This coming Saturday, May 31st, James DeGale steps into the ring against unbeaten American, Brandon Gonzales. The lure of boxing in front of a sold-out Wembley Stadium makes it a special night for all the fighters on the bill – but for James, it’s extra special. James said “I grew up, and have always lived, within a couple of miles of Wembley Stadium – to be boxing there in front of a sold-out crowd is a dream come true.”
For James, the night is a lot bigger than just boxing at Wembley. In Brandon Gonzales, James faces an unbeaten fighter who is coming to try and ruin his night. The winner of DeGale vs Gonzales will be the mandatory challenger for the IBF World title being defended by Carl Froch against George Groves. The stakes are high for both men.
In every interview, it’s inevitable that James is asked to look ahead to a blockbuster fight with the winner of Froch vs Groves. BULK POWDERS™ asked James about that and he said, “It’s flattering that people are already looking forward to me vs Froch or Groves. However, Gonzales is a talented fighter and deserves my full respect. I can’t for one second let my focus drift away from Gonzales – he’s in my way and he wants what I want – a world title.”
Asked to breakdown Gonzales, James said, “He’s strong and technically very good, although it looks like he struggles to maintain the pace over 12 rounds – I think my boxing skills and ability to box a fast paced 12 rounds will be the difference.”
James has a busy pre-fight week with a public training and media day, press conference and weigh-in. Asked what impact the media commitments have on his preparations, James replied, “None whatsoever. The hard work is done – my weight couldn’t be any better and pre-fight week is all about recovery.”
DeGale vs Gonzales is live from Wembley Stadium on Sky Box Office (Sat 31st May). The card starts at 18:30, and James is likely to be on around 21:00. Everyone at BULK POWDERS™ wishes James all the best for this massive fight.