Frankie Gavin”Get him[Brook] loading up, swinging at me and then hit him hard”

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Frankie Gavin Kell BrookI was in attendance at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall in October last year to see the British and Commonwealth welterweight champion Frankie Gavin. (22-1, 13KO’s) Gavin bounced back from his first professional defeat to the European champ Leonard Bundu, in a thrillingly close fight five weeks before. His obscure opponent was crushed in two rounds in front of an almost full venue; he was just a surface to rebound off to bigger and better fights. Gavin followed that up with a much-criticised performance against another UK representative Bradley Skeete in November, where he looked composed but indifferent as he cruised his way to a unanimous decision victory. For a man whose outstanding amateur career promised so much in the paid ranks, it appeared the Birmingham southpaw was stagnating.

Fast forward to the present and Gavin has crossed the border of the UK’s promotional territory from Frank Warren(Boxnation TV) to Eddie Hearn. (Sky Sports), A move that has enabled him to jump the entire queue for a world title shot at Hearn’s resident belt holder, IBF World welterweight champion Kell Brook(34-0, 23KO’s). Gavin would have otherwise had to go through a pound-for-pound mainstay in Timothy Bradley(31-1-1, 12KO’s) to get this opportunity, a man who has only ever lost to Manny Pacquiao.

Speaking with Sports View London, Gavin iterated the difference between how he was being pushed by Warren and his current lofty position under the Matchroom Sports banner. His jaw visibly clenched when this first sentence left his mouth.

“I think with Boxnation I was getting a bit forgotten. After the Bundu fight, I was fighting in Sheffield the other day, people were going ‘ah it’s good to see him back to winning ways.’ I’ve won the Commonwealth and defended my British since then, and I beat someone else in two rounds. If I knocked that kid out in two rounds on Sky or beat Skeete on Sky, no one would have been saying ‘he’s back to winning ways.’”

There is no question Sky has a larger viewership than Boxnation TV, and Gavin has joined a plethora of promising pugs in his decision to settle in with Hearn for the foreseeable future.

“Everything’s gone great for me since signing that deal with Matchroom.”

The difference between his plight now and six months ago is blindingly apparent; from talented yet internationally obscure fighter to world championship contender whose name will ring out for a long time if he pulls of the upset.

And it will be considered an upset if it happens. Brook is a powerful, accurate and confident force. His return to the ring could not gone any smoother when he squashed his mandatory challenger Jo Jo Dan -another southpaw- with frightening ease in four rounds a few weeks ago. After seven months out with a career-threatening leg injury, that display would have erased any lingering doubts the champion may have been harbouring. Gavin is looking to exploit every avenue he can when faced with such a polished performer.

“There’re flaws in every fighter, but it’s not about what I can see it’s about what I can do to make them flaws even bigger. Make him miss even more, get him loading up, get him swinging at me and then hit him hard. I’ve gotta make his weaknesses even bigger weaknesses and don’t get off any of his strengths.”

Gavin talks a very convincing game, and he will do well to avoid becoming overawed by an occasion of this magnitude. Not only has he been elevated in terms of his visibility, he has been catapulted to the apex of the most lucrative division in the sport. The IBF belt he hopes to grab is the only one not held by Manny Pacquiao or Floyd Mayweather Jr who fight on May 2nd. After that, the winner will hold the WBA Super, the WBC and the WBO title, and if he decides he wants to unify the whole division then either Brook or Gavin is the only route to take.

This is a crazy position to be in for Gavin, who has mostly competed at British level up to this point. I would never have have guessed sitting ringside in Wolverhampton five months ago that the man five feet from me would even be in the conversation for these type of fights, but here he is. Where his career goes from now is entirely up to him. Even with a decent losing effort against Brook he will have enhanced his reputation, but a win will blast him into the stratosphere. According to Eddie Hearn, he asked for this fight, and he only has one thing on his mind.

“The payday’s not great to be fair I probably deserve more but it’s not about the money. The red belt is all it’s about.”