As reported earlier today, two-time world champion James DeGale announced his retirement, 10 years after his professional debut.

The first British boxer to win an Olympic gold medal and a pro world title, DeGale said in a statement, "There's nothing left to prove."

The 33-year-old DeGale lost last Saturday by unanimous decision to Chris Eubank Jr. for the vacant IBO super middleweight title in London. That dropped his record to 25 wins, three losses by decision, and one draw.

"It's hard to admit that I'm not the fighter I once was," the southpaw said. "My injuries have taken a toll, both on mind and body, and these things have contributed to impact my performance in the ring."

DeGale beat Andre Dirrell for the vavant IBF super middleweight title in 2015 in Boston, then successfully defended it three times across the Atlantic.

Following shoulder surgery, the top-ranked DeGale returned too soon and lost the title surprisingly to massive underdog Caleb Truax in December 2017 in London, but regained it from Truax last April in Las Vegas. He vacated the title when he wouldn't face mandatory challenger Jose Uzcategui, and he appeared to show his age in the loss last weekend to Eubank Jr.

Former super middleweight champion Carl Froch retired at a time when DeGale's career was sharply on the rise.

DeGale gave Froch a lot of stick for not facing him prior to retirement.

Froch believes he would have been too much for DeGale.

"He was a great fighter and he was an IBF champion. He won the world title. He made history, he was the first guy to ever do that – win a gold medal and then go on to win a world title. So you’ve gotta have massive respect for him, but we’re talking about the top level of the elite – was he the best of the best? He wasn’t. He was mixing it with the best, but he got found wanting right at the top," Froch said to Talk Sport.

“If we’d have met in my career, I’d have been too strong for him, I’d have backed him up onto the ropes, he’d have sat there with his guard up and I’d have absolutely smashed him to bits. He said a few things about how I retired rather than fight him and he was all wrong for me and he would beat me. This is what he was suggesting.

“I mean he lost to George Groves, I knocked George Groves out twice. Chris Eubank Jr. lost to Groves. So on paper, you know, James DeGale don’t really belong in the same ring as me, let’s be honest."