James DeGale v Bika?

[Bodyshot3]

Thanks Gents....some interesting stuff.

Personally, I think if the fight does go ahead it will be on a knife-edge.

Bika is one helluva of a rough, hungry guy and he specialises in turning fights into wars and if a bit of shoulder, head or low stuff takes place to upset the other guy then Sakio is happy to oblige. He managed to make it ugly against someone of Calzaghe's class and that should be a major warning to James.

On the other hand, hitting Bika flush is not exactly tough and James has clear advantages in age, speed and punching variety. If he finds a rhythm then there's a case for him running away with it....

Very interesting fight and I hope James takes it.

[Shinkyokushin92]

No way De Gale beats Bika unless he runs for 12 rounds.

Bika is tough as nails. We all know he is not the most techically gifted and he is very wild but the guy is so strong. I don't mean in terms of punching power but overall as a fighter.

Anthony Dirrell hit him with one of the cleanest rights hands I have ever seen and put Bika down. What did Bika do? He came back and absolutley pounded him for the next 7 rounds. Did the same thing against Jaidon Condrington in the Contender final. This go just won a title and he will do whatever it takes to keep it. No fighter except Lucian Bute (prime) has ever looked good against Bika or been able to outbox him. Andre Ward out-muscled him because he fought dirty also.

De Gale better watch out for the scorpion!

[RightJab]

DeGale-Bika? Phew that won't be easy for DeGale at this moment imo. I thought he looked very ordinary on Saturday, winnable due to his skill but keep away off them ropes, Bika could be just as hard a test for James as Groves was (for completely different reasons).

If he where to beat Bika even moderately convincingly he'd shut a lot of peeps up, including me...still unsure of DeGale I am, even with the skillset I don't deny he has...

[The Surgeon]

I like Chunky but i have my doubts, he's good though thats for sure.
Im not sure if he is one of those guys who always does just enough or if he's just found his level. I will be rooting for him and a Bika fight is a winnable fight but if u pushed me id lean towards Bika

[Tom Cruise]

I like Chunky but i have my doubts, he's good though thats for sure.
Im not sure if he is one of those guys who always does just enough or if he's just found his level. I will be rooting for him and a Bika fight is a winnable fight but if u pushed me id lean towards Bika

That's what everyone's waiting to find out!

[Bodyshot3]

Thanks Surgeon... very succinctly put.

I rewatched Calzaghe v Bika last night - only the highlights as it was pretty scrappy and dire - and Sakio really can make things messy and he's always nagging away at his opponent. Joe actually gets frustrated.

The bad news for James is that Bika does not pull-up when caught flush and there are no breaks or letting up of momentum. So DeGale is going to have judge if and when to throw any bombs...and make sure he does not gas himself.

Someone mentioned that James does not pace his fights well and I agree with that as well.....one moment he's firing in multiple shots from all sorts of angles and a round later he looks like he's running on fumes.

Right now, I hope he gives Bika a miss.

[- Ram Raid -]

Who his team let him square up against is usually a good indication of their true opinion of where they feel he's at, and there are a lot of fights out there at super middleweight in terms of progressing him along. It not like it's a barren division.

So that starts us questioning, for all his talent, why is this guy fighting relative no-marks? If everyone in his camp was on board with the regard in which he holds himself surely he'd be fighting ranked opponents?

Admittedly, I haven't watched him for a while 'cause I find him to be a terrible bore. Am I right in believing that Paul Smith is still his most notable win?

[Bodyshot3]

@Ram Raid....best win on paper was probably the job he did on Sanavia who has mixed in an altogether higher class than Smith and very briefly the Italian held the big, green WBC belt. T

hat was the upside of James and proof that he's a proper talent....but for every Sanavia performance there's a Zuniga or Dyah Davis evening!!

[yoz]

Heart says DeGale, head says Bika.

[- Ram Raid -]

@Ram Raid....best win on paper was probably the job he did on Sanavia who has mixed in an altogether higher class than Smith and very briefly the Italian held the big, green WBC belt. T

hat was the upside of James and proof that he's a proper talent....but for every Sanavia performance there's a Zuniga or Dyah Davis evening!!

I appreciated the heads up. As someone who's watched his career, do you feel that his talent is such that he should be further along at this stage, and if so, what do you feel is holding him back?