Boxing Betting / Ralph Ellis / 11 February 2010 /

James Degale's committment has helped to make him one of the hottest boxing prospects of his generation. Could he be the first Olympic gold medallist to go on and win a title? Ralph Ellis thinks so.

Maybe nobody needed to tell James DeGale about hard work. The story goes that when he started his professional career with Jim McDonnell as his trainer, Britain's Olympic Middleweight gold medallist was taken out every morning at 5am for an hour's session of hill running. After six days McDonnell told him that he couldn't be there for the next session, but to get on and do it anyway.

It's a test that the former European champion regularly uses on new recruits to his stable, and normally he spies on them in secret and discovers they either don't turn up at all or go through the motions with a gentle jog. When it came to DeGale, it was different. He was there early, repeated exactly the work they'd done every morning before then, and then ran an extra hill to finish off.

It's that level of commitment which makes McDonnell believe that the 23-year-old Londoner's fight against Surrey's Matthew Barr on Saturday night could be another stepping stone on a unique journey. As he says in a revealing interview in today's Daily Express: "How many British Olympic Gold medallist have won professional world titles? None. But James will be the first."

Degale's first couple of professional fights have been anything but inspiring, but slowly he's moving through the levels as surely as he climbed those hills. McDonnell took him last summer to watch Floyd Mayweather train, just to underline his mantra that hard work in the gym equals easy fights in the ring.

The next trip will be to work at Manny Pacquiao's Wild Card gym in Los Angeles, to look and learn alongside the man who vies with Mayweather for the title of best pound for pound boxer in the world. Pacquiao is in the last stages of preparing for a March 13 fight against Joshua Clottey, and the [1.21] for him to beat the former IBF welterweight champion looks about as safe an investment as you'd find.

DeGale is one of a cluster of young British boxing talents being showcased on Saturday night at Wembley, with the main attention falling on Kevin Mitchell and Nathan Cleverly. All three are being guided by the experienced management hand of Frank Warren, and Mitchell's opponent Ignacio Mendoza should work him just hard enough to create experience before he meets Michael Katsidis for a world title shot. Meanwhile Welshman Cleverly is as short as [1.11] to collect the vacant European light heavyweight crown from Antonio Brancalion.

Mitchell is an even shorter price for victory at [1.09] and if there's value to be had it will be in the 'method of victory' market just before they enter the ring. I fancy Cleverly to need a points decision, but Mitchell to win it inside the distance.

Five things you might not know about James DeGale

1. Born in Harlesdon, London, in 1986 his Mum sent him to the Barbara Speake stage school where he learned ballet and tap dancing - but got expelled for starting fights. He was also expelled from his secondary school Whitefield

2. He started boxing aged ten when dad LeRoy took him to the Trojan club near his home - they have won the North West London ABA team prize eight years running

3. He got his "Chunky" nickname from his first trainer because he loved junk food and was considered flabby until he was about 16

4. He turned down an offer to be on Strictly Come Dancing last year

5. He still lives in a flat round the corner from his parents' home in Harlesdon and drives a black Range Rover - given him by Frank Warren as a present when he turned pro

'.$sign_up['title'].'

'; } } ?>

:

:

:

?

: