Hearn made it public on Monday that undefeated Brook, 27, has signed his portion of the deal to face IBF champion Shawn Porter at the Barclays Center, with only confirmation from Oscar De La Hoya to come.
Brook, nicknamed ‘The Special One’ by Hearn, has waiting almost two years for his dream of fighting for a world title to become a reality, and barring anymore unfortunate injuries, the number one contender will put go up against Porter for the coveted red belt in the autumn.
Opponent Porter, 26, is also unbeaten in the pro ranks, having scored 15 stoppages from his 24 wins, with one solitary draw on his record which he later put right in a September 2013 rematch against Julio Diaz.
Impressive victories over Devon Alexander to claim the title, and Paulie Malignaggi in his first defence followed, with the latter especially pushing Porter closer towards the top pound for pound fighters in the world. It was the way Porter destroyed Malignaggi that was such an eye-opener as nobody had ever handled him the way ‘Showtime’ did over those four painful rounds at the DC Armory in April.
That victory on the Hopkins v Murat undercard is a major reason why Porter will go into the fight as the favourite to retain his belt, although Brook will aim to build on his standout record of 22 knockouts from 32 wins.
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