IT IS FAR from the meaningful fight that he had perhaps hoped for, but heavyweight contender Michael Hunter will nonetheless return to action at York Hall, London, on December 5.
The 37-year-old’s rather bewildering career has seemingly gone from bad to worse, with this announcement following a string of somewhat questionable matchups over the past few years.
Since his draw with Jerry Forrest in 2021, it seems that Hunter, 24-1-2 (17 KOs), in truth, has only further removed himself from the spotlight, almost as if he has been cursed to trudge through a series of progressively unappealing assignments.
That said, ‘The Bounty’ was set to secure himself a title shot, albeit for the WBA ‘regular’ belt, against Kubrat Pulev earlier this year.
With prolonged negotiations failing to capture his interest, though, the American soon turned his attention towards a potential clash with prolific drug cheat Jarrell ‘Big Baby’ Miller.
The pair were supposed to square off on the week of Canelo Alvarez vs Terence Crawford last month, only for their fight to be scuppered before any announcement was made.
With few alternative options, Hunter then seemed keen to revisit his matchup with Pulev, before being told that his mandatory status for the WBA ‘regular’ title was no longer valid.
As a result, the former cruiserweight contender has now landed himself a main event slot at Bethnal Green’s York Hall, where he secured a 10th-round stoppage victory over Martin Bakole in 2018.
His next opponent, meanwhile, is Eli Frankham, whose last five fights were all overseen by the British & Irish Boxing Authority (BIBA).
This is because Frankham’s professional licence with the British Boxing Board of Control was suspended shortly after he ended a two-and-a-half year prison sentence back in 2018.
After that, the British heavyweight, who is largely undersized by today’s standards, was sent behind bars a second time for possession of a firearm in 2020.
As for his exploits in the ring, it would seem that Frankham has done little to prove that he is on the level of Hunter, yet the pair will nonetheless headline a Rich Energy and Rx Sports co-sponsored event, which is to be sanctioned by BIBA, on December 5.
