James DeGale’s road show is coming to an end and the IBF super-middleweight world champion is ready to finish the tour in style.
The southpaw known as Chunky bounced on to the stage at the Barclays Center wearing a red bobble cap, black sweatsuit and wide smile, before stripping down and tipping the scales at 166½lbs for Saturday’s title unification fight with Badou Jack, who came in just below the division limit at 167¼lbs.
The fighters came together for the traditional staredown before they were gently separated after 20 seconds by Floyd Mayweather Jr, who promotes Jack. The near mirror images underscored how little separates the fighters physically.
DeGale, who holds the IBF’s version of the 168lb title, will be making a fourth straight outing on foreign soil when he climbs in with Jack, the WBC champion. The first came in 2015, when he outpointed Andre Dirrell in Boston and became the first British fighter to follow up an Olympic gold medal with a world championship in the paid ranks. That was followed by convincing points wins over Lucian Bute in Quebec and Rogelio Medina in Washington DC in the past 14 months.
Now the 30-year-old from London will fight for the first time in New York with the opportunity to emerge as the biggest name in the division, setting the stage for an outdoor homecoming fight in the spring.
“It’s a dream,” DeGale said. “It’s a big city, it’s a boxing city. A lot of greats from England have fought in New York. I remember when Naseem Hamed fought at Madison Square Garden against Kevin Kelley and knocked him out. I’m living the dream.”
It does not feel like an away fixture for DeGale, who enjoyed a rousing reception from most of the several hundred spectators who turned up for the weigh-in, which was open to the public in the atrium of the $1bn arena. When asked what set him apart from Jack, whom the bookmakers have installed as a 2-1 underdog, DeGale was to the point.
“Simple: I’m different, I’m unique,” he said. “Speed, skill and the support of the people that have come over to watch me. Saturday night it’s going off. I’ve got no question, no doubt I will become the unified world champion.”
Jack, the Las Vegas based Swede who upset Anthony Dirrell for the WBC super-middleweight crown in 2015, has since retained the title with a split-decision win over George Groves and a majority draw against Bute that was controversial only in that most observers believe Jack won comfortably.
He claimed to have no problem making the weight against DeGale after the “best camp of my life” and credited Mayweather with the inspiration to fulfil his potential.
“He’s taught me to be dedicated to my craft and to always work hard,” Jack said. “When my opponent is sleeping, I’m working.”
DeGale believes a unifying win over Jack will justify the period of almost three years he has spent playing his trade away from home, where his domestic profile has slipped even as his standing on the world stage has grown.
The Arsenal fan – “I’m a big Gooner, a die-hard” – will be wearing the club’s emblem on his robe and trunks on Saturday night . Should it go to plan, DeGale’s next fight could even take place at the club’s home ground, the Emirates Stadium.
“Touch wood, I beat Badou Jack, then I’m going home in May and I’m having a big fight at home,” DeGale said this week. “Everyone’s calling for the champ to come home. That’s next in line.”
