Eggington closing in on a world title shot

Sam Eggington...could fight for old title in Canada next year

ON the home run of a remarkable career, Sam Eggington is closing in on a world title shot.

And, if it happens, it will be for his old IBO light-middleweight belt and in Canada. In the opposite corner will be Maple Leaf puncher Sukhdeep King Bhatti.

Nothing official only gym rumblings, but I know those behind both boxers are working hard to make it happen.

Jon Pegg, manager of Stourbridge’s Sam, admitted: “We’re pushing for it.”

But for next year’s vacant title fight to happen, the 30-year-old needs to be coming off a win: last time out he was beaten for the European title by Abass Baraou. To that end, Sam, a former British and European champ, has been added to promoter Scott Murray’s Excelsior Sporting Club show on November 28.

That Cannock bill is shaping up to be the Excelsior’s best yet, with the strong possibility of an absolutely cracking Midlands super-middleweight showdown between Liam O’Hare and Ollie Cooper topping.

Eggington, with 43 contests under his belt, deserves every break he gets from the sport. A warrior to his boxing bootlaces, he has featured in some of the most thrilling battles of recent years.

Reporters – this writer included – seem to have spent the last five years claiming his career was close to the end, the wars had caught up with the “The Savage”.

Yet time and again, he dumbfounds the critics with an against-the-odds victory. And the Bhatti bout – if confirmed – is a winnable one for Sam who won the IBO strand of the world title by outpointing Przemyslaw Zysk in June 22. But a listless Eggington lost it four months later to Aussie veteran Dennis Hogan in a contest staged Down Under.

Liverpool’s James Metcalf relieved Hogan of the belt in Dublin last year and has now vacated. That has left the door open for Eggington and Bhatti.

Bhatti, aged 31, is an unknown quantity, but can evidently bang. He’s won all 19 pro contest, eight by stoppage, collected an IBF international belt, but never faced an opponent in Eggington’s class.

In a way, his record mirrors that of Southampton’s Joe Pigford who had scored a string of sensational KOs before being destroyed by Eggington last year.  He wrecked Pigford’s title dreams in five, one sided round and thoroughly exposed the Southampton K0 artist.

Pigford was on an incredible run of 20 straight wins, 19 inside distancr, before stepping up against Eggington.

“San has shown he will do a number on people at Pigford’s level,” said Pegg.

And he could well do a number on Bhatti.