What now for Degale?

He needs to be at mid-range and inside to really be effective. I'd prefer to see him transition to a tighter guard in close and commit to the body. He's an excellent body puncher when he chooses to be.

As TFFP said elsewhere, he tries to fight in the style he'd like to be rather than a style that really suits him. McDonnell doesn't have the knowledge (or guts) to rebuild him.

I don't think they bring in the sort of sparring he needs to get used to aggressive fighters. Even worse when you consider Froch wanted to spar with him.

 

i actually agree with that.
my opinion, and not really the insult it sounds like, is that he is extremely talented, but dumb as ****....a bit of intelligence to compliment his skills and he'd be something very special

 

Before coming into this thread I would have bet my life DFT would be on here

I'll watch the fight tomorrow and make a bit d a judgment. From what I've read, he controlled the fight throughout, got tagged in the 3rd, and kicked **** out of the Dane in Te next round.

I think Stieglitz is distinctly average, and both Groves and Degale would beat him at this stage.

 

DeGale's got natural ability, he moves well and when flowing can look top class. It's so frustrating watching him make lazy and unforced errors.

Never felt Jim was right for him and still don't, done the job last night and did it professionally in a fight where i got impression he wasn't motivated for due to being away and against a guy who's seen better days.

I'd like to see him fight a international contest against a American.

 

Needs to learn how to throw a punch properly.

 

I think Degale is worthy european champion and should defend that title a couple times probably as an away fighter so he gets paid till he get a shot at a title in germany then have the homecoming world championship defense fight,or he could just fight Magee for his title

 

his main weakness is his defence and it's going to be a weakness for his entire career. It's just too leaky. I thought it would improve but it hasn't. He is trying to do something very advanced in the way he blocks and parrys shots from the "phily shell" from the southpaw and orthodox stance but he gets hit quite a bit, from range and on the inside. He is always going to be getting hit in fights and how far he will get will ultimately depend on his chin. He won't have a long career in the game though. He may have more skill than the likes of Abraham or Pavlik, but they have legit chances of catching him and taking him out. In order to get the best out of himself he really needs to improve that defence but he is stupid enough to stay with Jim until someone bangs him out.

 

Degale should keep up the good work whilst defending his title against a few more Euro level opposition

 

I'd like to see him fight someone like Berrio or Manfredo and then step in with someone like Bika.

 

If DeGale was with a real trainer he'd be so much better than he is now, its scary. He's got a lot of untapped potential. You just can't imagine him fighting this weird mish-mash of styles and still throwing poor punches with a Roach. It's absolutely ridiculous Jim McDonnell with no track record got an Olympic Gold Medalist. I remember a lot of us at the time thinking it was a poor move.

 

I agree, he would do really well under someone like Roach or Nazim Richardson.

 

I think the refusal to spar with Froch was a massive missed opportunity.

Not sure why they wouldn't do it.... maybe it was money, maybe it was not wanting to be the sparring partner - i.e. people spar with James, not the other way around etc.

Would have given him the chance to work with a top class fighter for an extended period, and tap into McCracken too for tips.

I've banged on a bit about Hatton today, but when he was the youngster he was getting in with the likes of Ensley Bingham and Robin Reid - who gave him the idea of whacking away at the body.

If Froch gave him a hiding in sparring, so what? Groves wasn't ashamed of admitting that Froch decked him and gave him a working over..... I bet the Bellew sparring would have been good to watch too.

 

Surely Degale must have been told its in his best interests to change trainer I imagine fwank told him after groves loss.

The fact that he hasn't probably sums up his personality ie big fish in a little pond. It's a shame I don't mind him and it's a short career.

 

The difference being Groves actually seems to have a plan for his career and is eager to learn.DeGale turned pro with smoke being blown up his arse about how great he was and seems to only allow yes men any access.

 

the thing is though, the talent he has will get him quite far anyway. You would expect him to fall short at world level against the elites. Now if he was regularly training in the mayweather gym (and im sure they would be delighted to have him considering how he fights), i would actually give him a chance of becoming the best at 168 in a couple of years. he is still quite young. however, it's pretty easy to predict how his career will go from here.. a couple more wins against euro/sub world level chaps and when he does step up vs dirrell, pavlik, abraham types who can hit quite hard, he will get stopped, lose all confidence in himself, change trainer but never be the same again. mentally he is just too weak to get to the highest level. or maybe it's just stupidity.