Chris Eubank Jr defeats James DeGale to win eagerly anticipated ‘retirement fight’ grudge match

Chris Eubank Jr has beaten James DeGale in their long-awaited bout at London's O2 Arena.

There’s no love lost between these two fighters, and Eubank Jr admitted before their bout that the contest pitted “two fighters fighting for their careers”.

Well DeGale has lost what was dubbed the retirement fight, and only time will tell what happens next...

Eubank Jr set the tone in the second round as an onslaught saw a crushing left hook spark a mandatory eight count against DeGale from referee Michael Alexander.

Both fighters sustained cuts to the eye before the fifth round but, for Eubank Jr at least, the cut was not as severe as the one he caught during his defeat to George Groves last year.

But while that early explosiveness from Eubank Jr was quelled by DeGale as the tempo to the fight subsided, Eubank Jr demonstrated a newfound level of patience here. Many expected he would need to win by stoppage, but as the rounds played out it became apparent that the 29-year-old could win this by the judges score also.

DeGale was sent tumbling to the canvas again in the tenth round as he was caught by a boisterous right-hand from Eubank Jr as Alexander was forced to start a count once again.

Scorecard

Eubank Jr vs DeGale

114-112, 115-112, 117-109 in favour of Eubank Jr

Eubank Jr, despite leading, was clearly growing frustrated and his temper got the better of his as a shoulder-barge on DeGale saw him stripped of a point in the eleventh.

But DeGale was shaken - and Eubank Jr caught he again with a blistering right-hand uppercut.

The fight reached and completed 12 rounds, but it was Eubank Jr's night - with the judges voting unanimously in his favour.

Relive the all the action from the fight card, and the reaction from both corners, in our fight blog below...

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