At stake will be the lightly regarded vacant WBC international featherweight title and more importantly the mandatory challenger position for the WBC featherweight world championship, recently acquired by the impressive Gary Russell Jnr.
To see Warrington exercise this mandatory option if victorious, which would see him fight Russell Jnr – who demolished the world-class Jhonny Gonzalez in 4 to claim the WBC crown – is hard to believe in the immediate future.
If the 6-year Mayweather v Pacquiao saga/fiasco taught us anything, it’s that it requires co-operative and realistic negotiation to ensure the biggest fights out there are made.
So when pictures emerged of WBA super-bantamweight champion Scott Quigg brandishing a £1.5m cheque composed by promoter Eddie Hearn the eyebrow has to be raised.
What people say and what people do in boxing very rarely align, that much is clear. So, when Amir Khan, 30-3 (19KO’s), announced today that he is to face Chris Algieri, 20-1 (8KO’s), in New York on 30th May – aside from the initial thoughts of hypocrisy – I wasn’t at all surprised.
This is the same man who has informed the reigning IBF welterweight champion Kell Brook to consider facing some more notable names, before he would be considered worthy of sharing a ring with him.
Step in Chris Algieri, a man who has fought at 147lbs once in his short professional career and was knocked down 6 times in that fight by Manny Pacquiao back in November. Algieri is a likable guy and a decent fighter, but in a molten welterweight division he’s nowhere to be seen.
Kell Brook returned home to Sheffield tonight to successfully defend his IBF World welterweight belt against Jo Jo Dan, with a 4th round stoppage.
Once more the undercard was packed with a host of live fighters, very much fixated on progression and eager to impress on such an important night.
Sergey Khomitsky KO4 Adam Etches
Brit basher and veteran Belarusian middleweight Sergey Khomitsky once more brought his bucket of water with him to Sheffield and gleefully doused the home faithful’s hopes once more, knocking out home favourite Adam Etches in the 4th round of their IBF international middleweight title fight.
Brook sent out a chilling message to the rest of the welterweight division by flooring Dan four times in front of a rapturous home support to finally consummate the championship he won superbly 7 months ago.
From the moment ‘All of the Lights’ erupted throughout the arena and the beloved champion rose from the bowels of his fortress, he looked up to the sky and you felt the weight of a tumultuous 6 months lift from his shoulders.
This was the Kell Brook from Carson City in August and Jo Jo Dan had absolutely no answer to him.
‘The Upsetter’ defied the odds once more to come on strong from the 6th round to turn the tide on the challenger who had built up a substantial lead through the first 5 sessions – certainly in my opinion at least.
Askin started the better, controlling the 1st round with sharp movement to keep the stalking McKenzie off balance, popping a stiff left jab catching his static looking foe.
It will be Brook’s first defence of his crown, won in hostile territory when outpointing the feared American Shawn Porter in August of 2014.
Yorkshire above most, if not all, UK regions embodies the Ricky Hatton-esque spirit of the British boxing fan. You know what I’m talking about, that intangible connection between fan and fighter, which remains the envy of world boxing.
One look at the shows undercard further illustrates Eddie Hearn’s commitment to his value for money model that gives some of Britain’s most exciting fighters a platform to grow and earn in the public eye.
Here we will review the highlights of an undercard stacked in significance and local interest, which will see a raucous atmosphere assured.
It’s 9-years ago today that Stephen Smith claimed his Commonwealth Gold medal in Melbourne a reality the fighter summed it up nicely when he tweeted, “Scary how time flies, but great memories”.
Smith, 20-1 (12KO’s), will make his return to professional action on Saturday night on the exciting Kell Brook v Jo Jo Dan undercard, looking to put on an empathic performance to lay to rest a difficult few months he will be looking to forget – professionally at least.
When Matty Askin, 17-2 (10KO’s), was told his eagerly anticipated tilt at Ovill McKenzie’s, 23-12 (12KO’s), British and Commonwealth cruiserweight titles was to be rescheduled, he could be forgiven for thinking it was some sort of joke.
Unfortunately for the 26-year old, his friend and trainer Michael Jennings was deadly serious when – three days before fight night – he informed him that the fight was to be rescheduled for the third time with a revised date and venue yet to be confirmed.
Thankfully the bout was saved and will now take place within the iconic York Hall, Bethnal Green on Friday 27th March at the fourth time of asking.