Super-middleweight IBF champion James Degale speaks on Al Haymon and how his relationship with his promoter Eddie Hearn could have “worked out” as part of the process.
DeGale will fight Badou Jack in a super-middleweight world title unification in January.
In recent times a deterioration between the working relationship between UK promoter Eddie Hearn and James DeGale had been mooted since DeGale hooked up with US power broker Al Haymon as his manager last year.
Haymon has been able to secure fighters significant pay days over the last few years which has won him a lot of fans among the boxers he represents as a manager and adviser.
Speaking on his relationship now with Eddie Hearn as a consequence of this, DeGale told Kugan Cassius of IFL TV:
“It’s a weird one. If we see each other we’re sweet, wicked. But he ain’t my friend no more really. He ain’t my mate. We used to get along a lot. As he said if you’re not with me and you’re not with Matchroom I ain’t going to give you no time basically. Me an Ed are cool he’s alright but we don’t really have no relationship.”
Touching on Al Haymon and how the relationship with Eddie Hearn has effected things DeGale added:
“It could have worked out I’m telling you. It could have worked out proper. Trust me it could have worked out. Look at my last three fights. Firstly Al Haymon got me to America and gave me a million pounds to box his fighter. So he won the purse bid. Then my next fight I boxed Lucian Bute in Canada. I had to go and box away again but got paid a lot of money. Then my next fight was against Medina. They’re was not too many people there but it was good profile and I got a lot of exposure. Now I’m unifying the division. Would Eddie Hearn have got me them fights and them purses?”
For the full extended interview check it out here via the guys at the IFL TV YouTube Channel:
