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March 2 2014
DeGale stops Khatchikian; could face Bika for WBC title next
Submitted by Danny Wright on Sun, 02/03/2014 - 08:15.
James DeGale could be challenging for the WBC super middleweight
championship in his next fight after a confident display against
Gevorg Khatchikian, stopping the formerly unbeaten Armenian in the
eleventh round at the City Academy, Bristol.
In the opener, DeGale (12st) put pressure on Khatchikian (11st 10lbs)
and got through with a couple of cuffing jab-cum-hooks which
Khatchikian looked embarrassed to have eaten, but the Armenian was
more aggressive and industrious in the second. A head clash opened a
cut above DeGale's left eye, and he got caught with a few counters in
the third, but turned on the style for the remainder of the round,
switching for southpaw to orthodox repeatedly.
Khatchikian had moments of success in the fourth too, but DeGale
seemed content to walk through his shots and made a fast start to the
fifth and sixth rounds, which he dominated.
Khatchikian's brightest spell came in the seventh, when he put DeGale
in retreat and got through with an uppercut and a right hand counter
which started a brief period of control, taking the round with DeGale
on the back foot.
The Olympic champion made a tentative, back foot start to the eighth,
but was soon on the advance again and had a busy round which saw
Khatchikian in trouble on the ropes with DeGale launching rhythmic
shots and looking for a finish.
Mark Green had another look towards the end of the ninth when
Khatchikian's head was rocked back by fast combinations, but the
visitor gamely came forward in the tenth and DeGale cruised, waving
him on and slipping his shots with hands down at distance. DeGale
produced an eye-catching counter left which spun Khatchikian around,
and was having little trouble avoiding the Armenian's shots.
Khatchikian had proved much tougher than expected, but in the
eleventh, DeGale stepped it up and placed a right hook to the body
which finally put Khatchikian down. He rose at eight, and DeGale
followed up with another right hook to the body to send him down
again. Referee Mark Green waved it off as he rose at 2.58.
With Khatchikian (now 20-1) taken care of, purse bids for the final
eliminator between DeGale (18-1) and Swedish Gambian Badou Jack were
supposed to take place on March 14, but Jack was sensationally stopped
in the first round of his 'warm up' against Dereck 'The Black Lion'
Edwards at the Turning Stone Resort in New York on Friday.
Promoter Mick Hennessy revealed the latest: "Both myself and the
British Boxing Board of Control have today made representation to the
WBC's new president Mauricio Sulaiman for James to be installed as the
mandatory challenger to Sakio Bika (WBC Champion). The Board have
backed it up. James has got a strong case.
"I would imagine there is going to be some urgency around it because
it's the second time this has happened to James, and the title really
needs to be defended by Bika, so they need a mandatory. James is the
best challenger out there.
"The only other option I can see, and it shouldn't come to this, is
Chavez Jnr (No.1 in the WBC's rankings). We've already said we'd take
that as a final eliminator"
http://news.boxrec.com/fight-reports/2014/degale-stops-khatchikian-could-face-bika-wbc-title-next
From: Baghdasarian
March 2 2014
DeGale stops Khatchikian; could face Bika for WBC title next
Submitted by Danny Wright on Sun, 02/03/2014 - 08:15.
James DeGale could be challenging for the WBC super middleweight
championship in his next fight after a confident display against
Gevorg Khatchikian, stopping the formerly unbeaten Armenian in the
eleventh round at the City Academy, Bristol.
In the opener, DeGale (12st) put pressure on Khatchikian (11st 10lbs)
and got through with a couple of cuffing jab-cum-hooks which
Khatchikian looked embarrassed to have eaten, but the Armenian was
more aggressive and industrious in the second. A head clash opened a
cut above DeGale's left eye, and he got caught with a few counters in
the third, but turned on the style for the remainder of the round,
switching for southpaw to orthodox repeatedly.
Khatchikian had moments of success in the fourth too, but DeGale
seemed content to walk through his shots and made a fast start to the
fifth and sixth rounds, which he dominated.
Khatchikian's brightest spell came in the seventh, when he put DeGale
in retreat and got through with an uppercut and a right hand counter
which started a brief period of control, taking the round with DeGale
on the back foot.
The Olympic champion made a tentative, back foot start to the eighth,
but was soon on the advance again and had a busy round which saw
Khatchikian in trouble on the ropes with DeGale launching rhythmic
shots and looking for a finish.
Mark Green had another look towards the end of the ninth when
Khatchikian's head was rocked back by fast combinations, but the
visitor gamely came forward in the tenth and DeGale cruised, waving
him on and slipping his shots with hands down at distance. DeGale
produced an eye-catching counter left which spun Khatchikian around,
and was having little trouble avoiding the Armenian's shots.
Khatchikian had proved much tougher than expected, but in the
eleventh, DeGale stepped it up and placed a right hook to the body
which finally put Khatchikian down. He rose at eight, and DeGale
followed up with another right hook to the body to send him down
again. Referee Mark Green waved it off as he rose at 2.58.
With Khatchikian (now 20-1) taken care of, purse bids for the final
eliminator between DeGale (18-1) and Swedish Gambian Badou Jack were
supposed to take place on March 14, but Jack was sensationally stopped
in the first round of his 'warm up' against Dereck 'The Black Lion'
Edwards at the Turning Stone Resort in New York on Friday.
Promoter Mick Hennessy revealed the latest: "Both myself and the
British Boxing Board of Control have today made representation to the
WBC's new president Mauricio Sulaiman for James to be installed as the
mandatory challenger to Sakio Bika (WBC Champion). The Board have
backed it up. James has got a strong case.
"I would imagine there is going to be some urgency around it because
it's the second time this has happened to James, and the title really
needs to be defended by Bika, so they need a mandatory. James is the
best challenger out there.
"The only other option I can see, and it shouldn't come to this, is
Chavez Jnr (No.1 in the WBC's rankings). We've already said we'd take
that as a final eliminator"
http://news.boxrec.com/fight-reports/2014/degale-stops-khatchikian-could-face-bika-wbc-title-next
From: Baghdasarian