Eastman's on guard for his tricky French test

Howard Eastman tonight defends his European middleweight championship having been warned that complacency could cost him a second shot at a world title.

The Londoner takes on veteran Frenchman Hassine Cherifi at the Norwich Sports Village aware that he must score an impressive win in order to remain in the mix after William Joppy and undisputed belt-holder Bernard Hopkins meet later this year. Eastman is the mandatory challenger for Hopkins's WBC title.

But the recent shock defeat of Scott Harrison, who lost his WBO featherweight crown to the experienced Manuel Medina, will serve as a reminder not to underestimate Cherifi.

The 35-year-old Frenchman, three years older than Eastman, is in the twilight of a career that peaked in 1998 when he won the WBC world championship. However, he is still the French national title holder and Mick Hennessy, Eastman's promoter, said: "A victory over a widely respected operator such as Cherifi will obviously help.

"That is not to say, though, that it is something we are taking for granted."