By Terence Dooley

Eddie Hearn of Matchroom has unleashed a steam train of speculation by revealing that Birmingham’s Frankie Gavin, 22-1 (13), could pursue an IBF eliminator against Tim Bradley.

The IBF called for a final eliminator between Amir Khan and Bradley earlier this week only for Khan to reject it, which left Gavin next in line for a showdown with the former world champion.

Hearn told iFilm London’s Kugan Cassius that the IBF option is an enticing one for Gavin.

“Amir pulled out of the fight so now it goes down the rankings to Frankie Gavin,” he said. “We have to let them (the IBF) know by Tuesday whether we want to accept that fight and are in negotiations with Top Rank about that fight. Obviously he's due to fight [Chris] van Heerden [in Birmingham on May 9], but this is a massive opportunity to fight Tim Bradley so we have to consider our position.”

He added: “Kell has nine months since his last mandatory, so they’ll probably call for it around November.”

Brook has expressed his desire to make a voluntary defence on Matchroom’s May 30th O2 bill. Gavin is sitting pretty at number five, so could feasibly be in the opposite corner should Hearn want to bolster the bill with an all-British world title tussle.

“Brook and Gavin? He’s got to fight Tim Bradley, which is a really tough fight, so there is the option to the Brook-Gavin fight,” he said.

“Kell could potentially box on May 30th. There’s so much going on, but the facts are that the IBF have ordered Frankie to fight Bradley in a final eliminator and we’re trying to get Kell out on the 30th at the O2.”

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