James DeGale is quickly becoming one of the luckiest fighters in boxing when it comes to scoring Unanimous Decisions. I’m not saying his weekend win over the tough and inspired Lucian Bute was controversial per se, but the action was pretty darned close. On a different night, with different judges, his luck could run out.
Actually, you know what? Perhaps ‘lucky’ is the wrong word? So let me just say this: despite the official cards coming in at an unjust 117-111 (twice) and 116-112, I think we all know Bute received a rather unfair shake. Boxing Base had no qualms scoring it 114-114 (and May’s DeGale vs Andre Dirrell also a Draw at 113-113).
Anyway, DeGale vs Bute was an absorbing encounter, and yeah, a terribly close one if you ask me. The pre-fight script, which I subscribed to, suggested DeGale (21-1, 14 KO) would outclass, overwhelm, and eventually stop Bute, a former champion who hadn’t looked the same since getting whipped by Carl Froch in 2012.
But Bute (32-3, 25 KO) proved his detractors wrong in Saturday’s Quebec City headliner. Not only was Bute confident and willing to let his hands go, he never stopping backing up DeGale and making the defending IBF Super Middleweight champion as uncomfortable as possible.
DeGale was never in serious trouble, but was certainly made to work and respond to Bute’s attacks. Bute may have set the tempo of the fight by staying busy and pressing forward, but DeGale also made an equally big impact by tagging Bute with sharp, precise counters and combinations. Without checking punch stats, I’d say DeGale threw slightly less leather, but probably scored a marginally higher connect rate.
I just couldn’t separate either man in this one. Yes, DeGale was the superior boxer, clearly bagging the opening rounds. But as the fight wore on, DeGale’s offense waned as Bute gained ground, leading to DeGale being outworked at stages. And let’s remember that Bute was landing a good deal of his own shots. The 35-year-old was strong enough to break through DeGale’s high guard, and DeGale’s bruised mug was proof at that. You can catch Showtime’s DeGale vs Bute Boxing Highlights here.
Going forward, the future is bright for DeGale, and not too dim for Bute either thanks to this performance and his devoted Canadian fan base. As the fight was so close, I don’t think the public need to see a rematch. And unless the money is there, I doubt DeGale would have any interest in a sequel.
After watching this bout, I do have my doubts about DeGale’s chances of 168 pound domination. DeGale is a great talent, sure, but the 28-year-old didn’t shine all too brightly in this one. He also dried up somewhat in the later rounds – as he often does – and for that reason, I’d have to say fights against the likes of Badou Jack and Anthony Dirrell would be 50/50.
I know a fight with George Groves is a million miles off – perhaps destined to never happen – but I also see that as a pick’ em fight. Now that’s a rematch I’d pay good money to see.
What are your thoughts on DeGale vs Bute? Did DeGale underperform, or did he simply underestimate what the former champion had left in his tank?
