Howard Eastman-Hassine Cherifi Tonight

James McDonnell

Middleweight scene ticks over as the 'Battersea Bomber' seeks to impress.
12 Rounds European Middleweight Title.
Friday night on BBC1 at ll.50. (GMT)

25.07 - The European title was once held in very high esteem, the European belt was held by many world champions and top flight contenders. Nowadays, European titles don't carry the distinction they once did, and European title fights are often dull affairs compared to the days when names like Randy Turpin, Nino Benvenuti, and the great Marcel Cerdan and George Carpentier contested for European honours. However, on the 25th a fight or relative significance takes place between current and former European champions, Howard Eastman, and Hassine Cherifi.

Eastman, hopes to add another world class name opponent to his body of work, as he takes on perennial world-title contender, Hassine Cherifi, the long-standing French, European, and former (briefly) WBC middleweight champion.

It's not a contest loaded with significance, it won't be deciding the fate of the division, but it is a chance for both fighters to try and get into title contention once more, for Cherifi what probably represents his last chance to be put himself into world title contention. Who knows, he could appear as a Bernard Hopkins mandatory opponent some time soon, if Morade Hakkar was good enough, Cherifi certainly fits the bill.

Eastman has of course also tasted the top flight, in a close but losing effort to William Joppy. It was a fight which it appeared Eastman should have pressed, and possibly had he done so he would have taken a decision, or maybe even have stopped Joppy. It was a big step up in class for Eastman that night, whose best previous opponent was contender Robert McCracken, against an underrated middleweight in Joppy.

Cherifi has only lost to the best men in the division, and is a more experienced fitle fighter than Eastman. Even at 35, he's a very solid fighter at middleweight, having previously held a super middleweight WBC belt.

Cherifi has faced an impressive roster of champions and former champions, starting with Robin Reid at Super Middleweight for the WBC title in 1997. Cherifi ran Reid very close indeed that night, and has made a fight of it against every bone-fide champion he's faced. He fought Keith Holmes twice, beating him for the WBC middleweight belt on the first occasion, and losing in a 7th round stoppage second time around.

He also fought William Joppy, in 2000, losing a decision, and then fought Harry Simon, the highly regarded WBO titlist who was seen by some as a possible future world champion, taking the heavy handed Simon the distance, which with the Namibians scorching KO record, is no mean feat.

The point is, Cherifi has been there and done it.. he has been world class, if not a world beater, and even at 35, may have enough hunger and ability to make a fight of it. Against a man who on paper holds all the advantages, save big fight experience the most marked of which is his numbing punch power, he'll need every round of his impressive career.

Eastman for his part, hasn't yet proven to me that he has the big-fight mentality, and a confident showing against Cherifi is just the sort of tonic he needs for a career which under Don King's auspices seemed to have floundered following the Joppy fight.

With a new promotional and management team under the banner of rising British promoter Mick Hennessey, he has a new lease of life, and seems keen to make the most of this late bloom of his career, or so recent press releases would have us believe.

I think that Eastman perhaps still rues his fight with Joppy, which he could, and many say should have won that night. Eastman came within a whisker of taking the belt, against a far more experienced opponent, whose boxing skills frustrated the harder hitting Eastman. Even though he dropped Joppy in the 11th round, it wasn't enough to make up for found after round of posturing and showboating, all the while his opponent scoring heavily.

There is nothing to be ashamed of in losing to Joppy, but hopefully it will teach Eastman to approach big fights with a little more gumption, and ensure that he doesn't come away feeling that he could have done more.

Eastman felt after the fight that he had been served an injustice, but in reality, I think he knows he didn't approach the right way that night, and that he could have taken a more positive if riskier strategy against a light hitting but accurate Joppy.

Eastman at times looked outclassed, and whilst his own shots were heavier, Joppy teed off on Eastman on occasions, hitting him with crisp stinging shots of his own

Since then, Eastman has kept busy, and says he is re-invigorated by the experience of changing promoters.

If he is to make a big splash at this late stage of his career, he needs to capitalise on every opportunity that comes his way, and a fight with Cheriffi is a chance to put on a display of his thunderous punching power and world-class credentials. Eastman hits and hits hard, and his KO record is impressive, but fighters like Cheriffi, proud former belt-holders in their own right, don't come to get blown out early.

Cheriffi for his part, can surely only hope to outpoint Eastman, as he isn't a big puncher, and Eastman appears thus far to be granite chinned. However, as Manuel Medina proved only last week, you can never count an old experienced pro out entirely. Cheriffi will try as best he can to befuddle and spoil Eastman's work, but he is not noted as a defensive specialist, or as fast and slick as Joppy, so he could be in for the kind of rough ride that Trinidad gave him.

Eastman needs to throw caution to the win to a degree again Cheriffi and let his hands go if he wants an impressive stoppage win, and I think this the likeliest outcome. Cheriffi hasn't faced any quality fighters since his crushing loss to Trinidad in 2002 inside four rounds. Cheriffi was handed a severe beating for the first time in his career that night, climbing off the floor on several occasions before being rescued by the referee.

I see Eastman starting a lot more aggressively against Cheriffi than against Joppy, and though he might take some stick back, he's not as slick as Joppy to capitalise on his chances, and certainly doesn't have the power to match Eastman.

It is to be hoped that on this occasion that Eastman doesn't go into cruiser mode like he did against Joppy, but barring a mental lapse, I don't think Cheriffi has then tools to deal with Eastman. A points win simply will not do for Eastman, it won't send out the kind of message that Eastman needs to send to the rest of the division.

An impressive win over Cherifi keeps Eastman ticking over, and reaffirms that he is truly world class, while he waits to secure a fight against a big name American fighter, preferably Hopkins, from Eastman's point of view.

Eastman has everything he needs to become a draw, boxing ability, crunching power, an enigmatic and charismatic persona, not to mention a shocking blonde beard, which makes him look like he's been drinking a pint of Guinness rather sloppily. If Eastman can become enough of a draw there are some big fights out there for him. If he can't get Hopkins, there are fights with the likes of up and comer Jermain Taylor, or possibly a rematch with William Joppy.

Eastman if he can make up the numbers work, has a bright future. The division is there for the taking for a new fighter to take over the reigns from Bernard Hopkins, who at 38 is fighting on borrowed time, and seems determined to make like a damp squib. For Eastman this is a vital showcase opportunity, and providing he doesn't take Cherifi too lightly, he should shine on Friday night. I predict a heavy handed display, with Cherifi being stopped by the referee inside the 6th.

You can catch the fight on Friday night on BBC1 at ll.50.GMT