Kalle Sauerland’s Wasserman Boxing heads to the little-known West Midlands town of Telford this Friday to host the vacant EBU super welterweight title fight between Germany’s Abass Baraou and England’s Sam Eggington.
Baraou (14-1, 9 KOs) has been the long-standing mandatory for the belt, but has struggled to secure vacant title bouts with France’s Milan Prat and and Liverpool’s James Metcalf.
“This Friday night you got a European championship on the line,” Sauerland said exclusively to boxingscene.com. “You got a German in Abass Baraou, who won the bronze medal at the world championships, I think he is at No. 5 in the world [rankings], a very good puncher, a slick operator, fighting big-bad Sam Eggington, a man who knows no reverse gear. Let’s face it, he’s never in a bad fight.”
The 30-year-old Eggington (34-8, 20 KOs) scored a fifth-round knockout upset over the undefeated Joe Pigford last May in Bournemouth.
“You know this is going to be an absolutely throwback fight,” Sauerland continued. “It’s on terrestrial [TV], which is a rare dinosaur in itself, you can’t ask for more. Sam was ready in a heartbeat, he was straight in, which shows which sort of fight we can expect on Friday night. He’s not the type to worry about who he is boxing. He’s only got one strategy, forwards, and take the man out of there.
“An interesting fact, that I was reading on the way, is that he has won Fight of the Year twice. He’s only 30-years-old, he’s going for the hat trick on Friday night.”
Baraou has been considered Germany’s hottest boxing talent after turning professional in 2018. Since his only career defeat, a split-decision loss to Jack Culcay in 2020, the 29 year old is unbeaten in five fights.
“Friday night will be on DAZN in Germany,” Sauerland explained. “It is a big night for German Boxing on Friday. Do not underestimate how big this is in Germany, Baraou is a massive flag bearer for Germany. He’s been talked about a lot, and [there were] unfortunate pull-outs around that EBU situation last year.
“This night, if he wins, will bring big nights back to Germany. There is a lot at stake here.”