James DeGale said he is ready to fight Caleb Truax once more and has learned to not rush back to the ring if he is not ready.
During an open media workout in Los Angeles, DeGale said he no longer has any lingering injuries from his fights in 2017 and excited to fight for the IBF super middleweight title. DeGale also said Truax is not on his level and will be ready to prove that when the two fight on April 7.
"I'm injury-free now and physically ready for this fight. Most importantly, I'm mentally ready for this challenge. I learned that you can't rush fitness. I had a reconstructive surgery and I came back far too quick. I learned my lesson the hard way. Now I have to get it back the hard way," DeGale said.
The first fight between DeGale and Truax took place in England last December in which DeGale lost the IBF title to Traux by majority decision. After the fight, DeGale admitted that he may have rushed back too quickly in order to have a second fight before the end of 2017.
It was DeGale’s first fight back since sustaining numerous injuries in his January 2017 bout against then-WBC champion Badou Jack at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. DeGale previously held the IBF title from 2015 to 2017.
DeGale’s rematch with Truax will take place on April 7 in Las Vegas and will be televised on Showtime. The fight will serve as the co-main event of the Showtime tripleheader that is headlined by the WBA/IBF super middleweight world title unification bout between Erislandy Lara and Jarrett Hurd.
