By Scott Gilfoid: IBF welterweight champion Kell Brook’s fans are going to need to wait a little longer to see him make his first title defense of his IBF strap, because his promoter Eddie Hearn doesn’t see it as being realistic that Brook will be able to fight on December 6th as he had originally wanted to do due to the knife wound that Brook is recovering from.
Hearn had wanted Brook to fight in Sheffield on 12/6, but after Brook was attacked with a knife in Tenerfie while on vacation, the fight looks like it’s going to be pushed forward into early 2015 before Brook can fight again.
“We were all glad to get out here and see Kell for ourselves,” Hearn said. “The important thing now is to get him home and after some rest begin physiotherapy on his injuries. His first defence was planned on December 6 which is now unrealistic but we fully expect Kell to be back in the ring early next year.”
So there it is. Brook won’t be back in the ring until early 2015. What this means of course is that Hearn is likely going to need to find a soft touch for Brook to fight in his first defense instead of someone with an excellent chance of beating Brook like Keith Thurman.
Since Hearn was never seriously considering putting Brook in with Thurman, nothing changes on that angle. Hearn says he’s interested in Brandon Rios, Josesito Lopez or Andre Berto. So there you are for the soft touches for Brook.
Rios is the only one of the bunch that is still ranked in the top 15, and you can make an argument that even shouldn’t be ranked in the top 15 after his last fights against Mike Alvarado, Manny Pacquiao and Diego Chaves. Those guys did a number on Rios.
Hearn wants to put Brook in with Amir Khan in May. If he can actually make that deal, then it’s even more important to find a soft touch to put Brook in with in January or February. Heck, even a soft job might cut Brook if he hits him just right or if he head-butts him. If Brook gets cut, then I don’t see how he’ll be able to fight Khan in May unless Brook wants to go into the fight with a bandage over one of his eyes.
Comments are closed.