• Super-middleweight

Froch-Chavez summer fight still on after Haymon deal

Julio Cesar Chavez Jr has not fought since March and may look for a warm-up fight before facing Carl Froch © Getty Images

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Promoter Eddie Hearn remains confident Carl Froch will fight Julio Cesar Chavez Jr in Las Vegas next year after the Mexican announced he has signed for adviser Al Haymon.

Chavez Jr, Froch's first choice as his next opponent, is in a contractual dispute with American promoters Top Rank, who insist he still has one more fight with them. The Mexican - son of ring legend Julio Cesar Chavez Sr - disagrees with Top Rank and claims that he is a free agent.

The legal battle is set to intensify now Chavez Jr has revealed he will be working with Haymon, one of boxing's most powerful figures and advisor to the likes of Floyd Mayweather Jr and former world light-welterweight champion Amir Khan.

Former WBC middleweight champion Chavez, 28, said in a statement Haymon will be arranging his next fight, set for "early" 2015.

Hearn admits Chavez Jr may want a warm-up fight having last boxed in March, but remains optimistic of making the fight with reigning WBA-IBF super-middleweight world champion Froch next year.

"It doesn't really change anything because Al Haymon is an adviser, not a promoter," Hearn told ESPN.

"The reports say he has one more fight left with Top Rank. I think Top Rank are keen to make the fight with Froch. I've already spoken to Al Haymon's team to let them know we are here and want the fight with Chavez Jr.

"The problem is whether he opts for a comeback fight with the excuse that I've been out for a long time - and that's possible.

"But I don't think it changes anything. He gets advice from a different person now. We have got a relationship with Al Haymon because we have just made the world bantamweight title unification fight between Jamie McDonnell and their fighter Tomoki Kameda.

"We are speaking to Top Rank as well. It seems like there's still a lot more to unravel."

Froch, 37, insists he is not interested in facing fellow Briton James DeGale and has even claimed he will retire if a fight with Chavez Jr cannot be made.

But Hearn now expects Britain's most successful active boxer to be back in action later in 2015 if the fight with Chavez Jr is made.

"It was going to happen in January but now we are looking at spring or summer," Hearn told ESPN.co.uk.

"Carl isn't in a tearing rush. We are already in November so Carl can get cracking with his training in the New Year. Nothing has changed from his point of view in terms of what he wants."

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