Seat of Disappointment: Kell Brook

Seat of Disappointment: Kell Brook

It is hard to consume defeat, even the loss incurred in placing a bet on the losing fighter, in this case Kell Brook. However such loss is trivial in comparison to the path a boxer is forced to travel in digesting a loss.

Like many of you I found myself engaged throughout the bout and the various turns it took in its making. My immediate reaction was one of anger and frustration in what I perceived as a fighter walk away from a bout; a fight where he displayed his brilliance and imposed himself on the rising star in Errol Spence. There is no doubt that Spence is worth every credit that has been afforded to him both before their bout and in the aftermath of supreme victory.

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Kell Brook’s courage in taking a knee against Spence was exemplary

Kell Brook's courage in taking a knee against Spence was exemplary

The criticism levelled at Kell Brook in the wake of his 11th round KO defeat to Errol Spence is a stark reminder that boxing is and always has been a sport of extremes, wherein the very best and the very worst of human nature is exposed. Courage, respect, resilience, and skill is offset in boxing by cowardice, venality, brutality, and cruelty. Typically the former are expressed inside the ring on the part of the fighters, while the latter is the domain of the sport’s fans and spectators, many of whom take the opportunity, when watching a fight, to give expression to their own lack of achievements, happiness, or self respect by taking delight in misfortune to befall a given fighter whose only crime is to have dedicated his life to the hardest sport there is and achieve a level of fame, success, and admiration conversant with that dedication.

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Amir Khan-Kell Brook: Still a great fight? Still 50/50?

Amir Khan-Kell Brook: Still a great fight? Still 50/50?

Was it just me, or was Amir Khan struggling, at least a little bit, to hide the glee, the sense of satisfaction he had on Saturday night, when his long-time verbal tormentor/possible ring rival Kell Brook was badly beaten by Errol Spence Junior?

Khan, along with Tony Bellew (who also provided punditry duties for Sky Sports Box-Office) was critical of Brook’s decision to “quit” against the unbeaten, sizzling southpaw; the knee Brook opted to take in that 11th round, his eye in pain, his sight almost gone, being pretty much vilified by both fighters. Debate has raged since Saturday’s great fight: is Brook a quitter, or was he doing what anyone else with such a nasty, potentially life-changing injury would have done in the heat of battle (heat, we must remember, no armchair critic has ever come anywhere close to experiencing)?

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The Truth hurts: Should Kell Brook really be called a quitter?

The Truth hurts: Should Kell Brook really be called a quitter?

It’s one of the harshest insults that can be thrown at a fighter: that of him being a quitter. Though every fighter who steps into the ring deserves immense respect, it is still considered a let down, unforgivable even, if a hero, a fighter fans have paid money to see go to war, quits during the action.

Right now, former IBF welterweight champ Kell Brook is on the receiving end, with many fans, and fellow fighters, hurling the quitter tag at him. Brook, badly busted up around the left eye, opted to take a knee in the 11th round of his thrilling fight with new king Errol Spence Junior, and though Brook says he simply could not see in that torrid round, there seem to be few people willing to cut him much slack.

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Errol Spence TKOs Kell Brook

Errol Spence TKOs Kell Brook

Undefeated welterweight Errol Spence Jr. dethroned defending champion Kell Brook and won the IBF Welterweight World Championship with an 11th round TKO (1:47) in the main event of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING Saturday in front of 27,000 raucous fans at Bramall Lane in Sheffield, England.

Spence, (22-0, 19 KOs), who with this victory became the first American to dethrone an Englishman on British soil in nearly a decade, executed a brilliant game plan to strip Brook, (31-2, 25 KOs), of his belt before his hometown crowd.

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Results: Brook QUITS! Spence wins

Results: Brook QUITS! Spence wins

Errol Spence Jr. (22-0, 19 KOs) put in a workmanlike performance in wearing down Kell “Special K” Brook (36-2, 25 KOs) in stopping him in the 11th round to take his IBF welterweight title from him at Bramall Lane in Sheffield, England. Brook quit on in the 11th after taking knee for the second time in the fight.

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See them fight: Brook vs Spence

See them fight: Brook vs Spence

A fight dawns on us, both men continue to fight to prove their worth. Brook and Spence are both in the bright spotlights engaging in what may be the most exciting bout of the year.

I have spent much time, analysing Kell Brook and the contribution he brings to the fighting art. I have often sat in his corner a detractor, aligning with the belief that the Special One was not as remarkable as his more charismaticrivals. Kell Brook has heart; he stepped into the ring against one of boxing most feared executers, Gennady Gennadyevich Golovkin. I do not think many analysts gave Brook a great chance against the lethal GGG. However what I witnessed in the second round of their contest had me redefining my stance. To see the smaller Brook dishing out punishment to GGG that I have rarely seen him have to absorb. Brook lost the bout, but in that bout he proved so much; He has a remarkable jaw, in round five he swallowed some GGG laced bombs in such a manner that we have not seen any other stand up to.

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Amir Khan: I hope Kell Brook can win tonight; we could meet at Wembley

Amir Khan: I hope Kell Brook can win tonight; we could meet at Wembley

Amir Khan has arrived in Sheffield, a guest pundit for Sky Sports, and the former 140 pound king has said he gives a slight edge to his countryman and possible future rival Kell Brook over Errol Spence Junior. Khan, when asked who he wanted to win tonight, answered Brook.

Khan said he sees Brook winning “a very tough fight,” and that if he does so, he could then fight the IBF welterweight champ in what would be a huge British super-fight. But does Khan really, truly want to fight Brook? This question has been asked now for a few years, and still we have no definitive answer. Brook definitely wants the fight, calling “Queen” Khan out so many times as he has done. But for whatever reason or reasons, Khan has not agreed to terms and signed on for the fight.

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Hearn wants Brook-Khan after Spence fight

Hearn wants Brook-Khan after Spence fight

British promoter Eddie Hearn appears to be counting his chicks before they’ve hatched with him talking up a much hoped for fight between his fighter IBF welterweight champion Kell “Special K” Brook (36-1, 25 KOs) and former light welterweight champion Amir “King” Khan (31-4, 19 KOs) for later this year in the UK if Brook can get past mandatory challenger Errol “The Truth” Spence Jr. (21-0, 18 KOs) tonight in their fight at Bramall Lane in Sheffield, England.

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Spence: I can knockout Brook in front of his own fans

Spence: I can knockout Brook in front of his own fans

Errol Spence’s overall goal on Saturday night is to knockout IBF welterweight champion Kell “Special K” Brook (36-1, 25 KOs) in front of his own British fans at Bramall Lane in Sheffield, England. Spence, 27, doesn’t want to beat Brook in front of his fans just to be mean-spirited. He wants to beat the 31-year-old Brook so that he can take his boxing fans and add him to his own collection of fans.

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