Sam Eggington looks set to make a defence of his title later this year – but it will not be on UK shores.
The Stourbridge man, who moved up in weight after clinching British, Commonwealth and European honours at welterweight, holds the IBO crown at super-welterweight.
Eggington defeated Przemysław Zysk at the Skydome Arena in Coventry in June to grab the vacant bauble and has reportedly agreed to travel to Australia to meet his mandatory challenger Dennis Hogan.
A date to be confirmed in October in Brisbane are the details rumoured for the clash up to now.
And Steve Scanlan, Hogan’s new manager, reckons his charge is more than deserving of another shot at the relative big time.
When speaking to the Australian, Scanlan said:
“Dennis deserves this shot for everything he has been through.
“He has had three world-title shots and he was robbed in Mexico, but this would be his first world title fight on Australian soil.”
The ‘robbery’ that Scanlan refers to is the April 2019 majority decision defeat at the hands of hometown man Jaime Munguia, the undefeated Mexican who retained the WBO super-welterweight title now in the possession of Jermell Charlo, whose brother Jermall Hogan was also beaten by in his very next fight.
“The IBO ordered us to negotiate and we have another week to finalise a deal with Sam Eggington before it goes to purse bid.
“Negotiations are going well, they are happy to come here, so we expect to have a deal done this week which is great news for Dennis and Australian fight fans.”
‘The Hurricane’ earned a shot at the title by outclassing the gutsy Wade Ryan on the undercard of Nikita Tszyu’s debut win at the Fortitude Valley Music Hall in Brisbane in March.
Scanlan is confident the former DDP Sports fighter will find a new home for the strap very soon.
“Eggington is very beatable.”
“Sam has more power than Dennis, but Dennis has the experience to outbox him the longer the fight goes.
“What happened to Dennis in Mexico was devastating, but in his backyard, he can finally get that world title.
“This is his last chance.”