Exit Exam's video: Badou Jack vs James Degale Full Fight Review

Badou Jack vs James Degale Full Fight Review DeGale, Badou Jack Trade Knockdowns - Fight To a Majority Draw BROOKLYN, NY ? A unification fight is supposed to be something special, two world champions battling tooth and nail to retain their titles on boxing?'s biggest stage. Saturday night before 10,128 fans at Barclays Center, IBF super middleweight champion James DeGale and WBC champion Badou Jack delivered on all counts in a heated 12-round battle that ultimately resulted in a majority draw verdict. Scores were 114-112 DeGale and 113-113 twice in a fight that would have gone in DeGale'?s favor if not for a Jack knockdown in the 12th round. DeGale had a big first round, though it started quietly, as he used distance well and stayed busier than his foe. But in the final 30 seconds, the Brit drew first blood on the scorecards with a straight left that put Jack on the canvas. Jack rose, seemingly unhurt, but he was already in a two-point hole on the scorecards. Jack was still having trouble deciphering the style of his southpaw foe in the second, though he was able to get in some shots during exchanges that quickly turned sloppy. When able to set his own pace though, DeGale remained a step ahead. After DeGale took another round in the third behind some flashy flurries, Jack made a concerted effort to walk down his foe, and thanks to steady pressure and a busier work rate, he started to put a dent in his opponent's lead. Jack had his best round in the fifth, and the crowd was getting behind the Sweden native, whose body work continued to pay dividends in the sixth, leading to an unanswered flurry late in the round as he had DeGale against the ropes. Some of the shots missed, but it was clear that the tide was turning. DeGale got rocked briefly as round seven got underway, but it served as a wakeup call of sorts, as he went on to outwork Jack throughout the rest of the frame, showing that he wasn't about to let Jack run away with matters. Yet Jack's greatest strength was his ability to not get discouraged by any adversity, as he got back to work in the eighth, digging to the body and marking up DeGale?'s face with shots upstairs. The ninth was a grueling one, with fatigue and the wear of the previous eight rounds forcing both champions to start standing and trading with more frequency. Round nine also saw DeGale get a warning from referee Arthur Mercante Jr. for losing his mouthpiece for a second time. The tenth was another back and forth frame, but Jack landed the more telling blows on a more consistent basis, keeping this fight as close as it could be heading into the championship rounds. For much of the eleventh, DeGale and Jack battled it out in the trenches, taking turns getting off punches that drew roars from the crowd and likely groans from the judges that had to score the frame. Jack made a statement in the final round though, landing a right hand in the second minute that dropped the Brit. DeGale rose on unsteady legs, and Jack went after the finish. The gutsy DeGale wasn't going to let that happen, though, and by the end of the fight, he was nailing Jack with hard shots, leaving the crowd on their feet at the final bell. London's DeGale moves to 23-1-1 with 14 KOs; Jack moves to 20-1-3.