By Steve Lillis, coutesy of The Daily Star
EDDIE HEARN insists that Kell Brook’s next bout will be for the IBF world welterweight title – despite his big fight against Devon Alexander this month being postponed.
Brook’s career was plunged into turmoil on Monday when the American pulled out of his defence against the Sheffield man in Detroit on February 23 because of a bicep injury.
Yesterday WBC champ Floyd Mayweather claimed that he would now be fighting IBF title-holder Alexander in a unification bout on May 4.
Mayweather tweeted: “The negotiations for my fight are almost done. The front runner is IBF Champion Devon Alexander. It’d be a unification bout at welterweight.”
But Brook’s promoter Hearn believes Mayweather’s call is a decoy into forcing Robert Guerrero to sign a contract to face him next.
He said: “There is a belief that it is a smokescreen into getting Guerrero to take the Mayweather fight because they are having a few problems.
“Can you honestly see Floyd Mayweather fighting Devon Alexander? I just can’t.
“It’s an awful fight, two slippery counter-punchers, and they have the same manager, Al Haymon.
“If it’s true, I would expect the title to become vacant and Kell would fight for it against another leading contender. If it isn’t true, and I suspect it isn’t, then we will get a new date either this week or early next week.”
Last night the IBF said they had received no request from Alexander to box Mayweather and would refuse any request.
In a statement they said: “We have not received any requests or information on this from either camp.
“Because Alexander is under contract to fight Brook he would not be granted an exception to fight Mayweather.”
