Watch Showtime Championship Boxing: Jack vs. DeGale

On January 14, 2017, the boxing world witnessed a highly anticipated showdown between two of the top super middleweight fighters in the world: Badou Jack and James DeGale. This bout was the main event of the Showtime Championship Boxing event held at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

Badou Jack, hailing from Sweden, entered the ring with a record of 20-1-2, with his only loss coming in his fourth professional fight. He was the WBC super middleweight champion, having won the title in April 2015 after defeating Anthony Dirrell. In his most recent fight before facing DeGale, Jack fought to a draw against Lucian Bute.

James DeGale, from England, entered the fight with a record of 23-1-0, having won a gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He was the IBF super middleweight champion, having won the title in May 2015 after defeating Andre Dirrell (the brother of Anthony Dirrell, who Jack had beaten). In his most recent fight before facing Jack, DeGale defeated Rogelio Medina by unanimous decision.

The fight between Jack and DeGale was highly anticipated for many reasons. Not only were they two of the best fighters in the super middleweight division, but they also held titles from different organizations (WBC and IBF, respectively), making this a unification bout. Additionally, this was the first major boxing event of 2017, and both fighters were expected to bring their A-game to the ring.

As the fight began, it was clear that both fighters were evenly matched. Jack started off strong, landing some solid punches and keeping DeGale on his toes. However, DeGale quickly showed that he was not going to go down without a fight, and by the end of the first round, he had landed some of his own punches on Jack.

The second round saw more back-and-forth action, with both fighters landing some significant shots. Jack seemed to be in control for most of the round, but DeGale landed a hard left hook at the end that seemed to stun Jack momentarily.

The third round was where things really started to heat up. Jack landed a big right hand early on that rocked DeGale and sent him stumbling backward. Jack followed up with a barrage of punches, but DeGale managed to survive the onslaught and get back on his feet. For the remainder of the round, Jack continued to press the attack, but DeGale was able to weather the storm and make it to the next round.

The fourth round saw DeGale start to come back into the fight. He began to use his footwork to evade Jack's attacks and landed some of his own punches in return. Jack continued to press forward, but DeGale seemed to be getting the better of the exchanges as the round came to a close.

The middle rounds of the fight were highly competitive, with both fighters landing some solid shots but neither one really taking control. Jack continued to press forward, while DeGale tried to use his quickness and footwork to stay out of range.

In the later rounds, DeGale seemed to be tiring, and Jack started to take control once again. He landed some big shots in the ninth and tenth rounds that had DeGale looking wobbly on his feet. However, DeGale managed to survive and make it to the final two rounds of the fight.

In the eleventh round, Jack looked like he was on the verge of stopping DeGale. He landed some hard shots that had DeGale reeling, but once again, DeGale managed to survive and make it to the final round of the fight.

The twelfth and final round saw both fighters give it their all. Jack continued to press forward, while DeGale tried to land some counterpunches. In the final seconds of the fight, both fighters landed some big shots, but neither one was able to score a knockout.

After 12 hard-fought rounds, the judges scored the fight a majority draw: one judge gave the fight to Jack by a score of 114-112, while the other two judges scored it 113-113. This meant that Jack retained his WBC title, while DeGale kept his IBF title.

Overall, this was a highly entertaining fight between two top-level fighters. Both Jack and DeGale showed incredible heart and determination, and it was a testament to their skills that neither one was able to score a knockout. While the result may have been disappointing for both fighters (neither one got the win they were looking for), it was still an incredible showing by both men, and fans of boxing were treated to an exciting night of action.