DeGale far from happy

DeGale: 30 per cent

You will see the best of me when there's someone in there who wants and wants to open it up with me.

James DeGale
Quotes of the week

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• Debut success for Degale

James DeGale admitted he was nowhere near his best as he marked his professional debut with a win.

The Olympic gold medallist was the only one of four to turn pro this weekend not to stop his opponent and was taken the four-round distance by Georgia's Vepkhia Tchilaia.

Sections of the Birmingham crowd jeered DeGale in the second half of the fight, but the 23-year-old who admits he is an 'acquired taste', was far from satisfied himself.

"It was difficult," he told Sky Sports.

"People were telling me these journeymen with 50-50 records come over to try and survive and he did. I had to work him down, bang him around in there. It was tough.

"I'm never happy with my performance - even in the Olympics - never. That was just 30 per cent of me."

While Beijing team-mates Tony Jeffries (first round), Billy Joe Saunders (second) and Frankie Gavin (fourth) all finished their debuts inside the distance, DeGale didn't.

There were also one or two amateur traits all too evident in his technique, but typically, he was in philosophical mood after the fight.

"It's a learning curve," he said. "What do you want me to do? He was running away, he was tucking up and I still landed a couple of good shots.

"You will see the best of me when there's someone in there who wants to open it up with me. Don't worry, it's a learning curve, isn't it?"