James DeGale vs Chris Eubank Jr: Former world champion eyes final piece to crown great career in domestic grudge match

The former Olympic champion admits he could retire if he loses at The O2 on Saturday

James DeGale could have continued his reign as world champion but is instead searching for validation and adulation when he battles Chris Eubank Jr on Saturday.

Any amateur turning over would gladly accept the two-time world super-middleweight champion’s career were it offered to them, yet the 33-year-old is not entirely fulfilled entering the twilight of his career.

Consistency has plagued DeGale’s career at times, with a succession of injuries depriving him from showcasing his full potential which earned him gold in Beijing in 2008.

Instead, DeGale became a road warrior in 2015: pocketing life-changing purses and finally accomplishing his destiny to join a small club of fighters to have achieved Olympic gold and become a world champion, outpointing Andre Dirrell in Boston back in 2015.

But he dropped his IBF belt last year, instead lured by the bright lights back home in a domestic grudge match vs Eubank Jr. A ballsy move considering the ramifications in defeat, but one that can provide him with the stardom that has often been missing during his great triumphs out of sight in the early hours of the morning back home.

This is a fight that can complete DeGale’s career, though he would likely continue fighting should he triumph at The O2, yet the suspense comes from his decline since a gruelling fight with Badou Jack in 2017. The Swede dragged DeGale into a war, which saw several of his teeth removed in the eventual draw.

“We were both in our prime,” Jack tells The Independent when remembering the fight. “It feels like a long time ago now, but in the first round I started faster than usual, but I got a bit too greedy.

James DeGale lands a blow on Badou Jack (Getty)

“I wanted to hurt him and he dropped me with a balance shot, I wasn’t hurt, but it was a knockdown.

“I picked it up from there, look at the punch stats, I landed more punches in every round except one or two rounds. Not just pitty-pat punches, harder punches, the fans know who really won that fight, he hasn’t been the same since that fight.”

Jack did indeed outland the former Olympic champion, at least according to Compubox: the Swede threw 128 more punches in the fight with DeGale only outlanding him in two (the first and second) of the 12 rounds.

James DeGale aims to prove his best days are not behind him (Getty Images)

Then came a shocking upset at the hands of Caleb Truax and while it woke DeGale up from his daze, he was candid enough to admit he is yet to rediscover his vintage.

“There’s a lot of questions hanging over this fight as well,” DeGale concedes. “But the main one is how much have I got left? Am I declining, am I shot? We’ll see.”

Eubank Jr insists his greater desire and dedication outside of the ring will prove the difference. Frequent visits to Floyd Mayweather Jr’s gym in Las Vegas have seen him cross paths with Jack, who is promoted by the American.

While the pair never sparred, Jack has vouched for his hard work, contrary to some of Eubank Jr’s glamorous social media posts.

James DeGale and Chris Eubank Jr will settle their grudge on Saturday (Getty)

A prediction from the young fighter to stop DeGale for the first time may appear optimistic, especially considering the way his arms flailed and the blood trickled down his face in defeat to George Groves last year. But Jack insists it can be done and believes he came close two years ago.

“Yes,” the two-weight world champion claims. “Another round or a few more seconds, I think I could have stopped him. But you have to give James credit.

“He’s not the smartest fighter, but he’s got a lot of heart, he’s a tough guy.”

And that is the thing about DeGale and a professional career that has somewhat contradicted the hallmarks of his glittering amateur background. His silky skills have often not been how he left his mark in the ring, instead Jack remembers him as a “warrior” who “came to fight.”

That tactic may offer Eubank Jr great encouragement, who must surely deliver a greater volume of punches and dictate the pace of the fight to win. DeGale has several routes to victory, but showing that “warrior” side to him would guarantee widespread acclaim: the final piece to what has been a great career.