Despite a career that has been filled with success, few fighters have consistently failed to appeal to fans like James DeGale. An Olympic gold medal, a world title and a slew of good opponents has never been enough for the Londoner to achieve notable support, and with his top level career hanging in the balance against Caleb Truax tonight, this may be his last chance to receive the adulation he has always craved.
Following his gold medal success at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, DeGale was booed on his professional debut in early 2009, and was very much the villain against George Groves in their 2011 battle. Prior to DeGale’s shock defeat by Truax four months ago, that was the only loss of his career, and he rallied back from the Groves setback to win the IBF super middleweight title against Andre Dirrell in 2015.
When DeGale outpointed Lucian Bute later that year, he was on the cusp of becoming a genuine fan-favourite, but a laboured win over Rogelio Medina and a disjointed draw with Badou Jack killed his momentum, before his loss to Truax last December. DeGale has suffered a slew of injuries throughout his career, and claimed he had come back too early from shoulder surgery when he fought Truax.
Britain's current boxing world champions
7 show all Britain's current boxing world champions
1/7 Anthony Joshua WBA and IBF heavyweight Getty
2/7 George Groves WBA super middleweight Getty
3/7 Billy-Joe Saunders WBO middleweight Getty
4/7 Lee Selby IBF featherweight Getty
5/7 Jamie McDonnell WBA bantamweight (regular) Getty
6/7 Ryan Burnett WBA bantamweight (super) Getty
7/7 Khalid Yafai WBA super flyweight Getty
Whether that was true or not, DeGale was utterly outclassed by Truax in the fight, the latter coming to London as a vast underdog. It wasn’t simply a case that the American wanted to win more, as DeGale is one of the proudest fighters in boxing. Instead, DeGale was found tactically inept, outgunned, and ultimately outfought. The points defeat was galling, but the humiliation of being embarrassed on home turf has stung DeGale over the past few months.
The former champion has successfully cashed in an immediate rematch, but this time he must travel to Las Vegas to avenge his defeat. The 32-year-old has performed well in America before, but this time he needs to be a little more Simon and Garfunkel, and a little less Razorlight.
If you’re a regular player of James DeGale bingo, all of the numbers have been ticked off in the build-up over the past few weeks. DeGale has learnt from his lessons, he’s injury free and fitter than ever. The trouble is, we’ve heard it all before, and while they may be accurate, the fact remains that he hasn’t looked impressive in the ring for over two years, and has begun to show vulnerabilities that could be disastrous for a reflex-led fighter.
Despite those apparent flaws, a focused DeGale should still have more than enough to deal with Truax this time around. Fundamentally, he’s a better fighter, with better movement, footwork and range of punches. Truax will have gained immense amounts of confidence from beating the British star, but was that the highlight of his career? Does he have the ability to do it all over again, against an opponent who at least theoretically will have learnt and improved from the first bout?
Truax remains the betting underdog despite his win last time out (Getty)
DeGale is still a massive betting favourite at 1/3, with Truax a significant 3/1 underdog, and if the first fight was an anomaly, then those are sensible odds. If DeGale’s prime has dimmed as much as his reputation however, then the value of Truax rises substantially. This is the true beauty of boxing, a fight which makes some sense from a business standpoint, but one which is incredibly difficult to predict. The short period of time between the bouts also adds intrigue. Has DeGale’s shoulder fully recovered, what other injuries are lingering, and if we can steal a thought from a film, does he still have the eye of the tiger?
Win tonight and DeGale remains on the shadows of the spotlight, looking ahead to potential bouts with the likes of George Groves, Callum Smith and Chris Eubank Jr. Lose, and the boos and disdain will quickly become nothing but silence.
Follow the Independent Sport on Instagram here, for all of the best images, videos and stories from around the sporting world.
James DeGale reaches out for redemption on Saturday night through the eye of a desert storm.
Britain's former Olympic gold medallist makes the attempt to regain his world title against a turbulent back-drop.
It is not the high winds forecast to howl through Sin City which are whipping up the sands of disturbance.
Caleb Truax punches James DeGale during their IBF World Super Middleweight fight last year
This mecca of gambling is buffeted by the fall-out from the cancellation of its jackpot fight in the wake of failed drugs tests by Canelo Alvarez, its star boxing attraction.
Mexico's fallen idol has pulled out of his mega-rematch with Gennady Golovkin next month in advance of the April 18 hearing into two positive findings for a banned performance enhancing substance.
Guilty as charged?
That has left Las Vegas picking up the debris of thousands of refunds for high-cost tickets at the T-Mobile Arena and countless cancelled hotel rooms and airline tickets.
All in addition to the loss of a one-hundred-million-dollar casino drop on Mexico's Cinco de Mayo holiday weekend.
DeGale goes into his rematch against Caleb Truax, the unheralded American who snaffled his IBF super-middleweight belt in London, conscious of the vortex into which he has flown.
DeGale welcomes the stand which the Nevada State Athletic Commission appears to be taking with regard to Canelo their cash cow pleading that he inadvertently consumed contaminated meat in his homeland.
Britain's former Olympic gold medallist DeGale will make an attempt to regain his world title
DeGale suspects he has found himself in the ring against opponents with potentially lethal rocket-fuelled power and says: 'It is good for boxing if authorities crack down on doping. Ours is a dangerous sport and the risk of serious injury or even death is raised by drugs cheats and the problem is rife. Believe me. A lot of fighters are using.
'There have been times when I felt there was something up. It was not exactly a surprise to me when Lucian Bute failed a test in the fight after I beat him in Canada. A lot of these drugs boost stamina and for an older fighter he had an unbelievable engine. And I think there's been others.'
Bute was caught after fighting Badou Jack. The decision, a majority draw, was revised to a disqualification and Bute was suspended for six months.
That is the reduction from a one-year ban for which Canelo is hoping. If that was backdated to the time of his February tests the mega-bucks fight with Golovkin could be re-scheduled for the next Mexican holiday, Independence Day on September 15.
DeGale does not believe that would be punishment enough for Alvarez but it is an ancilliary issue raised in the shadows of the drugs violations which is a specific concern for our man known as Chunky.
DeGale tops the undercard below a world super-welterweight title unification fight
Behind the scenes of the first Alvarez-Golovkin fight last September, the camp of the Kazakh KO merchant were outraged by Canelo's hand-wrapping.
This involved the application of a soaking wet strip of material between the layers of dry cloths. This method dries into a packing so solid that some liken it to the old-wives' tale of horseshoes being slipped into gloves.
The Nevada Commssion rejected the Golovkin protests, insisting that such wrappings come within their laws. This is not the case with many of the world's boxing federations but Nevada is not alone in the US.
Barry McGuigan raised strenuous objections on behalf of Carl Frampton in 2015 when Alejandro Gonzales did the same before a fight in El Paso.
The Texas commission declared the wrapping legal and Frampton suffered two surprise knock-downs in the first round before switching to a less open attacking style and recovering to win.
DeGale weighed in ahead of his rematch with Truax on Saturday night in Las Vegas
An observer from each camp has to be permitted to the opponent's dressing room to observe hand-wrapping. When told on arrival here about the Canelo controversy DeGale said: 'I don't know if Truax does this but we will be watching closely.'
His long-time trainer Jim McDonnell added: 'This is a highly dangerous practice and we will exercise the right to oversee the wrapping.' But if it does take place Team Chunky are unlikely to be able to stop it happening.
A fight is rarely just a fight in the prize-ring these days and if Truax does include the wet strip DeGale will have to clench his draw and bite the bullet.
He knows he cannot turn up the chance of becoming a two-time world champion, any more than he can afford to lose to Truax a second time.
Chunky has sworn to hang up the gloves unless he wins with a dominant performance. He says: 'The way I lost my title to Caleb was horrendous, shocking I could not go on if I embarrassed myself like that again.'
Truax gave DeGale a wry look when he heard that. This is a decent, modest, older man who never gave up on his dream of becoming a world champion.
He trains in a gym of such leaky structure in Osseo, Minnesota that there are buckets positioned next to every corner of the ring.
So nominal were his purses on his long journey to meet DeGale at London's Copper Box that he had to pay to make his local TV and radio appearances. He earns more this evening than he has been paid in his entire career.
DeGale has suggested that he will quit boxing if he loses to the American again
Truax is an honest Joe with a big heart. But a one-dimensional trier should never have been good enough to unseat a champion of DeGale's talent.
Chunky says: 'People were coming up to me in the street and asking what the hell was wrong with me that night.' The answer was part physical: 'It was too soon after my shoulder operation.'
Part psychological: 'I was complacent and looked past him. I promise it will never happen again.' Not here, please, James. Even though this is not exactly the high profile Las Vegas of which he dreamed. No T-Mobile Arena. No top of the bill. No big crowd.
DeGale tops the undercard below a mouth-watering world super-welterweight title unification fight between the brilliant Cuban veteran Erislandy Lara and precocious undefeated American Jarrett Hurd. Tickets are still available at the 5,000 seat arena.
With so many bigger fights awaiting DeGale should he win, the choice of venue is ironic for our man caught at the moment between a rock and a hard place.
Here at The Hard Rock Hotel, expect Chunky to find a way to chisel his way out with a unanimous decision.
Truax v DeGale will be televised live on BoxNation late on Saturday night.
James DeGale faces a career-defining fight in his rematch against Caleb Truax in Las Vegas.
Truax handed 'Chunky' a shock defeat in December last year but the Londoner has earned his shot at revenge.
The former Olympic gold medal winner has suggested he will retire if beaten by the American for a second time and he has promised fans a far better showing than the first time round, when he rushed back too quickly from shoulder surgery.
Sportsmail are on hand to provide live round-by-round updates of the Las Vegas showdown.
James DeGale faces Caleb Truax in a rematch for his IBF super-middleweight crown after surprisingly losing to the American journeyman in December.
DeGale, 32, was the first British fighter to win Olympic gold and a world crown and is adamant his story will not end against Truax in the early hours of Sunday morning at Las Vegas' Hard Rock Hotel and Casino.
The Londoner has vowed to retire is he does fail to win back his belt but he insists he is in a better place than four months ago.
Victory would put DeGale in line to fight the winner of George Groves’ World Boxing Super Series Final against Callum Smith.
And you can follow all the action live from 3am right here...
