HENRY Wharton was yesterday given an early Christmas present, less
than a fortnight after Chris Eubank put a dampener on his festive
celebrations.
Eubank outscored him in Manchester's WBO clash, but the Commonwealth
super-middleweight boxing champion from York has still been installed as
the next official challenger to European title-holder Frederic Seillier,
of France.
A win over Seillier would not only lift the EBU crown, but also move
Wharton back towards the premier contenders for a version of the
12-stone title.
Seillier is currently No.1 in the WBC rankings and either he, or the
dangerous American Gerald McClellan, will be the next opponent for WBC
champion Nigel Benn at the London Arena on February 25.
It all depends on whether McClellan gives up the WBC middleweight
title, a career move which is widely expected.
In that event, the Detroit puncher would be moved to No.1 in the WBC
lists and he would get the world title shot before Seillier, but Benn's
promoter Frank Warren is still awaiting final confirmation of the next
man to face the champion in his seventh defence.
Seillier held on to his European title earlier this month by drawing
with Eubank-victim Graciano Rocchigiani, of Germany, in Berlin, but
looked unlucky only to get a share of the verdict.
With the EBU giving promoters a deadline of March 13 to complete
private negotiations, the Seillier-Wharton fight would probably not go
ahead until the spring.
Benn, meanwhile, is sticking to his tried and trusted training
routine, and will be returning to the warmer climes of his Tenerife camp
around Janauary 8 to prepare for his first bout in almost six months.
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