'DeGale will be the greatest British fighter ever', says McDonnell

Paul Foley meets trainer Jim McDonnell and gets his views on James DeGale, George Groves and the future...

Essex based trainer Jim Mcdonnell is expecting big things for his Olympic gold medallist James DeGale who has now been a professional for just over a year.

Jim talks passionately when the subject of “Chunky” is brought up and he has no doubts that the West London boxer will go all the way to the top based on what he has seen in the gym and the ring.

Jim trains the super-middle-weight starlet at Loughton’s Academy and is expecting his skill and sweat to pay off massively.

“No one knows how dedicated James is, and you cannot put a price on how talented he is. The whole shape of his body has changed, and he is a one off. A fighter like James only comes along once every 20 years.”

With all that in his favour it is surprising that DeGale has been the subject of harsh comments from observers on the forums suggesting he’s a little over cocky but Jim puts this down to people not knowing him.

“A mate who runs with us says James is such a lovely kid and as a human being you would go a long way to find a better one.”

The fact DeGale only turned 24 two weeks ago is soon forgotten by his critics and Jim feels this is harsh but doesn’t want James to change.

“People have got to remember that he is a kid and is living a dream. James has done things his way, and if he had boxed as people wanted him to he wouldn’t be an Olympic gold medallist, he hasn’t got to apologise to anyone, he’s just got to be himself and if people don’t like it who cares.”

Jim is happy to see James enjoy himself without going too far but is aware of the pitfalls for a young star.

“James is a sensible lad, and the kind of world we live in today means everyone has got to be careful, but he’s not a party kid as some think. He is training all year round and goes out for a week after a contest. He’s not a boozer, but if he had his head in boxing all the time I don’t think he would be the boxer he is. I think he has got a nice balance.”

De Gale was recently offered £50,000 to face former amateur opponent and current 12st rival George Groves. The fight didn’t come off for now but if and when it does Jim says there will only be one winner.

“If I was the manager of George Groves I wouldn’t want him to fight James DeGale, George is a good young fighter, they can wait build both men up more and then they can make some money together, but all I will say is there is only one James DeGale.”

No more messing about, I went for broke and asked McDonnell if he was confident James would win that fight to which he quickly replied “Are you confident James would win that fight?"

I hit back hesitantly by saying James has got the class but suggested George may have the power to trouble the golden boy.

Jim then rolled out the chronicles sporting the DeGale glory trail.

 “Let me put it into an equation, check the Olympic qualifiers, check them. Check James’s whole career, he’s boxed Olympic champions, World champions European champions the lot, big punchers and he was 80-1 to win the gold medal.”

Jim puts these accolades into perspective with Groves in mind. “Check the people George has boxed, check George has been KO'd. Travis Dickinson sparked him. The word in boxing is that there will only be one winner if they meet."

Since James became an Olympic champion there are some who feel George was over-looked and he should have been selected rather than James as he had an ABA final victory over him. It’s a victory that both James and Jim feel was robbery. Jim said that James hit George more times in the second round than George hit him in the whole fight.

But a closer look reveals that George was not over-looked but he too had a fair chance to qualify and Jim picks up on this by telling me that the two kids who beat George in the qualifiers were then beaten by James.

Not too much of an injustice then according to the statistics and McDonnell would like to see a little fairer and more balanced presentation of the facts and he offers a word of advice for Groves.

“Travis Dickinson isn’t even a British title contender and James would knock him out in his next fight. Why don’t George Groves fight him and put his head straight on that one. If Frank Warren said to James that you have got to fight Travis Dickinson he would take the fight but I don’t think George would.”

James is a highly skilled boxer and according to Jim he also has a granite chin. “He takes a better shot than anyone. I have seen James in the gym with Danny Williams and John McDermott.” (Both heavyweights.)

“Have a look at his whole amateur career he has only been down once. Everyone who knows him the first thing they say about him isn’t that he’s a good boxer, they say hasn’t he got a good chin. You can’t say the same thing about George Groves.”

So why do some find fault with DeGale then?

“DeGale is so good people have got to look for something, they can’t find it so they say he can’t take a shot or I wonder if he can.”

James should work his way into super-middleweight domestic title contention before the end of the year but Jim thinks he will grow into a light-heavyweight within three years.

Over six rounds Jim says James is currently a match for anyone including British and Commonwealth middleweight champion Darren Barker and WBC super-middleweight champion Carl Froch.

“At super-middleweight in Britain there isn’t anyone James has to avoid and he beats the British champion Paul Smith, the Commonwealth champion Charles Adamu and European champion Brian Magee. I have never seen a kid like DeGale.”

It isn’t just Jim who sees the potential of James, current Super Six contender Andre Dirrell shunned a recent opportunity to spar him, but he gave his reason. “He’s a southpaw,” to which McDonnell responded by offering a spar with James boxing from the orthodox stance but Dirrell declined again.

And Dirrell is the same man that according to some deserved the verdict over Froch in their fight last October.

Earlier this year, when Britain was hit by severe weather Jim saw a side to James that highlighted how much desire he has to reach the heights and he is highly impressed.

“Of all the fighters I’ve trained he’s up there for hard work and dedication, DeGale is a monster when it comes to training. What Olympic gold medallist would be out in the snow pulling 20 kg uphill at 6am, in the pitch black and freezing cold and stay out there for two hours?”

It is obvious Jim believes in James and in ten years time he thinks DeGale will have left a great legacy.

“He will be the greatest British fighter ever. I can’t see no-one beating James until the Vegas days.”

And with James’s skills combined with Jim’s training drills it may not be such a long shot, but it sure will be fun.