Why Chris Eubank Jr. has the upper hand against James DeGale

Super middleweights Chris Eubank Jr. and James DeGale are in a similar position, but Eubank is the betting favorite against DeGale and for a good reason.

Chris Eubank Jr. and James DeGale have a lot in common in terms of their careers. Both have shown the potential to rule the super middleweight division only to lose decisively and fall short of expectations. They fight on Saturday, Feb. 23 on Showtime to decide whose trajectory rises and whose plummets.

Both men have two losses on their records in which one came earlier in their careers, and the other occurred recently. Eubank lost two fights ago against George Groves by unanimous decision. At the time, he was riding the wave of a third-round KO over Avni Yildirim. Eubank’s ferocity made him seem like a lighter version of Mike Tyson with more athleticism. Groves made his skills look amateurish.

Eubank was a better athlete than Groves, but Groves used his superior skill set to make Eubank miss his power punches. Groves also countered effectively and picked Eubank apart round by round. He looked like he wouldn’t survive the fight, but he proved to have a durable chin.

In DeGale’s case, he reigned as the IBF super middleweight champion for more than two years. During that span, he defeated Andre Dirrell and Lucian Bute by unanimous decision.

Badou Jack was the first boxer to seriously expose chinks in DeGale’s armor. They fought to a draw, but many thought Jack deserved the win. Jack knocked out two of his teeth and damaged his nose. He wasn’t as lucky against Caleb Truax in his next fight.

No one thought that Truax could beat the champion and former gold medalist, but he did. DeGale tried to stand toe to toe with Truax in the early rounds, but he absorbed a massive amount of damage. He faded in the later rounds, and Truax took control and bullied him around the ring. DeGale looked like a shot fighter.

DeGale bounced back four months later and avenged his loss by easily outpointing Truax in 12 rounds. He and Eubank are both coming off victories, but they both symbolize the first daunting test since their previous defeats.

When it comes to boxing intelligence and craft, DeGale has the advantage. He enjoyed a glamorous amateur which included multiple awards and almost 100 fights compared to Eubank’s 26.

DeGale is a southpaw, but that might be an edge for Eubank. Eubank lost to Billy Joe Saunders who’s a southpaw in 2014, but it was a close split-decision. All of DeGale’s losses and lone draw have come against orthodox boxers.

Neither boxer is very defensive minded, but DeGale does a better job of using the ring. He likes to move and counterpunch, but he can also go through long periods of inactivity which is why he’s prone to dropping rounds later in fights.

Eubank has tremendous punching power. He has a 72 percent knockout rating, but many of them came when he was a middleweight. His power isn’t as impressive as a super middleweight. He has three KOs in five fights in that division.

The defining factor in this fight is age. DeGale is 33 years old, and Eubank is 29. That doesn’t seem like much of a difference, but DeGale has taken a lot more punishment throughout his career than Eubank.

In addition to the beating he took from Jack, DeGale also suffered a massive rotator cuff tear in his right shoulder that he feared would be career-ending. It impacted his first bout with Truax, but it seems fully healed now.

Regardless, Eubank is the fresher fighter. Groves inflicted some pain on Eubank when they fought, but that’s the only fight where he was legitimately hurt. DeGale’s bouts with Jack and Truax combined with age spell trouble for him against the younger and more physically fit Eubank.

Look for this fight to go 12 rounds, but DeGale will fade from round six on. Eubank will apply relentless pressure to wear down DeGale and win a points victory.

There’s always a chance that this fight could end by KO. Both men are strong and capable of knocking an opponent out with one punch. It should be a fun contest where each boxer takes turns battering the other. Showtime’s broadcast begins at 3:45 PM ET.