The 28 year-old, who stunned undefeated Shawn Porter to take his first world title this year, has targeted a return to the ring in February, according to ESPN’s Steve Bunce, with a voluntary defence of his new belt in the offing.
Fights with Amir Khan and Floyd Mayweather look to have been put on hold as Brook will need to easy his way back to full fitness in the coming months from what was a quite serious wound.
The IBF have stated to WBN that the next challenger in line will have to be addressed by the spring, which gives Brook ample time to regain his bearings before his first mandatory task is handed down.
“On March 16 of 2015, we notify Kell Brook to start negotiations with the leading available contender,” the International Boxing Federations’ Chairman Lindsey Tucker told World Boxing News on Wednesday.
That would leave the victor from the recently stipulated eliminator between ex-European champion Leonard Bundu and Canadian-based JoJo Dan squarely in line to be Brook’s next challenger in May or June, possibly in the UK.
Bundu proved against amateur standout Frankie Gavin that he feels at home on British soil when ending the Birmingham fighter’s undefeated record in August, whilst Romanian-born Dan has been a regular visitor to Europe in the past.
Obviously if Brook impresses in his return against a decent name opponent after Christmas, he could be in with a chance of facing Khan or Mayweather later in the year, but the Yorkshireman has plenty in front of him before any massive fight can actually become a reality.
Some suggestions that Brook could go straight into a fight with Mayweather, or even Khan for that matter – having suffered the injuries he did to his leg were always received with a huge dose of doubt, and fighting a fringe contender in February before meeting Bundu or Dan in late spring seems to right path for ‘The Special One’ to take given the circumstances.
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