November 2, 2024

James DeGale-Chris Eubank Jr. “close” for December

The fight is targeted for the 1st or the 8th.

Photo by Mark Robinson/Getty Images

World Boxing News reports that a fight between James DeGale and Chris Eubank Jr., which has been brewing all month, has a deal “in place for a date on December 1 or 8” to stream on ITV and potentially take place at London’s O2 Arena.

DeGale (24-2-1, 14 KO) vacated his IBF super middleweight title, which he reclaimed in a rematch with Caleb Truax, earlier this year rather than fight interim champ Jose Uzcategui. DeGale admits in that PBC interview that Uzcategui was “high-risk, low-reward” and not a sufficiently lucrative opponent.

Eubank (27-2-1, 21 KO) fits the bill quite a bit better. He’s shown flashes of greatness, but looked terribly limited against George Groves back in February. A fight with DeGale, who likewise fails to live up to his considerable potential, should be competitive and entertaining.

As far as dates go, this matchup would have strong competition on both the 1st and the 8th; the former already has Adonis Stevenson-Oleksandr Gvozdyk and Deontay Wilder-Tyson Fury, while the latter has Vasyl Lomachenko-Jose Pedraza. I’m sure they can finagle the times to accommodate, though.

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