Tag: Kell Brook

The Case For Kell Brook

At times, boxing is a metaphor for life. When you get hit with a shot you don’t see coming, you either get up and fight or you are counted out. 

Back in 2014, Kell Brook (36-0 25 KO) was involved in an unprovoked attack while on vacation in Spain and was slashed over his left thigh with a machete. Brook lost blood at an alarming rate as the fear of death hit his subconscious. The rest is a blur as he
woke up in a hospital bed recovering from hours of surgery that required a blood transfusion and the closing of a wound that would require over fifty stitches and staples. 

At the time, the long term effects of the injury were unclear as well as if Brook would ever walk again, let alone fight. 

“I don’t know how much blood I lost but I was told it was a lot,” Brook said. “I couldn’t understand much but I heard ‘critical’, it was so scary. I was panicking, “Will I fight again? Will I walk again?” The doctors couldn’t say, but they were so calm”

After the incident, Brook completed six months of grueling rehab, training, and was back in the ring. Champions are built from a different cloth and are “Special” (One/K) as you will.

When Saturday’s fight against Gennady Golovkin (35-0 32 KO) was announced, social media was abuzz negatively regarding Brook as GGG’s next opponent. 

“He’s coming up a few weight classes?” “He’ll get murdered” “Why isn’t GGG fighting Canelo?” “Who’s Brek?” “Is that the guy who beat Porter?” Blah, blah, blah.

The man from Sheffield once dubbed “unbreakable” after his incredible resolve in the face of adversity stemming from the attack has more than a Rocky Balboa type of shot here.

We know what we’ll get from the man from Kazakhstan.  Golovkin will move forward stalking Brook, look to cut off the ring, work the body, throw brutal combinations, wear his opponent down and go for the kill.

The general consensus is that Brook is in over his head jumping north from welter to middle and fighting the twenty-two straight knockout destroyer in his first fight. The visonaries see Brook being able to last several rounds but only until the inevitable happens, another Golovkin KO.

There has been so much talk about what GGG will do, the skillset of Brook seems to be an afterthought.  Brook will present puzzles for Golovkin that will get him out of his comfort zone and challege him more than we have seen in some time.

In watching Golovkin fight after fight, a solid jab from his opponent seems to be the one thing that bothers him and his timing. Thing is, previous opponents were so scared of the artillery that they would get in return, they would lose focus and deviate from the game plan. It was kind of a fight within the fight and if you watched close enough, you could see it. In the end all that was remembered was the brutal KO that ended the fight.

Brook has an underated jab and combined with his speed, defense and ring I.Q., will present challanges for Golovkin. Brook is also very sneaky in throwing counter shots from the floor up through the middle. If there is one area that is open on Golovkin, it is the bottom of his chin. 

Using distance and touching Golovkin with straight quick shots,Brook will continue to keep him off balance and honest. 

In addition, Golovkin’s machismo “Mexican Style” has seen him offer his chin to his opponent and take a few shots just for the fun of it. He’d be wise not to employ this tactic with Brook. And, remember the Daniel Geale fight? Geale had actually landed a solid shot off of Golovkin’s forehead at the same time he was KO’d. Golovkin’s does have defensive and technical flaws at times and it will be Brook’s job to exploit them.

So much has been made of the weight jump and size but really Brook was a big welter and is pretty close in height and reach here.  Additonally, Brook has been able to train and eat without losing excessive weight and has actually been the heavier fighter in sanctioned mandated weigh – ins. So, will it be an issue or non-issue? We’ll find out on Saturday.

The mind of a fighter is one of their best weapons. Outside of Brook’s skills, his focus and confidence are some of the strongest seen in the game and he truly believes he will win this fight. 

Against an opponent like Golovkin there is no better mindset. Four years younger, more rounds of experience, and having been in close fights, could all come into play if the power of Golovkin is avoided. 

2016 has already seen five world titles won by UK pugilists, Anthony Joshua, Tony Bellew, Lee Haskins, Ricky Burns, and Carl Frampton.

Why not Brook, why not now? If it happens, there will be a big drama show at the O2 in London.
This article contributed to BTG. 

Amir Khan To Face Chris Algieri

Amir Khan announced via a YouTube video that his next opponent would most likely be Chris Algieri in a bout on May 30th possibly at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn,  New York. All that’s needed is Al Haymon’s blessing which is expected.

Said Khan, ‘You can class him as an A-class opponent.’He has fought decent opponents, beaten decent opponents, and just fell short against Manny Pacquiao, which is an A star opponent.’He’s a decent boxer overall. He knows how to box and knows how to move well. He takes a decent amount of shots and he’s got a decent amount of power, so I think overall it’s going to be a good fight for me.”

It was probably too soon for a Kell Brook fight so hopefully that will be next for both later this summer or in the fall.

Algieri who has not fougt since his blowout loss to Manny Pacquiao last November recently began working with John David Jackson who has been busy with WBA, IBF, and WBO light heavyweight slugger Sergey Kovalev.  The addition of Jackson is interesting and after the Pacquiao fiasco, a needed one.

Brace yourself for the”uncaged” jokes commencing in 5, 4, 3,…….

Brook A Shining Light In First Defense Of Title

image

Showtime Boxing International is a new series on Showtime promising to “Bring you fights’ from around the world, shining the spotlight on international fighters”

The spotlight couldn’t have shined any brighter on IBF welterweight champion Kell Brook (34-0 23 KO) on Saturday from the Motorpoint Arena in Sheffield, England as the hometown hero didn’t disappoint making a successful first defense of his belt by stopping Jo Jo Dan (34-3 18 KO) by TKO at the end of round four.

Dan was the IBF #1 ranked mandatory challenger but from the opening bell, Brook made him look like a lesser opponent.

Brook dominated round one by establishing his straight right hand followed by left hooks. The straight right would bekey throughout the night. Dan, a southpaw, appeared a little off balance with his orthodox counterpart. He moved forward at times but Brook’s speed kept him honest.

Dan began round two by trying to close the distance but Brook landed a straight right which wobbled Dan.  Seeing that Dan was visibly shaken by the shot, Brook attacked and dropped Dan with a right uppercut. Dan was up and took a quick count. As the fight continued, Brook attacked again and dropped Dan again with a straight right. Dan is able to beat the count but is wobbly on his feet as he becomes target practice for the rest of the round but shows his mettle and makes it to the bell.

The third was a sloppy round as Dan lunged forward to try and smoother Brook, his legs visibly gone. Brook has another big round landing just about everything he throws.

Dan lands his best punch of the fight in the fourth round, a left hand, it has little effect causing Brook to unload a flurry of punches the last, a glancing blow off the top of Dan’s head which drops him again. Dan is up again and Brook attacks Dan to the bell and lands a huge left hook just as the bell sounds depositing Dan on the canvas.

Dan gets up, takes the mandatory eight count, and returns to his corner. In between rounds, Dan’s corner has seen enough and stops the fight.

A dominant performance for the new champion in his first title defense against a very tough opponent who had never been stopped.

“What a heart, I caught him with some good clean shots, he kept getting back up” said Brook

Continued Brook, “I’ve been out for a while with the leg,…… there’s much more to come from me, that was just to knock cobwebs off, I’m going to be back in June in a massive fight, I’m back.”

When asked who he would want to face next, Brook mentions “(Amir) Khan, (Juan Manuel) Marquez, and Brandon Rios” Promoter Eddie Hearn was then asked about future opponents, “There’s a little venue (Wembley Stadium) available on June 13, if Amir Khan’s watching, give everyone what they want. It’s for the biggest payday; it’s for a world title, who wants to see Brook vs. Khan?

Brook was asked if he had a message for Amir Khan, “If you’re watching, come on, get in here with me, I know you’re delicate around your whiskers, I’ll take you out”

Brook did what a champion is supposed to do to the number one threat to his title, dominate him decisively. Brook looked amazing considering he was lying in a hospital bed six months ago unsure of his future.

“I didn’t think I’d ever walk again, let alone box again, and here I am defending my world title in style, I’ve been given a second chance, the best is yet to come”

Brook’s “Special One” moniker has taken on a whole new meaning over the past seven months.

Kell Brook-Jo Jo Dan Preview

Unbreak

Kicking things off on Showtime on Saturday at 6:15 p.m. ET from the Motorpoint Arena in Sheffield, England will be hometown hero and IBF welterweight champion Kell Brook (33-0 22) making the first defense of his strap against Romanian born Canadian Jo Jo Dan (34-2 18 KO). This bout will be shown live in the US and is part of Showtime Boxing International.

Last August, Kell Brook was on top of the world after a masterful performance in defeating Shawn Porter by majority decision and taking his IBF welterweight title. Less than a month later the new titlist would be fighting again, albeit this time in a hospital, not in a ring.

Brook was involved in an unprovoked attack while on vacation in Tenerife, Spain and was slashed over his left thigh with a machete. Brook lost blood at an alarming rate as the fear of death hit his subconscious. The rest is a blur as he woke up in a hospital bed recovering from hours of surgery that required a blood transfusion and the closing of the wound with over fifty stitches and staples.

“I don’t know how much blood I lost but I was told it was a lot,” Brook said. “I couldn’t understand much but I heard ‘critical’, it was so scary. I was panicking, “Will I fight again? Will I walk again?” The doctors couldn’t say, but they were so calm”

A traumatic event such as that would delay most from continuing on their journey but not “Special K”, a champion is built of a different cloth.  After months of rehabilitation with no lingering effects, the champion is ready to fulfill his role.

“After everything that’s happened over the last six months, it feels incredible knowing I will be defending my world title in Sheffield. I’m not looking past Jo Jo. I know he will bring the heat, but I want to get this mandatory defense done and then target those mega fights that are out there in the division.”

Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn spoke about Brook’s return,

“March 28 will be an emotional night for Kell and the team; I remember being by his bedside in September in a Spanish hospital after that horrific knife attack, it looked like his career was over. He has shown incredible physical and mental strength and looks better than ever in camp. Fans on Showtime will get to see, in my opinion, the best 147-pounder in the world light up a 10,000 sell-out arena on March 28.”

Born Ionut Dan Ion, but using the ring name and alias Jo Jo Dan, is a southpaw who comes into this shot at the title on the strength of five straight wins which included two wins over Kevin Bizier, one of which was his last fight a split decision last December. His only two losses have been to the Turkish Warrior, Selcuk Aydin, one by split decision and one by unanimous decision although that fight was also very close on the cards.

Dan is confident in his chances against Brook,

“Kell has not fought anyone like me, I believe in myself and I don’t think he can bring anything I can’t deal with on fight night. I saw his last fight where he won the world title and it was a great performance, but I just let my team study him in depth and come up with a winning strategy.

“I have waited a long time to get a world title shot, so I am determined to take advantage of this opportunity. My prediction for the fight is simple — Jo Jo Dan becomes the new IBF welterweight world champion.”

This fight should be a chess match early as both fighters adapt to the other’s speed and style. Dan will move forward aggressively as he has shown in the past but can also box and mixes up his punches nicely when needed. Dan tends to reach with some of his shots and his defense in not always tight so he will have to be wary of Brook’s speed.

This will be Brook’s first test in an actual fight after the leg injury. His sparring and training have gone extremely well but the true test will come here in this “real world” scenario. Dan is an active fighter who will pressure Brook but his aggressiveness may be his undoing. Brook is an excellent counter puncher and his movement and feints should provide openings for those counters. Brook’s ring IQ is solid and he will look to execute all of the best practices for success when an orthodox fighter faces a southpaw. He hasn’t faced one in several years but has beaten multiple southpaws in his career all by stoppage.

This fight is billed as “UnbreaKable” a reference to Brook’s resolve after what could have had a fatal outcome. Brook understands that he was given a second chance and has a great desire to not only defend his title here but to move forward and possibly face the winner of another “high profile” welterweight matchup occurring on May 2.

Wherever his journey takes him, one thing’s for sure, he’s already won no matter what life throws at him.

Portions of this article contributed to BTG.

Snippets On Arguably The Hottest Topics In The Sweet Science This Week

gossip

Making The Most Of Your Opportunities

As the old adage goes, “Good things come to those who wait”; that could not have been truer for Kell Brook last night when he defeated Shawn Porter by majority decision and captured Porter’s IBF welterweight belt. Brook “almost” had opportunities in the past when he was scheduled to face then champion Devon Alexander a few times, but injuries cancelled the bouts. Porter ultimately was provided the title shot and defeated Alexander to capture the title thus eventually setting up the fight with Brook. Brook showed just how “Special” he is by boxing beautifully and countering Porter throughout the fight. Porter rushed Brook consistently throughout the fight and although he landed clean scoring punches from time to time, he missed more than he connected. Brook’s game plan was executed exceptionally well as he looked to use Porter’s aggressiveness against him by looking for openings in Porter’s guard. I hope Brook gives his team a bonus; they earned it with the game plan. Brook landed several solid shots during the course of the fight that seemed to surprise Porter. Although Porter stayed aggressive until the final bell, you could see the frustration on his face get more evident as each round passed. Brook did hold in an attempt to slow Porter and much has been said about that affecting the outcome of the fight. Yes, he did strategically hold when needed and it probably warranted at least a warning but that shouldn’t take away from the victory or Brook’s performance.

Keep Calm And Box On

Most impressive about Brook’s victory over Porter was his composure. Porter was rushing him with Tyson like aggression only to see Brook simply counter him, induce a clinch, or use excellent lateral movement to escape. He finally got his chance for a shot at the title and he did not let his nerves get the better of him.

Do We Have To Complain About Every Decision Now?

Ok, I know that there have been bad decisions in boxing and when the injustice occurs it’s appropriate to question the thought process of the adjudicator but the Brook vs. Porter decision was not one of those times. The decision and victory to Brook seemed to be blasted on social media and in some boxing circles. Sorry to disagree folks, they got it right.

Effective aggressiveness- Edge Brook (Before you argue this one, look up the definition of effective)
Ring Generalship- Edge Brook
Clean Effective Punching- Edge Brook
Defense- Edge Brook
Bottom line is Brook won this fight and was awarded the victory. It’s ok for the rightful winner to leave with belt, that’s how it’s supposed to work.

The Dog Bites The Scorpion

Anthony Dirrell defeated Sakio Bika to win the WBC super middleweight title in a highly anticipated rematch. Dirrell tried to take Bika’s title last December when the combatants fought to a draw in a foul filled affair. On Saturday night, a lot of the rough housing continued but mostly by Bika. Dirrell stayed composed and landed more punches, power shots, and jabs in route to a unanimous decision win. Both men had about eight months to watch the film and adjust their game plans. It was obvious that Dirrell was the better student and did his homework. Maybe the Dog ate Bika’s homework??

Moving On Up

140 will be getting a new resident. Omar Figueroa is on his way. Figueroa retained his WBC lightweight title with a ninth round TKO over Daniel Estrada but is now ready to move up to 140. We will be learning a lot about Figueroa at 140, it’s an awfully competitive division.

Roll Tide

Another Deontay Wilder fight, another knockout. Jason Gavern was the recipient this time around. This fight was exactly what it was supposed to be, a chance for The Bronze Bomber to get some work in while he awaits a chance to fight Bermane Stiverne for Stiverne’s WBC title. I think I preferred his beat down of the internet troll over this one.

Snippets On Arguably The Hottest Topics In The Sweet Science This Week

gossip

A Swift Return And Exit
Danny Garcia returned to the ring on Saturday night from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York and did what he was supposed to do, make quick work of opponent Rod Salka. Garcia knocked Salka silly by second round knockout by way of his money maker, the left hook. Not a whole lot can be made of the victory. “The Lighting Rod” was rated so poorly by the alphabet soup that the fight was not sanctioned, thus not putting Garcia’s WBC and WBA belts on the line. Even though Garcia wasn’t fighting a serious threat, he looked sharp and extremely quick. Prior to this fight, his last eight opponents were or had been former title holders. That is quite a run of top level competition so it’s not inexcusable to cut “Swift” a break here for choice of opponent. That said, his next defense better be against a legitimate threat (insert Lamont Peterson here) or his strong run will be for naught. Even with the victory, he moves down one on the Standing 8 P4P List.

Doctor’s Orders
Like Garcia, Lamont Peterson also did what was expected of him by thoroughly defeating 35 year old Edgar Santana by tenth round TKO. Peterson looked in top form using all phases of the sweet science in out landing Santana 281-94 in total punches. He worked the body like a madman recalling memories of Mike McCallum. Peterson dominated so thoroughly that the ringside doctor stopped the fight in the tenth, he had seen enough. A Peterson Garcia matchup would be a purist’s dream. This would be a matchup on the highest of levels. A boxing match that would see each fighter look to land their power shots. Let’s hope it’s made next.

Live Strong
Danny Jacobs kicked cancer in its ass. “The Miracle Man” has been an inspiration to many during his journey, but Saturday night he took it to another level when he defeated Jarrod Fletcher by fifth round TKO and captured the vacant WBA middleweight title. He is absolutely one of the nicest guys in the sport and a champion for a cause that is bigger than the sport.

Game On!
The bout between Tyson Fury and Dereck Chisora is back on and scheduled for November 22 in London. Previously, they were set to meet on July 26 in Manchester, England but Chisora injured his left hand and had to pull out of the fight. This fight is a rematch of their July 2011 bout which saw Fury decision Chisora and give him his first loss. These two have had an entertaining war of words going on for a few years, so let’s just hope that it carries over into the ring.

Follow Me Into The Thunder(Dome)
The StubHub Center, or as I like to affectionately refer to as The Thunderdome, is known for classic slugfests and fights of the year candidates, most recently the Robert Guerrero vs. Yoshihiro Kamegai battle and April’s Lucas Matthysse vs. John Molina Jr. respectively. It should be no different this Saturday when the venue form Carson, California will be rocking once again with excellent matchups and intriguing story lines.
This card is ABSOLUTELY STACKED!!! Shawn Porter will be facing Kell Brook for Porter’s IBF welterweight title, an intriguing matchup that will not disappoint. The co-feature is a rematch between Sakio Bika and Anthony Dirrell who fought to a draw last December. If those two fights don’t get pumped, then add in Omar Figueroa vs. Daniel Estrada for Figueroa’s belt. WOW. Oh, and just for good measure, Deontay Wilder will be on the card to face an opponent not yet named but rumored to be Jason Gavern.