By Matt Bozeat

WHATEVER happened to Sam Eggington?

He was last seen handing Southampton puncher Joe Pigford his first loss on the Chris Billam-Smith-Lawrence Okolie undercard in Bournemouth last May. That win – his eighth over an unbeaten opponent – didn’t open doors for the Midlands gunslinger.

Rather, he was frozen out.

Boxxer couldn’t find space for him when they promoted at Wolverhampton Civic Hall – a 10-minute drive from his Smethwick home – last November and the phone didn’t ring until the Sauerland brothers needed someone to face unbeaten German Abass Baraou for the vacant European super-welterweight title.

Jay Metcalf was apparently their first choice, but he had other plans.

Eggington, 34-8 (20), says this is how his career has gone. “My whole career has been made on opportunities,” said the 30-year-old from Smethwick. “This wasn’t planned. This was a phone call and that’s the way my whole career has gone. We have just fought whoever’s in front of us.”

In front of him on Friday night – 279  days after his last fight – is a polished box-puncher with a world-class amateur pedigree.

Channel Five televise what has the makings of a very good fight as Eggington looks to become only the sixth British fighter to become a multi-weight European champion.

He held the 147lbs belt for five months in 2017.

Baraou, 14-1 (9), starts the favourite, as is usually the way when Eggington fights.

“I know people think I’m on my way down,” he said. “I started when I was 18 and I have had hard fights, but I’m in my prime. I have the experience.”

Baraou has been seen by British audiences a couple of times before. He broke down underachieving Shepherds Bush southpaw John O’Donnell in six on the Josh Taylor-Regis Prograis undercard at the O2 Arena in October, 2019 and impressed at the York Hall last March when stopping Ferenc Katona in three.

Baraou dropped the Hungarian late in the first with a chopping right to the jaw and battered him to the body until the towel came in early in the third.

There’s been a change since then. Baraou had Adam Booth in his corner against Katona – that was their fifth fight together – but he’s since relocated to Miami to train with Jorge Rubio. The 29-year-old has had one fight with Rubio, an eight-round points win over Hugo Noriega last November, and goes into this ranked No 7 by the WBA.

The Sauerlands consider Baraou to be the “dark horse” of the division.

From Germany, with a parent from Togo and now based in Miami, Baraou hasn’t got much of a profile or fan base, but he looks a quality operator.

As an amateur, he was 2017 European Champion, beating Pat McCormack in the final, and won bronze at the World Championships later that year. Because of his 144-16 amateur career, Baraou has been pushed on in the pros, winning German honours in his second fight and outpointing former IBF super-welterweight belt-holder Carlos Molina in his fifth. That was at 154lbs and Baraou won by nine rounds and three points (twice).

Molina is a common opponent. The Mexican was a 37-year-old middleweight when Eggington faced him more than two years later and beat him by 10, five and four points.

Eggington has been 12 rounds eight times in his pro career, Baraou twice, including in a split points loss to Jack Culcay, the only reverse on his 15-fight record. A World Amateur Champion in 2009, Culcay had taken Demetrius Andrade to a split at 154 lbs three years earlier and Baraou stood with him.

Eggington has dug deep more often – and picked up more mileage. The Board named his slugfests with Ted Cheeseman and Bilel Jkitou their fights of the year. As well as mileage, Eggington has gained knowledge and knew too much for Pigford, who had 19 early wins on his 20-fight record.

Baraou looks way better; a patient, balanced box-puncher with a strong lead hand and nine early wins on his record. Eggington has been stopped twice, dropped once.  Baraou doesn’t look to be a mover and if he stands in front of Eggington, it promises to be a hard night for both.

We think Eggington can pull it off on points. Whatever happens, this matchup looks certain to be a thriller.

On the undercard is a well-matched bout for the vacant Southern Area super-middleweight title between Barnet-based Romanian Andrei Dascalu, 9-0 (2), who has fought exclusively in Britain, and Banbury’s Joe Jackson-Brown, 7-0 (4). Neither boxer has yet faced an opponent with a winning record as a professional. Dascalu, six years younger at 25, has been the more active and must start as favourite.

THE VERDICT: This could be yet another fight of the year involving Eggington.