In an interview with IFL TV Eddie Hearn again referenced his plans to set up a big money and exposure fight for IBF welterweight champ Kell Brook in the summer of 2015.
Eddie Hearn now has said that Juan Manuel Marquez is the number one fight that they want, as Marquez is the biggest name out there available for Brook. Whilst they understand that Mayweather and Pacquiao are a bit out of their reach currently, everyone else is on the hit list and the first now on that list is Marquez.
In an interview with IFL TV, Eddie Hearn can be quoted as saying ‘of course we want the Mayweather fight, but I am not going to start shouting it out because I think we have to do more to get it.’
In the half hour interview with IFL TV Eddie Hearn discussed many things including British fighters Amir Khan, Carl Froch, James DeGale and George Groves, but he also discussed the future of his fighter Kell Brook who will be coming back from a stab wound to defend his IBF title against Jo Jo Dan on the 28th March 2015.
Fernando Beltran and Ignacio Beristain (promoter and trainer for Marquez) have said that Juan Manuel will fight again and that it will be in 2015. At 41 years of age the Mexican legend has the right to be picky with his fights and having fought just once in 2013 and 2014 it is likely he will only take one fight for this year also.
Marquez has said that his final goal as a fighter would be to win a world title at 147 and become the first Mexican boxer to win titles in five weight divisions.
In an interview with Fight Hype Eddie Hearn, promoter for IBF welterweight champion Kell Brook, said that once their mandatory against Jo Jo Dan is complete, they would be looking for a big name in the summer. The names that he chose to mention were Juan Manuel Marquez, Marcos Maidana and the winner of the upcoming Thurman vs Guerrero match up.
Any of these fighters would be a fantastic match up for the 28 year old Brook, and each would most likely be viewed as his toughest test to date. Juan Manuel Marquez has been looking for a title at . Marquez was the third Mexican born boxer to become a four division champion and a win over Brook would make him the first five division champion. His only other options to pick up titles in that weight division would be rematches with Mayweather and Pacquiao so Brook has to be seen as the best route for him.
Paulie Malignaggi (33-6, 7 KOs) hasn’t fought in nearly a year since being blown out badly by Shawn Porter last year in April, but it now looks like Malignaggi may be starting to show interest in returning to the ring. Malignaggi is saying that a fight against IBF welterweight champion Kell Brook (33-0, 22 KOs) is one that would be interested in.
Brook doesn’t have an opponent for his next fight in early 2015, and it’s quite possible he might be interested in someone like Malignaggi. Brook’s promoter Eddie Hearn needs someone who is good but obviously not that good because Brook is fighting or the first time since suffering a thigh wound in a knife attack.
(Note: As part of a week long breakdown, boxing scribe Vivek “Vito” Wallace analyzes where today’s top fighters stand, and whether or not 2015 could be the year many of them fall. This week long analysis will cover over 30 fighters from around the world)
ANDRE WARD
Throughout Boxing history we’ve seen drugs, alcohol, crime, and a host of other demons strip precious time away from distracted talents which they could never get back. In the case of Andre Ward, 2014 proved that even for a focused “Son of God” the ills of the sport can be far too much of a cross to bear. For Ward, a stiff game of politics has been more of a test outside the ring than his incredible talent ever allowed inside of it.
One fight that boxing fans likely won’t be seeing in 2015 is a clash between two of the top British fighters at 147. Amir Khan doesn’t have a world title belt in his possession, but he’s sure acting like he has one.
Khan says he won’t be fighting the highly popular and big punching IBF welterweight champion Kell Brook because he feels that he’s not shown him the type of respect that he wants. If that wasn’t enough of a reason for Khan, he also added that Brook isn’t on the same level as him.
IBF welterweight belt holder Kell Brook (33-0, 22 KOs) has targeted February for his next fight date against an opponent still to be determined. Brook was stabbed last September while on holiday in Tenerife, and he’ll be coming back from that injury. Brook wants to fight either Floyd Mayweather Jr or Amir Khan, but those opponents will probably not be in the cards for the 28-year-old Brook.
We’ll likely see Brook facing one of the names that his promoter Eddie Hearn was previously mentioning for him to fight on December 6th before Brook was stabbed and unable to fight on that date. Hearn was talking about matching Brook against a fighter that Americans would recognize like Brandon Rios, Andre Berto or Josesito Lopez.
Boxer Kell Brook is in a stable condition in hospital in Tenerife after an attack whilst on holiday with his family.
The IBF Welterweight champion was admitted to hospital in the early hours Thursday morning after suffering a serious stab wound to his left leg.
Commenting from his hospital bed, Kell Brook said:
“I was out enjoying a night out before returning home to the UK when I was the victim of an unprovoked attack.
Kalvin N. (Washington, DC): I’ve watched this whole Mayweather/50 beef and as an African American man who has sacrificed a great deal, I think it’s absolutely sad to witness. I’d like to know, what are your thoughts, culturally, and personally, on this topic?
Vivek W. (ESB): I think the term “sad” is a major, understatement. It’s a very troubling sight to watch unfold, and although some don’t want to hear this, I’m gonna be very pointed in my assessment that it’s not only distasteful, but it’s a kryptonite that’s only present in one cultural demographic, and it speaks for why that demographic continues to fall apart. This may not be a popular position to some, but I’d rather be hated for being honest than loved for lying. These words need to spoken, and today, I’ve volunteered to be the messenger.