Via Barry Holbrook: Promoter Kalle Sauerland hopes that he can conduct the showdown between middleweight Chris Eubank Jr and Kell Brook for a summer blockbuster clash.
Sauerland, cheerleader for former IBO super middleweight champion, Eubank Jr. (32-2, 23 KOs), think a deal can be made if everyone “Reasonable” in negotiations.
So far, things don’t look so bright, partly because weight is an obstacle. Eubank Jr feels he can’t go under 158 pounds for the hottieth weight class ahead of Brook (40-3.28 KOs) in his career.
Fighting at 158, not a huge weight. If Brook agrees with that number, he can also fight Eubank Jr to the max because he’s right there.
“The question is whether some problems can be solved. If everyone is reasonable, I can see that happening and I can see this being a big summer blockbuster,” promoter Kalle Sauerland told. Sports sky. about the fight between Eubank Jr. and Brook.
“I can confirm that we had a meeting with Boxxer last week and they are currently talking to Brook,” Sauerland said.
Brook had a bad experience the last time he fought in the middleweight limit against IBF/IBO/WBC champion Gennadiy Golovkin on September 10, 2016, losing the fifth game TKO at the O2 Arena. in London, England.
The fight was halted in the fifth round by Brook’s coach Dominic Ingle after he was stuck against a rope by Golovkin and received a relentless withering fire from the champion.
After the competition, Brook required surgery to repair a damaged eye socket he had suffered during the competition. It is believed that Brook suffered an injury early in the competition, possibly in the second round, and he fought bravely until his coach pulled him out in the fifth round.
Given the history of what happened to Brook six years ago when he was fighting middleweight, it would be a bad idea for him to take on Eubank Jr at the hot 158-lbs.
The 155 lb weight class would make more sense as Brook would be at a huge size disadvantage if he agreed to face Eubank Jr at 158.
Nothing has been said in terms of rehydration yet, but that’s just as important as body weight. If Eubank Jr rehydrated in the 180s after weightlifting, Brook would be up against it at night in size and he wouldn’t have much of a chance of winning.
“We are in active dialogue And it’s a fight that we’d love to do. But there is still much work to be done. We are ready. Our terms are known,” Sauerland said during the fight between Brook and Eubank Jr.
As long as part of that dialogue involves Eubank Jr from the point of view of requiring the required weight to be at 158, perhaps an agreement can be struck. Again, 155 seems to be the optimal weight for Brook to compete.
Eubank Jr should be fighting the guys from his own weight class in the middleweight category instead of focusing on trying to fight his deadweight top 35-year-old opponent like Brook.
Despite all the hype about Eubank Jr earlier in his career, he has failed to live up to expectations from boxing fans, facing opposition mainly at the domestic level during during his 11-year professional career.
In winning the only title of his career in February 2018, Eubank Jr lost George Groves by a unanimous decision at round 12 in an unsuccessful attempt to win the WBA super middleweight belt in the World Boxing Super Series tournament.
Since that loss, Eubank Jr has beaten these mid laners:
- JJ McDonagh
- Liam Williams
- Wanik Awdijan
- Matt Korobov
- Marcus Morrison
- James DeGale – Washed
“He said a lot about me,“Eubank Jr talked about Brook. “From a business perspective, I want to fight Brook after this.”
