This weekend, IBF 147 lb champion Kell Brook is set to make an announcement regarding his next title defence, with the mooted September 12th date against American brawler Brandon Rios now looking to be in serious jeopardy.
Promoter Eddie Hearn has spoken to iFLtv to suggest it’s now likely that Brook will box in October, and that Rios is unlikely to be the man in the opposite corner, insisting the American’s team don’t want the fight.
“Kell’s been rushed back into camp after the Frankie Gavin fight and the Rios fight is stalling. It’s stalling over a number of reasons, and I don’t think they fancy the fight. I think they know how good Kell Brook is.”
“It’s the whole thing of convincing a fighter to travel abroad but I think it’s likely now that Kell will box in October, rather than Sep 12th, and if that’s the case we’ll headline with Anthony Joshua (v Dillian Whyte) on September 12th”
It would also seem that following his win over Luis Collazo at the weekend, WBA (reg) champion Keith Thurman is being targeted by the Sheffield fighter, with Hearn insisting ‘One Time’ is the fight Brook wants, and it’s a fight he’s prepared to travel for.
“Kell’s position hasn’t changed. He’ll fight anyone. In fact, after the Thurman fight he rang me and said ‘let’s get Thurman.’ And I know Thurman won’t travel but if we have to travel for that fight, that’s a fight Kell Brook will take and a fight Kell Brook will win.”
“I really rate Keith Thurman, not taking anything away from him – I just think Kell Brook’s a better fighter.”
“These big names, they don’t wanna leave America. We can get the Rios’, the Provodnikov’s and the Marquez’s I believe, to the UK. But for the Mayweather’s maybe we have to travel, and that’s not the end of the world but it’s likely Kell will box in October now.”
“At the moment you’ve got two talented young fighters in Thurman and Brook, who are doing their own thing. Brook has huge box-office PPV potential in the UK, Thurman’s a big draw in the US and I’m sure they’ll meet at some point.”
Twitter @Undilutedpoison
