Monday 16 January 2017 15:28, UK
Sky Sports expert Carl Froch reveals his new-found respect for James DeGale, calls for a British battle, and teases about a possible comeback...
The draw was probably a fair result. I know I scored it for Jack winning, but I’m not a judge, I’m an analyst and a commentator and I do my job. I’m impartial and I’m not biased.
James DeGale has got a little bit of beef with a few fighters and even though I’m retired, there are still words exchanged sometimes. But let me tell you, I’m very proud of James DeGale, I think he fought an excellent fight. He did his fans and Britain proud - and he’s still got his IBF title. He can hold his head up with pride.
I’m very proud of James DeGale, I think he fought an excellent fight. He did his fans and Britain proud – and he’s still got his IBF title.
Where does he go next? If DeGale had won that fight, he would have been the WBC champion and would have been ordered to defend against our own Callum Smith. If he wants to show people that he’s not worried about Callum, then maybe he should give Smith a shot at the IBF belt. That would give British fight fans what they want.
There is also George Groves, but who else is there, apart from me coming out of retirement? I can’t make 168lbs anymore, but I can make 175lbs, that’s for sure.
Obviously DeGale had a bit of beef with me about saying that Groves beats him, but that’s my humble opinion, which is my job now - to give an opinion. I’ve got no agendas at all.
But I’ve got to give DeGale a massive amount of credit for his heart. I didn’t know if he had that in him. Early on, looking at him getting caught with a couple of shots, I thought he might start to feel sorry for himself when he reached rounds four, five and six. But he never looked like he didn’t want to be in there and finished strongly in that terrible last round for him.
Without the knockdown in the last round, James wins the fight. But he got knocked down and he got knocked down heavy. You cannot really kick yourself and think, 'I should done this, should have done that'. DeGale has still got his title. I think he deserved to keep his belt because he fought well, and Badou Jack also deserved to keep his belt.
