackles Truax for his old title at the Hard Rock in Las Vegas, but his coaching duties will be shared as DeGale has brought in former two-weight world champion, Paulie Malignaggi to assist with his training needs.

“He’s someone who’s got so many great ideas on the sport,” revealed DeGale to Boxing News from his Los Angeles camp. “We got speaking to each other after the Badou Jack fight last year and we just clicked straight away when he was telling me things about my career. Everything he seemed to say was what I needed to hear and the advice he provided was never far from my mind. He’s got me looking at the sport in a whole new different way since joining up with the team, and I do fully believe that I needed to add a little something fresh to the set-up.”

“You do look at every reason why things have gone wrong, but Jim has been there for me since day once and I can’t put anything down to him in that fight. I went into the fight injured, and because I was fighting Caleb Truax, I thought I could cut corners like that because he’s nowhere near as good as me, and he’s not even as good as people I’ve fought before him who I’ve absolutely took to school. I learnt a very valuable lesson in that fight about going in unprepared carrying an injury, but everything is all good now with my shoulder and I’m hoping I can correct that wrong when I go in with Truax again.”

“I’m going to win, and I’m going to look good doing it too,” predicted DeGale. “Paulie has played such an important part of this camp back home, and he’s been with me since I touched down here a couple of weeks ago. He’s different to Jim in the way that he’s slowing me down a little bit more and having me think about things in the ring how I should approach fights. I’m 32 now and he’s constantly reminding me of that because Jim can be a little old school with his approach so having them both put their ideas across to each other is working out really well so far. They’re getting on great, and it’s also great for me that both of them want the best outcome for me.”

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DeGale: I'm Ashamed of My Loss to Truax; He's Not on My Level

“Caleb Truax is not on my level,” DeGale said following an open workout Thursday at Freddie Roach’s Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood, California. “I’m miles above him. On April 7, I’m going to show everyone why and show everyone what I’m all about.”

In hindsight, DeGale wishes he had given himself more time off after shoulder surgery before he got back in the ring. DeGale fought six months following a procedure that repaired a torn rotator cuff and additional issues in his right shoulder.

“As soon as the doctor said that some athletes come back after six months from my injury, I was determined to fight in 2017,” DeGale said. “Everyone can see that I was slow in the ring. I was ashamed of my performance. It was embarrassing and I’m looking to erase that on April 7.

“I’ve watched the first fight with Truax a couple of times, but it’s very tough because I know that’s not me in there. For the past six weeks I’ve felt so much better. My jab is sharp again and everyone will see that when I become a two-time world champion.”

DeGale realizes Truax also is motivated to show his championship win wasn’t a fluke.

“Truax has tasted what it’s like to be a world champion,” DeGale said. “He’s going to be hungry and have that burning desire to beat me. At the end of the day, I’m just too good for him and I’m going to prove it. I have to make a statement.”

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Truax: I Would've Gone To England Again For DeGale Rematch

Caleb Truax would’ve loved to make the first defense of his IBF super middleweight title in Minneapolis.

Truax is from nearby Osseo, Minnesota, and is certain his immediate rematch with former champion James DeGale would’ve drawn a large crowd in Minnesota’s biggest city. The newly crowned champion also was more than willing to return to England, where he upset DeGale by majority decision December 9 to win that 168-pound title.

“I’m not sure why it isn’t there [in England],” Truax told BS.com. “That was never really even an option. They were gonna do it either in L.A. or Las Vegas. They were trying to do it in Minneapolis, which would’ve been a huge draw here. From what I heard, he didn’t wanna come here. So that’s why it ended up on the Hurd and Lara undercard in Las Vegas.”

“I was willing to go wherever for the rematch,” Truax said. “I’m a fighter. I don’t care if it was in his backyard. I didn’t care where it was at. I just wanna go fight and support my family.”

Still, Truax hopes another victory over DeGale will lead the University of Minnesota graduate toward a title defense in his home state.

“That would’ve been really cool,” Truax said. “I had my fingers crossed, but I kind of knew it was an outside shot from the get-go. So I wasn’t holding my breath or nothing like that. But hopefully, I’ll beat DeGale again April 7th and then my next fight comes here.”

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