‘Lazy’ DeGale determined to sharpen up
James DeGale insisted he would learn from his tough fight against durable Frenchman Hadillah Mohoumadi.
The Harlesden man successfully defended his European super-middleweight title, securing a unanimous points decision at Glow, Bluewater.
He showed his talent by landing with a variety of shots throughout, but Mohoumadi seemed immovable and managed to drag the champion into a battle.
DeGale looked at his best when in the centre of the ring, landing blows almost at will, but he spent much of the fight propped against the ropes, counter-punching as his opponent plodded forward.
He admitted doing so partly because of a tendency to get lazy, but also because of the intensity of the fight – only his second this year.
“Oh my word he was tough. I knew he was game and durable but didn’t know he was that tough. He’s a fit, strong boy,” DeGale told Channel 5.
“That’s why you’ve got to train hard and I’m so pleased I put the work in so I could produce a performance like that.
“Sometimes I get lazy and I know that. I stay on the ropes and don’t bend at the knees. I know I need to work on stuff like that in the gym.
“I showed I can dig deep and take shots, but I don’t need to take those shots.
“I had to have rounds off in there because he was so tough. He just kept on coming. I’m glad I did all them Hampstead Heath runs and all those rounds of sparring.”
Having recently resolved a long-running dispute with Frank Warren, the fight was DeGale’s first under new promoter Mick Hennessy.
And the former Olympic champion, 26, is determined to make up for lost time following a frustrating 12 months.
“My plans have been knocked back a year because of all the rubbish outside the ring, but it’s a new start and the future’s bright,” he declared.
“It was a good, learning 12 rounds. There aren’t many super-middleweights out there that are faster than me or that have my movement.”
Follow West London Sport on Twitter
Find us on Facebook
