• Welterweight

Brook 'crushed but buoyant' over Alexander bout

Kell Brook is still on a training camp for his fight with Devon Alexander © PA Photos

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Eddie Hearn has said that Kell Brook was "crushed" by the news Devon Alexander might swerve his challenge to the American's IBF world title.

However the promoter still believes the fight will more likely happen than not, and is hopeful of fixing a new date later this week.

On Tuesday, Floyd Mayweather Jr claimed Alexander, who, on Monday, pulled out of a February 23 date with Brook because of injury, is the front runner to fight him on May 4 in Las Vegas.

But with the fight contract between the 26-year-old Brook and Alexander, 25, having been signed, choosing to fight Mayweather next would mean the Missouri fighter vacating his IBF title.

Alexander (24-1) has not clarified his intentions and Hearn is willing to give him the benefit of the doubt that he has a genuine bicep injury. Brook (29-0) had to postpone the fight himself from January to February through an ankle injury.

But if reports of Alexander's switch are true, Hearn says he will stop at nothing to ensure his client gets a career-defining fight against a different opponent.

"The news had crushed him [Brook] but he's buoyant and I have told him he's got to keep his head down and keep grafting because you're going to get some news in the next 24 to 48 hours," Hearn told Sky Sports News.

"If they don't want the fight, they don't want the fight. What I won't let happen is rob the career path of Kell Brook and I'll fight tooth and nail to get justice for Kell.

"If that means putting the pressure on to get Alexander to vacate the title or Golden Boy [the American's promoters] come back this week and give us a date - which I think is the more likely scenario, then we will make sure that happens because I won't have Kell messed around.

"If I were having a punt I think it will go ahead. The whole thing looks a little bit cheesy to me and a little bit fishy from the Mayweather camp.

"But you never know, this is boxing and you have got to stay on your guard and things change every time you go to sleep, you wake up and something else has happened. It's like a constant chess match and we have got to make sure we have got our pawns in the right positions."

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