McDonnell 'DeGale will be the best the UK has ever produced'

[Wheelchair]

IT isn’t a guarantee that successful Olympians will reach the dizzy heights of fame and fortune in their sport. However, there is a trend emerging in the boxing world. Great Britain had seven competitors at the 2008 Games with three medallists. James “Chunky” DeGale emerged with gold, natural confidence and the ability to achieve similar success as a pro.

 

DeGale and trainer Jim McDonnell believe he will reach those heights by 2012.

 

A confident DeGale declared, “Please believe that by the end of this year I will be British champion. Frank thinks highly of me and over the next year or so I will be mixing it up on the world stage.”

 

McDonnell isn’t short of praise for his 24-year-old starlet. “It’s all about levels. Like in football, if Arsenal play West Brom, you know who is on that top level,” he proclaimed, “or when Usain Bolt lines up on the track, you know he’s in that world-class bracket. And James is the same. He’s just got God-given talent.”

 

McDonnell also believes that DeGale will go all the way. “You get a fighter once every 20 years,” he explained. “We’ve had Floyd Mayweather Jnr and now it’s a matter of time before people recognise James as the fighter of his generation. I honestly believe that he will be considered the best fighter Britain has ever produced.”

 

In his last outing on Frank Warren’s Magnificent 7 bill, DeGale faced his biggest challenge on paper so far. He stepped up to take on Carl Dilks, now 14-3 (5). The Harlesden native stopped his Liverpudlian opponent with six seconds left of the opening round, continuing a penchant for blistering through his opponents early.

 

DeGale acknowledged that while he enjoyed the night, he needs more rounds to progress his career.

 

“Carl Dilks was a decent step up for me, and I dealt with him nicely. So I’m pleased with that, but I would like to have had more rounds,” DeGale stated. “I hadn’t even got going.

 

“[Promoter] Frank [Warren]’s just telling me to enjoy the early nights because there will be some long ones,” he added.

 

McDonnell concurs, “It is a concern that he’s not getting the rounds. I’d like him to have a couple of eight or 10-rounders before we step up from the domestic scene. But to be honest with you, there’s no-one on the scene that would provide a test. James, in my opinion, is already the best.”

 

And while McDonnell refuses to acknowledge him as a serious challenge, bitter rival and Commonwealth champion, George Groves appears to be the only credible answer. However, team DeGale are now “bored” with the talk.

 

DeGale led with, “To be honest with you, he is a bit of a moron. He’s been going on about fighting me for too long. Frank put up an offer, they came back with a counter-offer? What’s that about? If he really wanted to fight he’d have it anywhere, any time, any place.”

 

McDonnell added, “I’m not being disrespectful, but we aren’t even mentioning that name now. We talk about the likes of [Andre] Dirrell, [Andre] Ward and [Carl] Froch. It’s only when the media bring it up that we’re reminded of him.”

 

McDonnell detailed that both young men had boxed the same opponents at the Olympic qualification weekend. The difference was that Groves was “thrashed” while DeGale beat the pair.

 

“That’s what I’m talking about with levels. James is, and always will be, on that level above,” declared the trainer.

 

Neither could say who would be next for DeGale, with rumours rife of a challenge to British champion Paul Smith on December 11, but the Olympic champion is sure whoever Frank Warren gives him, he will defeat.

 

“I’m always prepared for the long nights. I’ve got the best trainer in the world in Jim McDonnell and he’s a fitness fanatic, so he keeps me in great shape all the time, so I’ll be ready to deal with who ever is put in front of me,” he vowed.

 

Now with eight wins, six early, undefeated DeGale certainly has made an immediate impact on the British super-middleweight scene since turning professional. And life away from the spotlight is no different to any other young male according to the Londoner. “Life’s treating me well, I’m feeling good man,” he grinned. “I wake up every day with a smile on my face because I’m doing something I love.”

 

“I’ve moved out now, got my own flat but I’m always at my mum’s. She’s good to me. She does the washing and ironing and all that. But then I can escape when they do my head in, you know.”

 

And like most young men the pursuit of women is no different either, but boxing is DeGale’s first and only love. “Boxing is my missus right now. I’m not going to lie, of course there’s a couple of girls here and there, you know what I’m saying?” DeGale laughed. “But I’m just a normal 24-year old bloke away from the ring. I like to go out to bars with my mates, have a dance and a couple of drinks if I can, but boxing will always come first.”

http://www.boxingnewsonline.net/BN08/detail.asp?id=2010

[Wheelchair]

Re: McDonnell 'DeGale will be the best the UK has ever produ

 

McDonnell also believes that DeGale will go all the way. “You get a fighter once every 20 years,” he explained. “We’ve had Floyd Mayweather Jnr and now it’s a matter of time before people recognise James as the fighter of his generation. I honestly believe that he will be considered the best fighter Britain has ever produced.”

 

Poor old Jim is feeling the effects of the punches he took in his own career IMO.

[RAZZ-MCFC]

utter tosh

 

he won't even make the top 20 that Britain's ever produced

[brooklynbrawler]

...No pressure then...

 

Ffs!!

Pretty ridiculous notion that a what, 6 fight novice? is saying he's not interested in fighting his domestic rivals because he has his sights set on the world champions for his next few fights.

Yet in the same breath, they're saying that they're concerned by his lack of progress because he's not getting rounds under his belt.

 

This guy's mouth is already his downfall, and the MASSIVE over-hyping of a guy who in all likelihood will not be able to make the full transition from amateur to professional, simply because of his style.

He has skill, that much isn't in question, but it's ridiculous to be talking about him in this way, at this point in his career.

It's going to be close between him and Khan for the most universally disliked fighter coming out of Britain inside 20 years.

That's about as far as it;'s going to go for facts about his career for the timebeing.

He can forget about being the best ever fighter for now though...

[iamasadlittleboy]

Get him in with Kanstantsin Makhankou...a loser but a bloody tough loser.

[Jabandmove]

Re: McDonnell 'DeGale will be the best the UK has ever produ

 

“It’s all about levels. Like in football, if Arsenal play West Brom, you know who is on that top level,”

 

Lets hope so! mlol/

[Faulks]

Wouldnt expect his trainer to say he's only going to make it at British level but steasy on old fella.

 

Lets just wait and see how he gets on in his next 4-5 fights before battering on about 'The Best'

[Sheils]

He's got a little, well maybe a fair way to go, before you can start to make claims that he is the best that Britain has produced. There are a few more steps that DeGale has to take on the road to world champion. I'd like to see him do well, but I'm not as confident as Jim McDonnell.

[brooklynbrawler]

Being honest, I see some nice skills.

I see some flashy moves, that will work against a poor calibre of opponent, where you're 100% in control, but that wouldn't in a million years work against world ranked opponents.

I see a style that is built to gain points in the amateurs. He ducks and doges and catches his opponents from all angles, but again, he always has a tendancy to come through his opponents round the side, leaving himself wide open to counters against opponents who aren't completely static and having the turning circle of an arctic lorry...

He hasn't demonstrated any incredible amount of power so far.

He has either knocked over punchbags, or he has been awarded victory based on flurries of punches, without seeming to actually hurt his opponent.

 

His mouth is faster than his fists at this stage, and that is certainly no way to endear yourself to the boxing public.

He definitely has skill and he definitely has speed, but any claims over and above that at this stage, are just hype and unrealistic expectations.