Long-term foes James DeGale and Chris Eubank Jr battle for vacant – and potentially irrelevant – IBO belt
The significance of the IBO belt has long been debated, with some boxing observers considering it to be less credible than other world titles from the WBO, WBA, WBC and IBF.
As two of Britain’s biggest names, James DeGale and Chris Eubank Jr, prepare to battle for the vacant IBO super-middleweight crown on Saturday night, the circumstances that led to its vacancy have provided another talking point.
Former IBO champion Eubank Jr lost the super-middleweight belt 12 months ago after a defeat at the hands of George Groves, who successfully defended his WBA title with a unanimous decision.
But in an extraordinary turn of events, it was revealed after the fight that Groves had not won the IBO title – despite the ring announcer proclaiming him to be the new holder – because it was never being fought for. He had failed to agree sanctioning fees with the IBO, raising further questions over the title’s value.
IBO snub
“It is very unusual for the challenger to not be sanctioned when the IBO champion is defending his title,” said IBO president Ed Levine. “On the rare occasions when this occurs the IBO is typically informed well in advance and on almost every occasion the challenger has lost and there is no subsequent confusion.
“In this case, the subject of IBO sanction for Groves was up in the air and being negotiated until one week before the fight, money apparently being the key issue. We were then notified that Groves would not be requesting sanction.”
Subsequently, the title that Eubank Jr won in 2017 from Renold Quinlan and retained twice, was made vacant. It has remained so ever since.
A year on and the 29-year-old will have the chance to regain it when he faces long-time foe DeGale, 33, at London’s O2 Arena in a fight that will be shown on ITV Box Office in the UK and Showtime in the United States.
Bad blood
The pair have a history that dates back to a sparring session in 2012, where a young Eubank Jr claims he “schooled” the then-European champion DeGale and was subsequently kicked out of the gym.
DeGale denies there was more than a heated exchange of words but Eubank took to social media that day to brag about his efforts in a rivalry that has endured for many years.
“I beat the guy up in sparring,” Eubank Jr said. “I’m tired of saying it. Everybody knows. More importantly, he knows. That’s what matters.”
They have publicly acknowledged their disdain for one another ever since, and although it has not reached the heights of DeGale and Groves’s bitter rivalry, it is there nonetheless.
The pair have a very similar record, with DeGale having won 25 and lost two of his 28 bouts, while Eubank Jr has won 27 and also lost two.
Big payday
But the former has historically fought at a higher level and is an ex-IBF world champion at this weight, defending the title three times, including in a draw with Badou Jack which also had the WBC belt on the line.
DeGale then lost his IBF belt to Caleb Truax in December 2017 before turning the tables in a rematch five months later, but he subsequently relinquished it last summer in order to face Eubank Jr rather than the mandatory challenger.
The London-born boxer admitted there was “much more money” on offer for this fight and claimed that the IBO title was merely a consequence of the fight, denying he cared about winning it.
“For me it is not recognised as one of the four major world titles,” DeGale said. “Chris was very deluded when it came to carrying that belt around and calling himself a world champion.”
After Groves snubbed the title a year ago, and with DeGale openly dismissing its relevance, the worth of the belt will come under scrutiny once again, with the southpaw's primary motivation for this fight appearing to be money – something he believes is only possible because of Eubank’s family name.
Eubank Jr – named after his former middleweight and super-middleweight world champion father – has been accused of using his family name to earn big pay-days while failing to prove himself against the division's big contenders.
When DeGale was asked if the fight would be as significant if it didn't involve the Eubank name, he said: “No, no way. It wouldn’t get made if he was Dave Smith.”
While there may be debate over the relevance of the IBO belt, there is no denying the two Brits’ dislike for one another. When the pair face off on Saturday, there are likely to be fireworks.