Sam Eggington will be favored to beat Ted Cheeseman when they meet in a 12-round junior middleweight bout on the first “Fight Camp” card Aug. 1 on the grounds of the Matchroom Boxing headquarters outside London.
However, Eggington (28-6, 17 KOs) will be taking nothing for granted. Too much is at stake. He is ranked No. 5 by the IBF and has recorded four consecutive victories since he was stopped in the fifth round by Liam Smith in March of last year.
The native of Birmingham wants to maintain his momentum and position himself for a shot at a world title.
The card will be streamed on DAZN.
“You only have to watch Ted fight to know that he doesn’t give up when it gets hard,” Eggington said. “I have full faith in myself, and if anyone can make him give up, I’ll be that guy. It’ll be a good fight while it lasts. The way we both fight, it’s going to gel for a war, but I genuinely think I’ve got enough to get the win.
“I’m confident with this fight. Eddie gave me a list of names for potential opponents and we picked him out because it’s a good fight and one we can win.”
Eggington believes a victory would bolster his credentials as a contender.
“I’ve never been in a position to have an argument for some sort of [title] eliminator, and I think I am now with the IBF belt. That’s the aim once we get past Ted,” he said.
Cheeseman (15-2-1, 9 KOs) was a fairly hot prospect going into last year, winning his first 15 fights. However, the Londoner is 0-2-1 in his last three fights, with losses against Sergio Garcia and Scott Fitzgerald.
A victory would pump new life into his career. That fact isn’t lost on Eggington.
“It’s all or nothing for the both of us,” he said. “That’s the way I live in general.”
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