Super-middleweight champ James DeGale requires urgent shoulder surgery ruling him out of action for at least SIX MONTHS
Brit boxer suffered injury when he took on Rogelio Medina 12 months ago as he fought through the pain against Badou Jack
SUPER-MIDDLEWEIGHT champion James DeGale needs urgent shoulder surgery, ruling him out of action for six months.
The British boxer, 31, suffered the injury when he fought Rogelio Medina 12 months ago.
DeGale also claimed he was only firing at "60 to 70 per cent" for his draw with Badou Jack in New York in January.
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Writing in his column for the , DeGale said: "Tomorrow I will have surgery on my right shoulder that will mean I will be out of the ring for a while.
"I suffered the injury several weeks before I fought Rogelio Medina 12 months ago but decided to fight through the pain, as I did earlier this year against Badou Jack.
"I was only operating at 60 to 70 per cent however and that showed against Jack – I only threw seven jabs in that fight and I wasn't able to throw a hook.
"Thankfully I've been good enough to get away with not being at my best, but I was almost found out in New York.
"Having said that, I was very close to fighting with Callum Smith this summer.
"We had agreed to fight on July 1 at The O2 but in the end he decided to go down the WBC route and will challenge for the vacant world title later this year.
"I’m confident I would have won the fight, even with the injury, but it would have been his best chance of beating me.
"The operation is for "a scrape and tighten up", or a "diagnostic arthroscopy and ACJ stabilisation" to give it its medical term.
"My arm will be in a sling for a few days and I’ll be given exercises to do on my own.
"A few weeks later, I'll start my rehab with my physio and within eight to ten weeks I should be able to spar.
"I will definitely be able to fight before the end of the year.
"Boxing is how I earn a living so I have to be fit, but I've been plagued by injuries for the last few years.
"People have been commenting on my performances – saying I wasn't fit or that I wasn't at my best – but it's been a long time since I've gone into a ring at 100 per cent."
