Premier Boxing Champions ‘Dirrell vs. DeGale’ on NBC Results & Play-by-Play

Andre Dirrell vs. James DeGale

Round 1

Dirrell starts off with a few jabs but DeGale answers with a shot to the body. Dirrell is patient, moving around with the jab. DeGale clinches and digs a few hooks to the body. When separated, Dirrell plows a left hook to the body. DeGale is trying to get inside and make it a brawl but Dirrell wants none of it. With about a minute left, they trade hard jabs in the center of the ring; Dirrell looks stronger at the moment. Dirrell closes the round with a double jab and then a left to the body. 10-9 Dirrell.

Round 2

Dirrell is staying back with the jab, dictating the pace early on. DeGale continues to try and get on the inside but he’s disallowed. Dirrell nails with a hard right hook and then a left after he is blasted by a right uppercut. Dirrell lands another hard left, which appears to open a cut over the right eye of the Brit. Yes, he is cut and it looks like it’s in a bad spot. Dirrell gets even more confident as he pops his foe with a series of right jabs and then another left hand. DeGale keeps pawing the blood away as it’s bothering him badly. Out of nowhere, DeGale unloads a massive overhand left, flooring Dirrell. Andre is badly hurt as he stumbles to his feet. He is allowed to continue but he is in bad shape and in serious trouble. A quick flurry floors him again. He’s up and on very unsteady legs. Huge round for DeGale. 10-7 DeGale.

Crazy 2nd RD as @andredirrell opened cut over @jamesdegale1's eye but the Brit came back knocking Dirrell down twice! pic.twitter.com/j7tWpAlhwn

— PBC (@premierboxing) May 23, 2015

Round 3

Dirrell still looks a little shaken as the round begins, but DeGale doesn’t jump on him. DeGale is walking forward, landing jabs here and there. Dirrell is backing away, trying to re-establish his jab. DeGale’s cut re-opens after eating a left. Dirrell landsa hard left hand and then a right moments later. His head seems much clearer now with a minute left. Dirrell fires that nasty jab again and again, keeping the more aggressive DeGale at bay. With about 30 seconds left, the Englishman unfurls a nice left hand that shakes the American along the ropes. Another left hurts him even more but he’s able to grab on and stay on his feet. That rally won DeGale the round. 10-9 DeGale.

Round 4

Dirrell is very cautious to start the frame, pawing with his jab form the conventional stance. DeGale is taking his time, looking to crush him with another powerful left hand. DeGale feins a left and then tags the American with a loopy right hand. They clinch and then Dirrell pops out the jab once they separate. DeGale misses with a big overhand left and Dirrell makes him with pay a hard right jab. Near the end of the round, Dirrell is finally back into a rhythm with his jab form the southpaw stance. Close round. 10-9 DeGale.

Round 5

They exchange jabs early but DeGale quickly switches to a right to the body and then one to the head. Dirrell is backing up to the side and trying to get in sync with his jab, but DeGale is pressuring him with shots to the body behind his own jab. DeGale just misses with a monstrous overhand left, a punch that mighthave ended the fight had it connected. Dirrell isn’t punchign as much as once was, allowing DeGale to control the tempo of the fight. The Brit lands three single left hands in the final 20 seconds before the round ends. 10-9 DeGale.

Round 6

DeGale busts Dirrell up with a two-punch combo to the body and then follows it up with a right to the head. Dirrell looks frustrated when he clinches immediately after. Dirrell lands a few decent jabs and then a right cross. DeGale nails him with a hard left hand and then a right but Dirrell takes it. Dirrell is now bleeding from the nose and mouth as he waves his foe in for more action. Dirrell again tries to use the jab but ‘Chunky’ is in total control. DeGale pops him with a nice overhand right as Dirrell comes in but Andre answers with a nice right cross of his own just before the bell. 10-9 DeGale.

Round 7

Dirrell comes right out with the jab and then lands a straight left. Dirrell is moving much better now, which is giving DeGale some issues. Dirrell dishes out another nice right hand, but DeGale answers with one of his won. Dirrell lands a nice left which moves his foe into the ropes, where Dirrell opens up with a several-punch combo. DeGale blocked most of them, though, before he escaped out the side. DeGale’s right eye hasn’t been bleeding for several rounds, but the areas around his eyes are starting to swell. Dirrell has locked into a rhythm with his jab late, easily his best round since the first. 10-9 Dirrell.

Round 8

DeGale isn’t as aggressive early in the round, allowing the American to set up his left hand with the jab. DeGale is not punching a minute in but Dirrell is; his jab and short combos are working wonders now. Dirrell continues to rifle his jab out repeatedly and then he sticks a right cross dead on the chin. DeGale finally answers with a right but Dirrell rolls with it. Dirrell is in total control at the bell. 10-9 Dirrell.

Round 9

Dirrell comes forward early with his jab, looking to set up the power. DeGale continues to back away, seemingly refusing to let his hands go. Double jab by Andre, but he just misses with a huge left cross. Dirrell is pumping his chest, egging the Brit to fight. DeGale just moves away, not letting his hands go. Dirrell is bleeding from the nose again, but it’s not bothering him. Dirrell sticks that jab out there over and over and it appears as though DeGale has no answer for them. Dirrell lands several jabs as he’s talking all sorts of trash. He called him a name that wasn’t very friendly just before the bell and after he tagged him with another right hand. It’s all Dirrell. 10-9 Dirrell.

Round 10

Dirrell snaps his foe’s head back with a huge right uppercut almost as soon as the round starts, but the Brit takes it well. Dirrell continues to rifle the jab out there, nullifying DeGale’s attacks. Dirrell charges at DeGale with the right hand and then pins him along the ropes. He unfurls a decent combo to the head and body but DeGale blocked most of the shots. James misses with a huge left hand and then eats a right for his effort. Moments later, Dirrell cracks him with a right and then charges him into the ropes, looking to brawl. All Dirrell. 10-9 Dirrell.

Round 11

DeGale moves to his right with his jab early. Dirrell stalks his moving target with the jab, but DeGale is proving to be a little more elusive than he has been. A right hand stings the Brit at the midway point and he backs into a corner. Dirrell is all over him, but he gets too close and smothers his own punches. They separate and move to the center of the ring. The two men trade blows shot for shot, but DeGale got the better of them. Andre storms back and forces his nemesis into the ropes. Nice left hand by DeGale late, his best punch in a long while. Nice left/right by DeGale just before the bell, a combo that likely won him the round. 10-9 DeGale.

Round 12

It’s plausible that Dirrell might need a knockdown or possibly a knockout to win this fight. deGale charges right at Dirrell and the two men brawl in the center of the ring. They clinch, suffocating each other’s punches. Dirrell backs away as DeGale lands a few decent jabs. Dirrell switches course and lands two jabs. Neither man is too desperate from closing the show at the midway point. DeGale misses a wild left hook. He forces Dirrell into a corner and then plugs away at the body with several hooks and uppercuts. DeGale is really opening up with a minute left while Dirrell talks trash and throws a few jabs. DeGale nails him with a nice left hook. Dirrell takes it easily until he is hammered by a right hook. Again, Dirrell walks right through it but he is not letting his hands go. Dirrell needs to do something now with 15 seconds late but it’s been mostly DeGale in this round. Dirrell misses with a powerful right hand at the bell. 10-9 DeGale (115-111 DeGale).

The Official Result

James DeGale def. Andre Dirrell via Unanimous Decision (114-112, 117-109, 114-112) 3:00, R12

Edwin Rodriguez vs. Craig Baker

Round 1

Rodriguez comes right out with the jab and straight right hand. Rodriguez is pretty aggressive, going to the head and body. Baker looks dry and stiff, not letting his hands go early. Baker finally lands a nice right hand and then goes with a flurry, but Rodriguez storms back with a nasty left hook to the body and then a right uppercut. Rodriguez is all over him, dishing out a cornucopia of punches upstairs and down. Baker tries fighting back, but nothing he lands bothers the local fighter. Rodriguez settles down and lands several left jabs. It’s a decent brawl throughout the round but it’s all Rodriguez. 10-9 Rodriguez.

Round 2

Rodriguez fires off several jabs as soon as the round begins and then goes down to the ribs. Baker throws punches in return, but they aren’t as powerful as his foe’s. Rodriguez crushes two thudding right hands to baker’s body. Rodriguez is smothering the Texan, but Baker is game. Rodriguez lands three left hooks but they are mostly glancing shots. Baker has a good chin as he walks right through three powerful right uppercuts. Baker pops him with a jab but has his groin smashed by a left hook. Craig is okay and throws out a jab. Left hook to the body and head by Rodriguez at the bell. 10-9 Rodriguez.

Round 3

Baker has a fire lit under him as he storms out of his corner and launches a nice flurry of punches. Rodriguez welcomes it all and returns the favor with a few hooks to the guts. Rodriguez cracks him with a few more powerful shots to the body and then a left to the head, but Baker returns the favor immediately with a left hook and then triple jab. Baker, though, is rocked by a short left on the inside and quickly backs into the ropes. Baker is trying to fight back, but Rodriguez is pressing the issue, teeing off but Baker is blocking virtually every punch. A series of loopy overhand rights from Rodriguez come raining down, but Baker rolls with them. He blocks the shots, rolls, looking to retaliate. Out of nowhere, referee Bob Benoit steps in stops the fight. Very premature stoppage. Several replays clearly show that Baker was not hurt and was blocking and rolling with every punch; almost none of them were clean.

The Official Result

Edwin Rodriguez def. Craig Baker via TKO (punches) 2:22, R3