September 12th or not? Opponent? Won't be Froch, Murray may want another fight before deciding whether to fight 160 or 168, any other ideas on how it could be?
It will be Bernard Hopkins. I think Hearn wanted Kessler before he retired because if Kessler somehow won, it would have set up the third fight with Froch - so it would have been a win-win for Matchroom. Hopkins is sitting idle. He's not gonna fight Golovkin at MW. A fight with Degale would be intriguing and I'd rather see that then an easy domestic opponent or a ranked, relatively unknown boxer from overseas. Also Hearn has stated that both Brook and Degale will not be on the same card in September.
Hopkins is a lose/lose situation. 1. It's rare for anyone to look remotely good against Hopkins. 2. It's not an exciting fight. 3. If he wins, "he beat an old man". 4. He loses "he got beat by an old man".
^It will be PPV in Hearn's eyes. It won't be Murray yet. Hearn and Murray both said they want to build him up in the UK before he gets a title shot.
It won't be Murray yet, Hearn will want to build his profile first. I can see DeGale's first defence also being a unification fight against the winner of Abraham/Stieglitz.
Fielding. Hearn knows he is going nowhere, his rating flatters him and will make Degale look good. Cashing him in. Smith meanwhile will be worked into mandatory position for Groves, simply as a negotiating tool for when Hearn tries to make Degale v Groves (should GG beat Jack)
Hopkins would be stylistically terrible to sell a PPV- I agree that Murray or Fielding may be next up although it's more likely to be a simple top 15 defence.
If Hearn wants to cash in fielding soon he puts him in against Callum - no way he puts him in with degale in September As for putting Callum in a mandatory for a groves fight to help make the degale fight, we've all seen groves doesn't bend over for Hearn so wouldn't be shocked if he took a Callum fight over degale to screw over Hearn and another big Wembley fight
There is a reason Murray is on the July 18th bill. It's to get his "feeling out" process at smw out the way. Hearn doesn't build anyone, he rushed Groves and Gavin into ppl fights with Froch, I will be surprised if he doesn't do the same with Murray. Degale will beat Murray with ease however