James DeGale Looks to Make History Against Andre Dirrell in Boston

It has been nearly seven years since James DeGale struck gold at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

At the 2008 Games, the Londoner defeated Cuban Emilio Correa in the final to win the middleweight title.

His success paved the way for a professional career, and in February 2009, he made his debut in the paid ranks, beating Vepkhia Tchilaia on points. It was the first of five fights he had that year.

Now, boasting a 20-1 (14 KO) record, DeGale has manoeuvred himself into a position to make history.

On May 23, he will face Andre Dirrell for the vacant IBF super middleweight belt. If he wins in Boston, he will become the first British Olympic champion to also win a world title.

Chunky believes he can get the job done in his travels, per Matchroom Boxing: 

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My time is here and I am going to be crowned the IBF world champion. Travelling doesn’t worry me – I like it. As an amateur I travelled all over the world and came home with medals, especially at the Olympics, so when the pressure is on and I am a little nervous, that’s when I come into my own, I relish it.

"

At the age of 29 and having worked so hard to get himself into this position, DeGale knows how important this next fight is to determining his long-term prospects.

Olympic glory is no precursor to success as a pro, as Steve Bunce pointed out in his blog for ESPN.co.uk: “The gold medal, you see, is a glorious achievement, harder than ever to win, but it does not guarantee the man wearing it any success in the pro ranks. It can cause heads to swell, it can create a false sense of security and it can turn the wisest promoters into fools at the bargaining table.”

The biggest fight he has had to date saw him come out on the wrong end of the result, The points loss he suffered at the hands of George Groves four years ago still rankles.

The longtime rivals nearly came to blows at a weigh-in last November, per Martin Domin of the Daily Mail, even though they were fighting different opponents on the same bill.

A rematch would make sense—both in terms of settling the score and also from a financial point of view—though not before both have world titles in their possession. 

Since losing to Groves, DeGale has gone on a 10-fight winning streak, slowly but surely working his way into the position of being the mandatory challenger for the IBF crown.

Jerry S. Mendoza/Associated Press

However, the list of victims does not include many names of real note. He is about to step up to another level.

Dirrell is a rather sizeable obstacle who stands in the way of the Brit completing the path from gold medalist to world champion.

The American has a 26-1 (16 KO) record, with his only loss coming at the hands of Carl Froch, the man who previously held the IBF belt, back in 2009.

Like DeGale, the 31-year-old has bounced back from his one and only defeat.

He has won six on the spin since being on the wrong end of a split decision in Nottingham, England. That run of positive results includes a victory over reigning WBO champion Arthur Abraham (albeit by disqualification).

The similarities do not end there: Dirrell is a southpaw and a former Olympian too. He claimed a bronze medal as a middleweight at the 2004 Games in Athens and had a fine amateur pedigree.

For both fighters, the bout—which will be held at the Agganis Arena in Boston—will be pivotal.

Defeat does not mean the end of the line, but neither man will want to suffer a setback at this stage of their careers.

It is a crossroads fight, but only one of them can keep on moving forward.