BoxRec

Few thoughts on JD last night:
Firstly I thought the jab looked better, he was snapping it rather than his usual flicking it out. However he did forget to use it at times and I recall JM having to remind him in the corner. Given his build, constant jabbing is something which should be drilled into him, should have been already tbh. He showed (as usual) a good variety of punches and he's good on the inside. However I think he's a little too eager to go on the ropes and counter, not necessarily a bad thing in of itself but he's got a pretty glaring defensive flaw which makes it risky for him. Covering your body with his right arm (in southpaw stance) and only having one glove up requiers a bit of savvy and a predisposition for head movement which he just doesn't have. If he's going to do that I'd rather he stuck 'em both up and waited for a gap rather than trying to create them, he's tall so a big target and (when on the ropes) he stands straight up, that's imo why he was getting tagged with the straight left last night. I'd like to see anticipatory head movement and feignting added to his repotoire. Given his overall skillset and his amateur pedigree, he should be a little more elusive than he currently is. We know he's ot a good chin but we know it because we've seen him hit hard more than once.

Take this as constructive criticism, he's only had thirteen fights and has gotten into European class quicker than most, he swam rather than sank and he deserves credit for that. Imo he should defend the European for a while, at least another three or four times and keep busy, above all what he lacks is experience and I can see them stepping him up again too soon and comping a cropper. It'd be a good idea to get himself a few sparring gigs with the top guys too, I'm astounded he didn't bite Froch's hand of when that offer was made.

Did we really witness a 'new' James DeGale last night? I didn't see it, personally. Sanavia was embarrassing.

http://news.boxrec.com/news/2012/degale ... ro-defence

My personal opinion is that degale looked shockingly bad it that fight.

john welsh wrote:My personal opinion is that degale looked shockingly bad it that fight.

Nice, your quite the analyst aren't you? My personal opinion is that if the sum total of your mesmeric thoughts can be summed up in a sole sentence then perhaps it would be pertinent if you could muster up some post Primary school level grammer to round it off.

MY personal opinion is that DeGale looked good last night, given his out of the ring problems, fighting in front of a two thirds empty stadium abroad and his two less than stellar previous performaces. I'd agree with the guy above in that he looks a bit vulnerable on the ropes - stands too square and tall and drops his right low enough to invite the left hook (which was pretty much all Sanavia could get home last night). However his jab seemed snappier and he throws an excellent arsenal of textbook shots from long and mid range. Sanavia was past his best and made to measure but had mixed in decent class and was a good test. I'd like another three fights this year - the next two Euro defences against the like of Mendy, Anderson, Reid, Webber, Rebrasse, Sartison, Ndiaye and Vlasov then ideally one of Magee or Balzsay before Christmas. That would set him up well for a Spring fight against Abraham, Steiglitz or a Groves re-match. Four more fights like these would set him as a world top 10 type guy and looking at meaningful big fights for me

I think that even if DeGale took a couple of fights against decent competition before facing Magee, I'd still back the Irishman to win if they met. He seems to have improved recently, was faster than I expected him to be when I saw him against Markussen and is more experienced.

Shambles wrote:I think that even if DeGale took a couple of fights against decent competition before facing Magee, I'd still back the Irishman to win if they met. He seems to have improved recently, was faster than I expected him to be when I saw him against Markussen and is more experienced.

I agree. I'm still not convinced by DeGale. Sanavia, a non-punching 37 yrs old going on 47 yrs old and about a head shorter hit him with some solid shots inside andmarked him up.

The ending was odd.

Was it just me or did DeGale not appear to have much purchase on his punches? i know Sanavia was going over easy enough in the end but he didn't appear to me particularly badly stunned or hurt .

fizzjambo wrote:perhaps it would be pertinent if you could muster up some post Primary school level grammer