Andre Dirrell vs. James DeGale: Fight Time, Date, Live Stream and TV Info

James DeGale can create British boxing history on Saturday when he bids to become the IBF super middleweight champion at the expense of Andre Dirrell.

The duo will go head-to-head at the Agganis Arena in Boston for the belt that Carl Froch vacated back in February.

Both men have only lost once in their careers, with Dirrell's defeat coming at the hands of Froch in his attempt to win the WBC belt back in 2009.

DeGale (20-1, 14 KO), meanwhile, was beaten by long-time rival George Groves. However, he has since won 10 on the spin, with his run of victories propelling him to the mandatory challenger position.

When: Saturday, May 23, 4.30 p.m. (local) / 9.30 p.m. (BST) 

Where: Agganis Arena, Boston

TV: NBC (US), Sky Sports (UK)

Live stream: NBC (US; regional restrictions apply)  Sky Sports (UK; regional restrictions apply)

Second time around

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When Dirrell (24-1, 16 KO) took Froch the full 12 rounds in Nottingham, and ended up losing by a split decision on the scorecards, he might not have expected to have to wait nearly six years for another crack at a world title.

He bounced back from that defeat with a win over fellow Super Six competitor Arthur Abraham five months later, only to then have to pull out of the tournament for health reasons.

The 31-year-old had to take time out due to a brain injury suffered against Abraham (who was disqualified for hitting his opponent after he had slipped), meaning he fought just once between March 2011 and August of last year.

However, victories over Vladine Biosse, Nick Brinson and Derek Edwards in 2014 at least mean Dirrell has been busy ahead of his second crack at a major belt.

Nicknamed The Resurrected, Dirrell will hope a win over DeGale can complete his comeback to the big time. In the pre-fight press conference, he seemed determined to make the most of the second opportunity (h/t Bad Left Hook):

"

If you want to put me in front of a fighter for a world championship fight, then James DeGale is bar none one of the best to do it in front of.

So, I'm excited about this fight. I think this is probably one of the biggest fights from Premier Boxing Champions that they've had and I'm excited to be on that big stage.

So, I want a breakout performance and I did everything in camp to make sure I can do so.

"

Dirrell will also want to get a belt back in the family—younger brother Anthony held the WBC strap until he was surprisingly beaten on points by Badou Jack in April.

Now it is older brother Andre who gets the chance to become a champion, and once again it is an Englishman who stands in his way.

Olympic spirit

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Any sportsman revels in setting a new record. DeGale, though, has the chance to make history, rather than break it.

There is something a little bit special about being the first to achieve something, as that honour can never be taken away from you.

In winning the gold medal at the 2008 Olympics, he became the first British boxer to triumph at the Games in his weight class since fellow middleweight Chris Finnegan in 1968. Now he's aiming to become the first British boxer to win both Olympic gold and a professional world title.

Chunky admits, per Matchroom Boxing, that he is now "obsessed" with becoming a world champion:

"

I’m obsessed with making history.

It’s what drives me to work so hard in the gym and succeed in the ring. I need to stay focused and keep my eye out on the prize. That’s what I have to do.

I am just a normal boy from north-west London, and I can become the first Olympic gold medallist from England to win a World title. The support I am getting has been fantastic, and I can’t wait to bring the belt home for the fans.

"

A win on American soil for DeGale would not just see him enter the record books, it would also open up the possibility of a rematch with Groves.

The pair are still the best of enemies, with the rivalry stretching back to their amateur days.

Groves got the better of his fellow Londoner in the paid ranks in 2011, and that defeat still rankles with DeGale. The 29-year-old admitted to Alan Hubbard in the Independent that he was "a bit flash and up myself back then."

Groves has now dangled the carrot of a rematch—provided DeGale defeats Dirrell. Saint George told Jeff Powell of the Daily Mail: "I’ll do it now in a heartbeat."

That is an extra incentive for DeGale, not that he ever really needed it. The possibility of wearing the IBF belt is all the motivation he required to push himself to the limit.

Prediction

You can make a solid case for either of the two fighters coming out on top in the co-main event on the PBC card.

DeGale's hand speed can make him a tricky customer to deal with, but he has also shown he carries more power than some may appreciate with impressive stoppage wins in his last three fights.

Dirrell, meanwhile, showed against Froch that he could live with the best in the division. He also has a victory over Abraham on a record that is more impressive than DeGale's.

However, Froch was hardly complimentary when talking about his former opponent, telling Sky Sports: "Dirrell just doesn't seem to want to push himself, which is something we saw from his brother Anthony a couple of weeks ago, when he lost his world title to Badou Jack."

He will have no choice but to push himself against DeGale, who must be denied the opportunity to work at long range.

It is easy to see this going the distance and, if that is the case, expect DeGale to come out on top. I wonder who he might want to fight in his first defence?