Eddie Hearn

Seems he is now at the forefront of British Boxing promotion, being as he is the only one with a stable that can get on sky.

He has two of our top talents in Brook and Froch.

Was a bit worried after Brook fought tonight. Really feel like he is going to put the breaks on him now. I think Hearn likes to build a fighter up and does a good job in getting them exposure like Brook and Froch, but will then perrhaps look to milk the talent a bit.

Personally, I feel Brook was a little off his best tonight and after 5 great rounds, lacked stamina or much of a plan b once things started going the other way. Hearn seemed really worried in post-fight interview to me and I really don't want to see Brook drop back down to a lesser fighter than Jones.

What do we think Hearn will do with him now. Protect him a bit more before going for a title? Or push on regardless for Alexander v Bailey winner?

I dont think he should be putting the brakes on Brook now. Feeding another club fighter to Brooks is a step back. Either Brooks fights Bailey next or goes for the eliminator then fights Brooks.

Sometimes a fight like this is what is needed. I recall McGuigan fighting Juan LaPorte just before he fought Pedrosa and LaPorte gave him fits. It made Barry a better fighter.

Did the IBF not already announce he would be required to fight somebody else before being made mandatory for Bailey v Alexander winner?

The way Hearn is talking, he assumes Alexander will win and will want to steer clear of him. I reckon Brook will beat Alexander now.

They won't put him in with a big name next as Hearn would want him to fight the guy they have to fight just to make sure they have the title shot as mandatory.

I don't see why he wouldn't want to put brook in with stellar opposition. Let's not forget that for 5/6 rounds he was punch perfect, busting up a good fighter who was incredibly tough. He shaped he has a good chin and decent power.

Jones absorbed so much punishment to he this own shots off and not many fighters in the division could have carried on unde that much punishment

Breaking his most would have constantly hindered him so now if it happens again he should be more able to adapt

Spot on WHU

funny az, but laporte was a man who gave plenty of big names a hard night, but my recollection was mcguigan did a number on him, which is what made a lot of us think barry might be the real deal. To be fair he did have his whiskers tested once or twice in the fight though.

Agree with your assessment on brook though... that this was just what he needed, and gassing and having to go into the trenches doesnt make him a bad fighter.

If i was handling him, i'd get him a new conditioning coach and want another testing fight before a title... with a highly durable opponent that would make him work without being too high risk... one where i could see whether they'd sorted out his stamina. At world level, he can't go into a fight knowing he has to win the first 6 rounds to get a draw.

No idea what hearn will do though.

Juan Laporte!!!...

Nice to see his name mentioned.....the archetypical tough guy!!!!

Fought the greats and was unmoved.....

I remember before Chavez that Ko wrote a piece saying "Chavez is great at knocking opponents off their gameplans which might be hard in this fight as Laporte tends to enter the ring not knowing what the hell he's going to do" ha ha love that!!!


His fight with Pedroza had more action after the bell than it did in between the rounds!!

as for Mcguigan..Mcguigan did say that it was a gruelling affair and that Laporte punched harder than anyone he faced and that he was badly rocked in the ninth...

Not sure about the fits but he certainly knew he'd had a fight..

Laporte rated Sanchez as the best feather of his generation!!!!

good stuff......

I just pray with Hearn that he doesn't get scared that Kell looked human against Jones and wrap him in cotton wool, I really like Hearn and I think he actually talks a lot of sense and genuinely cares about his fighters, unlike Frank Warren, he seems to be a boxing promoter with a soul.

Just hope he doesn't get soft with Kell now.

Laporte wasn't blessed with great timing of career, would have had a decent reign at the top were it not for so many greats knocking about, how many fighters have the misfortune of Nelson, Sanchez, Gomez, Mcguigan, Pedroza and Chavez.

Absolutely........

Laporte was a nice guy too....Real fan favorite!!!

barry was well managed (well, up until the cruz fight) and i think they picked laporte as a name that would look good on the cv, impress the yanks and be a hard test without being 'too much' of a real threat. I think the feeling was that juan's best days might be behind him... he'd been well beaten by gomez a year or so previously.

It was a comeptitive fight, and laporte stiffened barry with a one big shot in particular, but he was never in trouble and won pretty comfortably. A year or so later laporte goes out and gives jcc fits to suggest that he had more left in the tank than maybe eastwood realised.

As truss says, a nice guy and fan favourite, always gave value for money and a very good fighter. He was certainly in a tough era... rocky lockridge (prob laporte's best win) was no mug either