Caleb Traux vs. James DeGale rematch targeted for Hurd-Lara undercard on April 7

Boxingnews24.com

By Allan Fox

A rematch between IBF super middleweight champion Caleb ‘Golden’ Truax (29-3-2, 18 KOs) and former IBF champion James ‘Chunky’ DeGale (23-2-1, 14 KOs) is in the works for the undercard of the junior middleweight unification fight between WBA Super World champion Erislandy ‘American Dream’ Lara and IBF belt holder Jarrett Hurd for April 7 on Showtime Boxing at a still to be determined venue in the U.S.

Truax, 34, beat DeGale by a 12 round majority decision on December 9 in a big upset in London, England. Truax wasn’t supposed to win the fight, as he was picked out DeGale’s management in a voluntary defense for him in his first fight coming off of shoulder surgery an 11th month layoff.

DeGale didn’t look 100 percent physically in the fight, and that would help explain why he was dominated most of the fight by Truax. DeGale had the advantage in hand speed and mobility over Truax, but he couldn’t pull the trigger often enough for him to win rounds.

DeGale’s habit of fighting off the ropes made it an easy fight for Truax, who used the Badou Jack blueprint of nonstop pressure to work over DeGale with his heavy shots. Truax was always going to be the more powerful puncher of the two even if DeGale had been 100 percent healthy for the fight.

DeGale in top former was capable of throwing combinations and using his skills to out-boxing more powerful opposition. He couldn’t do that against Truax, because he was not fully ready to be back from shoulder surgery against that type of opponent.

If DeGale, 32, loses the rematch with Truax, it’s unclear where he goes from there. You have to assume that if DeGale can’t beat Truax, it suggests that he’s lost something from his game from his grueling fights against Badou Jack, Rogelio Medina, Lucian Bute and Andre Dirrell. Those fights came consecutively for DeGale.

Truax was stopped in the 12th round by Daniel Jacobs in April 2015, and in the 1st round by Anthony Dirrell in April 2016. Truax has won his last 3 fights against DeGale, KeAndrae Leatherwood and Zachariah Kelley.

The fight that a lot of Americans want to see is the Lara (25-2-2, 14 KOs) vs. Hurd (21-0, 15 KOs) fight. The Cuban southpaw Lara, 35, is the far more skilled fighter of the two and the guy with the superior amateur background from his native Cuba. However, the 6’1” Hurd, 27, is a lot younger, bigger and stronger than the 5’9” Lara, and he’s got a style that could prove to be a real nightmare for him.

Hurd is high pressure fighter who likes to throw his heavy shots to the body and head. Hurd tends to wear down his opposition with his high pace fighting style. Hurd gets a lot of knockouts late in his fights. That’s when he typically breaks down his opponents with his heavy punches.

Hurd has a 7-fight knockout streak going into the Lara fight. Hurd has stopped these fighters in the last 3 years:

– Austin Trout

– Tony Harrison

– Ionut Dan Ion

– Oscar Molina

– Frank Galarza

– Jeff Lentz

– Eric Mitchell