Kell Brook Will Replace Floyd Mayweather as Welterweight King, Says Eddie Hearn

Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn has wasted little time in talking up Kell Brook as the next name to dominate the welterweight division following Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s retirement from the sport.

The Matchroom figurehead wrote in his Daily Mail column on Thursday that Brook can be the "Special One" of his weight class, exactly one month prior to his title defence against Diego Chaves on October 24:

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Floyd Mayweather is stepping away, or so he says, and now it is time for Kell Brook to show he is the Special One of welterweight boxing. I truly believe he will go on to dominate this division before stepping up to light-middleweight three or four fights from now.

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I can see him winning world titles at both light middleweight and middleweight and there are tempting fights to be made against men like Miguel Cotto and Saul Alvarez. He is good enough to be a multi-weight world champion so the next couple of years should be very exciting.

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It's hardly surprising to see Hearn highlighting the talents of a fighter representing the best interests of his Matchroom stable, but speculation of an "inevitable" rise to light-middleweight will be treated with particular interest.

Many see America as the real proving ground for elite fighters, and Brook has fought outside the United Kingdom on just two occasions, beating Luis Galarza and Shawn Porter in New Jersey and California, respectively.

Chris Carlson/Associated Press

Special K is still a long way off the unbeaten 49-0 record on which Mayweather chose to take his leave of boxing earlier this year, although many suppose Money will eventually make his return to the ring at some point.

That being said, Brook's rise through the sport's upper echelon is clear for all to see, with Hearn recently congratulating his star upon making The Ring's official pound-for-pound top 10:

Brook brings with him an undefeated 35-0 record to the Sheffield Arena next month, where it's thought Chaves could provide him the toughest test of his career to date.

Emerging from that bout with a victory would further vindicate Hearn's claims to welterweight superstardom, and Brook has himself told Sky Sports of the intent he holds to surpass Mayweather's record:

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It's brilliant to be recognised as one of the top 10 fighters in the world and the number one welterweight by Ring magazine.  

I have worked tirelessly over my career to reach the top, and I am now getting to where I want to be - but the journey is only really beginning for me as I want to be the best in the world.

Floyd's last fight on Saturday means that the door is open for someone to become boxing's new mega-star - and I want to be that man. 

His 49-0 record is incredible and he leaves a phenomenal legacy behind, but I believe I can reach that pinnacle and go past it.

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The old adage goes that to be the best, one has to beat the best. The stars aren't likely to align and give Brook any date against Mayweather should he indeed come back out of retirement, but the Briton is proving himself through other means.

WBA welterweight champion Keith Thurman is another figure cementing his place as a star of the division, and he recently told boxing reporter Michelle Joy Phelps a future fixture between him and Brook could be possible:

The passing of the torch is a necessary ceremony in sport, perhaps most obviously in the individual arena of boxing, which is in constant need of new attractions and figureheads to hold up its appeal.

The Matchroom team of Hearn and Brook clearly feel the Sheffield-born fighter is ready to emerge from the shade and become the man of the moment, with a substantial welterweight throne in desperate need of a successor.