Round-by-Round: James DeGale vs. Chris Eubank Jr. - 23 February 2019

[danconnollyeire]

Would love to see Eubank vs Canelo or GGG. One of them can spark him out and as he’s falls through the ropes, lands on Chris Sr, knocking him out too

[Oiky]

Some mean spirited post redarding degale, but he's had a great career. Big wins away from home, British, European and two IBF titles, plus his amateur career speaks for itself. He's been a grave fighter and taken a lot of damage, so I wish him all the best in retirement. Hope he stays healthy and is careful with his cash.

I wish him all the best too,and whole heartedly agree he's had great achievements

But you can't talk the way he talked pre fight & then serve that up,all fighters talk I know,but why not take a different approach and say "listen,im not gonna say this and that,I've got ability & I still believe I can beat this guy,I'm not what I was,don't judge me on recent performances,just know I can beat this guy", but he gives it large & then after a performance like this it makes him look silly

[SAPFO]

I’d like to see Eubanks chin vs a prime elite

[Grilling Machine]

Degale was throwing one punch (which was missing most of the time) and then immediately clinching. Made it a horrible fight to watch, and Eubank just did a lot more damage.

I saw most of Eubank's damage being dealt as the by-product of rough and tumble, even though outmanning's technically winning. It's really just my own distaste for it that factors in my biased judgement. If it lands, it lands; it's not like we can ask them if every good shot was thrown with foresight!

DeGale landed some overreaching shots that didn't trouble Eubank, but in the quiet rounds I felt they were enough to avoid losing. There's no doubt he lost overall.

I’d like to see Eubanks chin vs a prime elite

I think it's possibly dentable for the first time at 168, but more as a result of increased tiredness from fighting above his prime weight. It's good, though.

[Cyclops]

I agree with the 117-109 score, well deserved win for Eubank Jr, messy fight with some great action and some not so great, DeGale was too wild and kept throwing himself over Eubank and then holding on for dear life and Eubank was just too crude to adapt, even both knockdowns were scrappy and were basically Eubank pummelling DeGale until he went down

DeGale probably had his best round in the 1st but after getting decked in the 2nd it was a long night for him, apart from the odd jab or lead left he couldn't get any momentum and never really strung any shots together, Eubank Jr fought as he always does, no jab or straight shots, just winding up big right hands over the top or leaping left hooks, the problem for DeGale was that they were all landing no matter how wide Eubank was throwing them

Eubank hurt DeGale constantly and DeGale showed again what a tough boxer he is, I do hope he hangs them up now as he ate a lot of big shots in there, there were a couple of rounds where I might have giving the edge to DeGale but some of the accuracy from both men was over all pretty poor that even Eubank's last bursts in the final seconds of some of the rounds were enough to tip it his way

Good win for Eubank Jr but I think this says more about DeGale's level these days

Completely agree with all of this post. I like James but he is shot and should retire. It wasn’t close. I haven’t been following the rbr thread but I thought there was a 3rd KD in the 12th that wasn’t counted. I’m sure he’s rich and he doesn’t need to fight anymore. He can’t fight anymore. Time to chill and enjoy the money, James.

[Steveh583]

Some mean spirited post redarding degale, but he's had a great career. Big wins away from home, British, European and two IBF titles, plus his amateur career speaks for itself. He's been a grave fighter and taken a lot of damage, so I wish him all the best in retirement. Hope he stays healthy and is careful with his cash.

I wish him all the best too,and whole heartedly agree he's had great achievements

But you can't talk the way he talked pre fight & then serve that up,all fighters talk I know,but why not take a different approach and say "listen,im not gonna say this and that,I've got ability & I still believe I can beat this guy,I'm not what I was,don't judge me on recent performances,just know I can beat this guy", but he gives it large & then after a performance like this it makes him look silly

It's tough tbh. Some fighters need to convince themselves with that shtick. I can understand fighters acting like tits if it helps them cultivate the mindset they feel they need to get up for a fight. It's why I never really got mad at bellew. If you aren't uber talented then needs must.

[Twinkle Toes]

This was no where near close, not unless you are high on Degale juice or got your pick completely wrong.

I was genuinely surprised how many people thought Degale was going to do a Groves and school Eubank. Degale looked to be slipping way back in the Medina fight. Even so I didn't believe he had slipped this much, His balance was poor as was his timing. I actually think the ref (who was shit btw) helped him far too much tonight or it would have been a stoppage.

Good luck to him, but I think it's time to hang them up. He did an incredible job in the olympics, which is something he has never gotten enough credit for. He was a rank outsider.

He's had a pro career to be proud of if not quite reaching the heights he maybe should have.

[Oiky]

I agree with the 117-109 score, well deserved win for Eubank Jr, messy fight with some great action and some not so great, DeGale was too wild and kept throwing himself over Eubank and then holding on for dear life and Eubank was just too crude to adapt, even both knockdowns were scrappy and were basically Eubank pummelling DeGale until he went down

DeGale probably had his best round in the 1st but after getting decked in the 2nd it was a long night for him, apart from the odd jab or lead left he couldn't get any momentum and never really strung any shots together, Eubank Jr fought as he always does, no jab or straight shots, just winding up big right hands over the top or leaping left hooks, the problem for DeGale was that they were all landing no matter how wide Eubank was throwing them

Eubank hurt DeGale constantly and DeGale showed again what a tough boxer he is, I do hope he hangs them up now as he ate a lot of big shots in there, there were a couple of rounds where I might have giving the edge to DeGale but some of the accuracy from both men was over all pretty poor that even Eubank's last bursts in the final seconds of some of the rounds were enough to tip it his way

Good win for Eubank Jr but I think this says more about DeGale's level these days

Great post this

[Oiky]

Some mean spirited post redarding degale, but he's had a great career. Big wins away from home, British, European and two IBF titles, plus his amateur career speaks for itself. He's been a grave fighter and taken a lot of damage, so I wish him all the best in retirement. Hope he stays healthy and is careful with his cash.

I wish him all the best too,and whole heartedly agree he's had great achievements

But you can't talk the way he talked pre fight & then serve that up,all fighters talk I know,but why not take a different approach and say "listen,im not gonna say this and that,I've got ability & I still believe I can beat this guy,I'm not what I was,don't judge me on recent performances,just know I can beat this guy", but he gives it large & then after a performance like this it makes him look silly

It's tough tbh. Some fighters need to convince themselves with that shtick. I can understand fighters acting like tits if it helps them cultivate the mindset they feel they need to get up for a fight. It's why I never really got mad at bellew. If you aren't uber talented then needs must.

Yeah you are right for some it is very helpful for them

[Grilling Machine]

I was genuinely surprised how many people thought Degale was going to do a Groves and school Eubank.

I backed Eubank, but I expected more work from both. Eubank's performance was very good against the man in front of him — less aggression paid off well, but I don't think he'll have learnt anything. Still, it moves his career along nicely.

[samwbr]

Some mean spirited post redarding degale, but he's had a great career. Big wins away from home, British, European and two IBF titles, plus his amateur career speaks for itself. He's been a great fighter and taken a lot of damage, so I wish him all the best in retirement. Hope he stays healthy and is careful with his cash.

Defo.

[TempleSlave]

If Eubank let his shots go earlier he would have stopped him

Agreed

You mean if he was anything above average.

[fanman]

boxing is very fine margins. i think degale was nailing eubank with some clean, hard shots at times which accounted for eubanks cautiousness. in the sense that degale looked there for the taking, but it went 12 rounds.

really credit to eubank. he beat the man who was the ibf champion, but vacated.
degale didnt look very good. hes not slick off the ropes. he didnt show much, except for tonnes of heart, so credit to him for that.

basically degale has taken damage in his career and is washed up at the top level. eubank is a good athlete and has heart but is not a top level boxer. i mean he has earned a world title shot, but you can see that he is quite limited.

degale should retire. eubank will pursue further money, but will be hurt if he faces the best, eg callum smith or canelo.
probably eubank-saunders 2 would be a good match. saunders is a good boxer, with little power, and eubank is game, but limited.

[BitPlayer]

I thought Eubank won purely because DeGale is a mess. DeGale shouldn't keep fighting, he could end up seriously damaged if he does.

I think Eubank showed his normal lack of actual skill, but was just had too much physicality for DeGale at this point.

[Grilling Machine]

i think degale was nailing eubank with some clean, hard shots at times which accounted for eubanks cautiousness.

There was a moment late on when DeGale landed a clean one-two (albeit to no great physical effect), and Eubank paused for thought. Had I been in DeGale's corner I'd have been shouting at him to go for it (a huge gamble as he was knackered), because for that short window Eubank's mind was occupied.

He probably wouldn't have hurt Eubank, but he could've backed him up and found a glimpse of morale through the closing darkness.

DeGale's career ended when he drew with Jack, because had he really given 100% in that camp (I don't doubt he trained very hard) he might've won by a whisker. And that would've changed his landscape massively, having beaten a man who beat his old nemesis, leaving him free to call out Groves, Smith and everyone else from a position of renown with improved confidence. The respect he'd have won might've lifted him that bit higher, but now it'll always come back to that MD as the apex of his pro career.

Popularity can do some fighters the world of good, and DeGale was so close to it, but he was never the hero that might've been unlocked with more support. That he wasn't shows that potential's got nothing to do with it, as Clint almost said. He went as far as his approach allowed, falling short of his talent.

[coneye]

I think the writing has been on the wall for a while regards De Gale , brave effort , lots of heart , but technique , skill , speed , has long gone out the window , Eubank beat a shot fighter and beat him well , but really in hindsight given Degales performance , , if they fought again tomoro , you would actually fully expect Eubank to stop him , the fact that he could'nt really shows he lacks at that level , The Degale that shown up was far worst than other degales in prevous fights .

I think its time for Degale to hang them up , he's ost what he had and it will never come back , If he can get it back ,(youth ) then he should bottle it and sell it , retire a trillionaire , but regards boxing finish ,

Although i can see the sharks and vultures , will surround him now , next on the horizon will probably be , a crack at Saunders new title , after they win it , That gives Saunders another year of conning the public , before he gets ordered to fight and vacat against a good opponent

[BitPlayer]

That gives Saunders another year of conning the public , before he gets ordered to fight and vacat against a good opponent

I don't think that's fair. He avoided fighting top fighters, when he clearly wasn't fit too. And when he was ready to fight GGG, GGG went for the bigger fight with Canelo instead. And Canelo basically outright said he was ducking Saunders after the Lemieuax fight.

[jamamb]

anyone see the yildrim - dirrell fight, it was a split and imo yildirim eassily couldve gotten the decision, that looks good on eubank

[ILikeBeer]

Degale is a shocking interview. He can hardly put together coherent sentences

What else us new?

[Boxerbeetle]

Anyone seen Buncey’s twitter account? He’s having a total mare, claiming that no-one thought DeGale was shot before the fight and are now acting wise after the event. We must have had about 20 threads just on here since the Jack fight saying DeGale is shot

[jamamb]

wtf is he on about? does he not remember degale losing to truax and again struggling in the rematch? of course ppl were saying degales well past it

he creates these fake injustices/hypocrises sometimes. another one was him going on that everyone was saying before kov-clev that it was jusst some cynical deceptive matchmaking from warren vs an overinflated record challenger

[tobyh5]

Anyone seen Buncey’s twitter account? He’s having a total mare, claiming that no-one thought DeGale was shot before the fight and are now acting wise after the event. We must have had about 20 threads just on here since the Jack fight saying DeGale is shot

Steve "I'm not being an after-timer" Bunce?

Bunce expression bingo, that one normally finished me for a full house.

[danconnollyeire]

I genuinely think Eubank suffers from a complex and he should thank his dad. Thinking he was world champ before groves with an IBO belt, training himself, thinking he’s better than Mayweather etc. I’ll give him props he did well against the ghost of DeGale’s past, it’s a shame to see a former gold medalist, once tipped to be the next big thing lose to such a limited opponent. If Jr keeps hitting fighters when they’re down because he’s frustrated he can’t finish them, he will get DQ’d one day

[kbackup408]

I genuinely think Eubank suffers from a complex and he should thank his dad. Thinking he was world champ before groves with an IBO belt, training himself, thinking he’s better than Mayweather etc. I’ll give him props he did well against the ghost of DeGale’s past, it’s a shame to see a former gold medalist, once tipped to be the next big thing lose to such a limited opponent. If Jr keeps hitting fighters when they’re down because he’s frustrated he can’t finish them, he will get DQ’d one day

exactly how I feel, DeGale was a quality SMW when firing on all cylinders - Eubank Jr's heart covers up a lot of his deficiencies!

[revporl]

It was one sided and DeGale got hurt and definitely should retire now. If Eubank was a better finisher it wouldn't have gone four rounds. DeGale's speech has been noticeably worsening since the Jack fight, he needs to stop immediately, that's without question for me.