Kell Brook vs Jessie Vargas almost agreed, says Eddie Hearn
Thursday 26 May 2016 10:58, UK
Eddie Hearn says details of the world title unification fight between Kell Brook and Jessie Vargas are close to being finalised.
IBF world welterweight champion Brook (36-0-KO25) has been chasing a big-name opponent and looks to have his man, with WBO holder Vargas (27-1-KO10) prepared to travel to Sheffield to fight at Bramall Lane.
Tony Bellew takes on Ilunga Makabu at Goodison Park on Sunday night and with the prospect of a second world title fight at an English football stadium drawing ever closer, Hearn is enthused.
Asked to estimate the percentage of negotiations completed, Hearn told Sky Sports: "It's certainly in the 90s. When you do a deal of this magnitude, there are plenty of things that need to be covered.
"Vargas is a world champion, already a big name in the US and he's happy to fight in the US. I think that'd be his preferred choice but sometimes you come up with a deal that's too good to turn down, which I think we've done.
"I think Vargas has the appetite to be in the big unification fights and that's helped as well. There are so many things to box off, from VADA drugs testing, to officials, to tickets, to international television, to walk-ons, to who's introduced first.
"The crux of the deal is done in terms of the money, the airline tickets and the hotels. Now it's just a case of putting it into the contract. When you've sent a draft contract, you get a reply with a few things to tweak and we're just finalising those things now.
"I'm very confident and I think that some time next week, we'll finally get the fight that Kell Brook has been craving for so long. That's the plan, at Bramall Lane.
"We've been talking to Sheffield United for about two years about staging a Kell Brook fight. We've got to navigate around the football fixtures that don't come out until June 22. August 20, August 27 and September 3 are three dates being mixed around.
"Everybody at Sheffield is really excited. Outdoor events are very difficult to do but there's something about them... Tony Bellew this weekend at Goodison Park. Those nights are really memorable. Bramall Lane and a unification fight ticks all the boxes."
Brook, 30, has stopped all three of his challengers since winning the strap from Shawn Porter in August 2014 - most recently blasting aside Kevin Bizier inside two rounds back in March.
The chances of an all-British showdown with Amir Khan are all but over after the two-weight world champion dismissed calls for the fight following his knockout defeat by Saul Alvarez.
Watch Ricky Burns v Michele Di Rocco from 8pm this Saturday and Bellew v Makabu from 6.30pm on Sunday - both live on Sky Sports 1.