The Man with a Plan: James DeGale Deserves Praise for Chasing Big Names

James DeGale may not appreciate being compared to Baldrick from Blackadder, but they do share one similarity.

Like the character who served Edmund Blackadder throughout the popular television series, DeGale has a cunning plan.

First, the IBF super middleweight champion intends to successfully defend his title against mandatory challenger Rogelio Medina on Saturday.

Badou Jack—the holder of the WBC title—meets Lucian Bute on the same card at the Armory in Washington, D.C. If his fellow champion comes through, DeGale wants a unification bout later in the year.

The Londoner told Sky Sports News HQ (h/t Stephen Turner of SkySports.com), "If Jack does win, if he does come through, I want him in London so we'll see how it goes."

If he gets beyond Medina and Jack, DeGale intends to move on up. In fact, he wants to face light heavyweight Adonis Stevenson. No, honestly. The Adonis "Superman" Stevenson.

The fighter nicknamed Chunky told Nick Parkinson of the Daily Star of his desire to be a two-weight world champion:

"

I’m thinking about moving up to light-heavyweight and fight the likes of Adonis Stevenson, the WBC champion. When I move up you have to pick the right opponents. Sergey Kovalev is the best and is another one but Stevenson is probably a better opponent for me first.

To be a two-weight world champion would be great for my legacy and how many people have won super-middleweight and light-heavyweight titles from Britain?

"

Whatever you think of DeGale—his confidence can be confused for arrogance at times, rubbing some people the wrong way—he cannot be faulted for his ambition.

He needs to clear several hurdles before the grand plan can come together, starting with Medina at the weekend.

The Mexican has somehow found himself at the front of the queue to fight for the IBF belt. His knockout ratio of 71 per cent, per BoxRec, suggests he should not be underestimated.

DeGale, however, will be expected to see off a challenger who has barely registered a ripple on the world stage despite having 42 fights in a career that has spanned nearly nine years.

Ethan Miller/Getty Images

The bigger concern for the Englishman could be Jack coming through a far tougher test on the same night.

Reports of Bute's demise as a fighter seem to have been greatly exaggerated. After Carl Froch blitzed him in 2012, the Canadian struggled to get his career going again.

However, against DeGale in November 2015, the 36-year-old southpaw showed there's life in the old dog yet. While he was on the wrong end of a unanimous decision from the judges, Bute proved his chin could still cope against a top-level fighter.

Le Tombeur is the underdog on Saturday, per Odds Shark. Yet Jack—who won the title against Anthony Dirrell and then went on to defend it against George Groves—is by no means a certainty to prevail.

A victory for Bute would be bad news for DeGale, who does not want a rematch against someone he has already beaten.

Jack would hold no value without a title, while Callum Smith is waiting as the mandatory challenger for the WBC strap. There is always Groves, of course, but a rematch between the two has never seemed further away.

DeGale could opt to move up to light heavyweight ahead of schedule as he chases the big fights he wants before getting to the final part of his plan: early retirement.

The 30-year-old told Declan Taylor of MailOnline (warning: linked article contains language NSFW):

"

I've never made a secret of the fact I want to make my money and run.

Obviously on the way I want to keep on progressing and winning titles and leaving some sort of name behind so people still talk about me in five years when I've retired.

But I think there's only something like seven per cent of boxers retire and never work again. That's madness. Seven per cent? I want to be one of them and I'm on the way.

I'm getting triple the amount of money I would have got fighting over here, so it was a no-brainer to go to Washington for the Medina fight.

"

DeGale—the first British boxer to win both a gold medal at the Olympics and a world title in the paid ranks—has already achieved plenty as a pro.

However, winning a belt at 175 pounds would be an outstanding final chapter to his story. In cleverly mentioning Stevenson's name in interviews, he has planted a seed that can grow over time.

Stevenson's biggest rival at light heavyweight is Sergey Kovalev, but the Russian is scheduled to take on Andre Ward later this year, per Dan Rafael of ESPN.com:

DeGale's slick boxing skills would make for an intriguing clash against the heavy-handed Stevenson. Both could make plenty. Both would also be confident of coming out on top.

Whatever the future holds, Chunky deserves praise for his desire to test himself at the highest level.

Money may make his boxing world go round, but DeGale could end up leaving quite a legacy if his cunning plan comes together.

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