It’s one of the hottest fights between young and gifted welterweights and it could happen in the UK in the first quarter of next year. It’s a Kell Brook-Errol Spence Jnr fight, with IBF ruler Brook defending against mandatory contender Spence. And Brook says he will send the unbeaten Spence home “with his tail between his legs” with a successful defence.
Kell Brook
Brook: “I Won’t Give Up My World Title”
Kell Brook says he won’t give up his IBF World Welterweight title and is plotting huge unification bouts for 2017.
The Sheffield star is back in the gym following a minor operation on the damaged eye socket he suffered in his epic showdown with Middleweight king Gennady Golovkin in London in September.
The 30 year old landed the IBF crown with a superb win over Shawn Porter in California in August 2014 before clinical stoppage wins in defences over Jo Jo Dan, Frankie Gavin and Kevin Bizier before stepping up two weights to take on ‘Triple G’.
Hearn has “reached out” to Arum regarding Brook-Pacquiao fight; suggests Brook will stay at 147
It seems Kell Brook will remain at welterweight, where he of course holds the IBF crown. It had been assumed by many that Brook would vacate his welterweight belt having bulked up to middleweight for his unsuccessful challenge of world champ Gennady Golovkin in September. Brook himself said many times how he felt so much stronger as a 160-pounder, having avoided “killing myself” to make 147.
But now, promoter Eddie Hearn has revealed how he has “reached out” to Top Rank head Bob Arum with regards to a possible Brook-Manny Pacquiao unification fight. Hearn, in speaking with The Daily Mail, also mentioned Brook’s mandatory challenger, Errol Spence Jnr.
Khan says Garcia is “trying to run from me,” wants revenge rematch before Brook clash
Amir Khan says the most important fight to him right now is a return meeting with Danny Garcia. WBC welterweight champ Garcia – who faces big underdog Samuel Vargas on Saturday night in Philadelphia and is set to meet WBA welterweight champ Keith Thurman in a big unification showdown in March of next year – shocked Khan when they fought down at 140 in 2012.
Since suffering the 4th-round stoppage loss, Khan has craved a shot at revenge. Right now, even though preliminary talks between Khan and British rival Kell Brook have begun, Khan says he would put that fight on the back-burner in favor of a shot at revenge against Garcia. Khan says “Swift” is trying his best to avoid a rematch with him.
Kell Brook: If the Amir Khan fight is nailed and all signed, that’s when you’ll see me back at 147
Sometimes a possible big fight that proves to take a long time getting made runs the risk of passing its sell-by date. Fans will only remain interested in a certain match-up for so long. Right now, the all-British showdown that is Amir Khan-Kell Brook still interests fans, in Britain especially, but if it doesn’t happen soon – say by next summer at the latest – both fighters will be running the risk of alienating the fans.
Maybe it’s too late already, and fans have cooled on the welterweight fight? But both fighters are still talking about it happening.
Kell Brook says his weight “has settled down,” “ I could still make welterweight;” eyes possible fights with Spence, Pacquiao, Khan
Kell Brook is still the reigning IBF welterweight champion and he has until February 24 of next year to decide if he wants to defend that title against mandatory challenger Errol Spence Jnr or move up to 154. As fans know, Brook bulked up for a middleweight title challenge of Gennady Golovkin in September, and the Sheffield fighter says he now craves further massive fights.
But will these come at 147 or at 154? Brook says the broken eye socket he suffered at the damaging hands of GGG is now “healing well,” and that his weight has “settled down.” Still, Brook is not yet sure if his future lies at welter or junior-middle. However, Brook told ESPN.com that he is very much interested in facing the likes of Manny Pacquiao (who Brook expects to beat Jessie Vargas this Saturday, via points verdict) Amir Khan, Spence and the Danny Garcia-Keith Thurman winner – so maybe Brook will look to try to hold onto that IBF belt.
Amir Khan says he has “about five fights left,” wants Garcia or Brook in UK summer showdown
British star Amir Khan once said he would retire at age 30. The former 140-pound king hits 30 this December, yet Khan has plenty of big plans for next year. Speaking with ESPN.com, Khan said he feels he has “about five fights left,” and that he will look to return to action next summer. Khan will have been out of action for over a year by next May – last fighting on May 7 of this year when he was brutally KO’d by the much bigger Canelo Alvarez – but he says he wants a big showdown with either Danny Garcia or Kell Brook next summer. And Khan wants his return to take place in the UK.
Liam Smith and Kell Brook could meet as they attempt to come back from stoppage defeats
Kell Brook lost in a brave and exciting attempt at taking middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin’s belts. Liam Smith lost in a brave and exciting attempt at defending his super-welterweight title against Canelo Alvarez. Now, as both fighters attempt to bounce back after losing their unbeaten records, word is the two warriors who enhanced their reputations in defeat could meet each other in what would be a British super-fight.
Brook, who is still healing after taking considerable punishment from GGG just over a week ago, said post-fight that be feels his future is at 154, while Smith, who suffered cuts and an injured jaw in his battle with the Mexican superstar who pulled in an astonishing 50,000 fans, will also need time to recover before he can box again. But as a comeback fight, Brook-Smith would certainly prove an attractive fight to fans of both men. It would be a risky fight no doubt, but both Brook and Smith have proven they are more than willing to take risks in order to become great fighters.
Hearn on Kell Brook’s future: We want to go straight into a big one – Canelo, Khan, Cotto the targets
Promoter Eddie Hearn still has high hopes for Kell Brook. In fact, far from being at all diluted by Brook’s ultra-brave loss to middleweight king Gennady Golovkin, Hearn says the future is bright, very bright for the Sheffield fighter. The step up to middleweight was an audacious gamble which never paid off, with a win, anyway – but the sizzling action got Brook noticed by HBO in a big way and there are more massive fights out there for the 30-year-old; winnable fights.
Hearn, in writing for The Daily Mail, said how the plan for after Brook’s smashed eye socket has healed, is to “go straight into a big one.” The promoter listed three names that are very much in the cross-hares: Canelo Alvarez, Amir Khan and Miguel Cotto. Either fight would be big, the Khan fight more so in the UK, and what’s more, you would have to be a fool to give Brook anything less than a decent chance at worst of winning either match-up.
Golovkin-Brook ratings results
Boxing Superstar and Unified Middleweight World Champion Gennady “GGG” Golovkin’s, (36-0, 33KO’s), fifth round stoppage of previously undefeated UK Superstar, “The Special One” Kell Brook, (36-1, 25KO’s) was viewed by a combined 1,436,000 viewers on HBO World Championship Boxing this past Saturday, September 10, marking it as the most watched HBO boxing event in 2016 and the highest rated HBO international boxing telecast in many years viewed live by 843,000 fans and same-day rebroadcast by 593,000 viewers.
The thrilling victory by Golovkin was also viewed live on TV Azteca by 1,560,000 viewers in Mexico on Saturday afternoon. Golovkin’s fights are broadcast in over 100 countries which all reported strong viewership numbers for this event.