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Boxing: DeGale stops Khatchikian; could face Bika for WBC title next

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  • Boxing: DeGale stops Khatchikian; could face Bika for WBC title next

    BoxRec News
    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
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