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How Mayweather-Pacquiao could disrupt British boxing

Kell Brook will make his first IBF welterweight title defence on March 28 © Getty Images

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Eddie Hearn tells ESPN what effect Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao will have for British boxing and why he thinks there is a better chance of Kell Brook fighting Juan Manuel Marquez, Marcos Maidana or Tim Bradley than British rival Amir Khan - as well discussing the chances of DeGale-Groves and Frampton-Quigg happening in 2015.

The good news for fight fans is that everyone is ready to do a deal and I think there's a good chance Mayweather-Pacquiao will happen on May 2.

There's so many ramifications surrounding Mayweather-Pacquiao; everyone is waiting on what Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao do next. Amir Khan is a great example. Amir wants to fight Mayweather, or Pacquiao, but if they end up fighting each other what is he going to do?

A fight between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao would mean big ramifications for British boxing © AP

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Amir is right to try and get a fight with Floyd, it's the biggest one out there for him and I understand that, but now it looks like he's not going to get it and he won't be able to fight him in September either because of Ramadan.

Why fight Tim Bradley in America when you can fight Kell Brook in England for a world title? But he's thinking if you lose to Brook you are probably done and that's what is putting him off.

Amir is not stupid - he knows how big the fight is with Kell. But I never understand when they say it's a big fight down the line, or let it build. It's a big fight now. So many things can happen in boxing. If Amir gets knocked out in his next fight it won't be as big, or if Kell loses the title it won't be as big. It's huge at the moment and now is the right time to make the fight.

We were looking at Wembley in June but the problem with Khan is I'm not sure he can do that because of Ramadan [which starts on June 18]. He will have to fight in May or early June but I'm not sure Kell can do that because he's fighting on March 28.

I'm not too optimistic. We are now turning our attention to Juan Manuel Marquez, who we are talking to this week in London, Marcos Maidana and Bradley because we want Kell Brook in a pay per view event this summer, June or July, at Bramall Lane. We can't wait for Amir Khan. Amir might end up fighting on the May 2 undercard in Las Vegas instead.

It could happen later in the year but that would rule out the chance of doing it at somewhere like Wembley and you would have to do it at the Manchester Arena with 20,000 instead.

We are looking at doing James DeGale at the O2 Arena on April 25, Carl Froch in now May or June and then Brook in June or July. Carl will make an announcement on his IBF super-middleweight belt on Monday and then James will fight for the world title. That could be against Andre Dirrell, because he is the next one behind James in the IBF rankings.

I've discussed DeGale-Groves and you only have to listen to George Groves to know why it's not happening. He says there's no way he would do 50-50 and I don't know what planet he is on. DeGale is now the better fighter and he's the favourite in that fight with Groves.

Whereas James DeGale has jumped ten steps forward, George Groves has stepped ten steps back because of average performances in his last two fights.

We had a chance to make that fight when Froch was looking to fight Julio Cesar Chavez but it's just madness that you throw that kind of money away. George says him and James will fight the Dirrell brothers [Andre and Anthony] next and then they will both meet in a unification fight, but a lot of things have to happen first before we can start thinking about that.

For a start, George has to get the fight with Anthony Dirrell [the WBC super-middleweight champion] and he's been waiting for it since September. Then he's going to have to beat him in America, which is very tough. James and George could just fight each other now for the world title and make fortunes.

Another big fight is Carl Frampton against Scott Quigg. Carl Frampton is a bigger draw than Scott Quigg in terms of live gate and after his next fight [with American Chris Avalos in Belfast on February 28] on ITV he will probably be a bigger name.

But Scott brings pay per view TV so it's us and him. My deal with Sky Sports means I can make it pay per view. They will probably want 60-40 but I'm suggesting 60-40 for the winner and we could do it anywhere.

Of Khan-Brook, DeGale-Groves and Frampton-Quigg I think you will see one of them happening this year, maybe two, but delusion will play a big part in whether the fights get made. I think Frampton-Quigg will get made for the summer, and maybe DeGale-Groves.

Eddie Hearn is not sure what planet George Groves is on © PA Photos

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