Chris Eubank Jr isn’t taking tonight’s fight seriously between WBO welterweight champion Terence Crawford (36-0, 27 KOs) and Kell Brook (39-2, 27 KOs), as he views the fight as a mismatch and little more than a warm-up for Terence.
Sadly, this is a massive step-up for Crawford from the opposition he’s been fighting since he moved up to welterweight in 2018. Crawford is 4-0 at 147, but his opposition has been pedestrian level opponents picked ut by his promoters at Top Rank.
Crawford has yet to fight his first good opponent at 147, and Brook, even though he’s been inactive, is a vast improvement over what the Nebraska native has been feasting on since 2008.
Eubank Jr. calls Brook a tune-up level opponent
“The fight, Kell Brook vs. Terence Crawford, it’s not a fight, is it?” said Chris Eubank Jr to IFL TV. “Crawford is pound-for-pound one of the top fighters in the world right now, and Kell Brook is not. In my opinion, it’s not a fight.
“I think it’s Crawford’s warm-up. It’s him dusting off the cobwebs before he goes and fights some of the young guns coming up.
They’re talking about Errol Spence. That’s a great fight. That’s the fight everyone wants to see, Spence against Crawford. I can see once they both get past their opponents, I can see that fight happening early next year.
It should be an awesome fight to watch. That’s [Brook] his [Crawford’s ] warm-up fight before the big one. Kell Brook isn’t active, and I’ve heard that he doesn’t live the life. So I’m not expecting much, but who knows? Anything can happen, I guess,” said Eubank Jr.
Brook might be as good as it gets for Crawford because he’s under contract with Top Rank through October 2021. While he’s still with Top Rank, it’s highly unlikely that he’ll fight any of the fighters signed with Premier Boxing Champions.
Top Rank promoter Bob Arum would like to match Crawford against Manny Pacquiao, but that remains to be seen whether that fight can happen. Leaving Top Rank might not change anything either. The top welterweights may be hesitant to fight Crawford if they don’t like their chances of winning.
Unless a fight with Crawford will bring the PBC welterweights big money, those guys aren’t likely going to fight him.
Crawford is in the same boat that Paul Williams was in many years ago. Williams was a talented fighter that couldn’t get fights against big names like Floyd Mayweather Jr and Pacquiao. He ended up moving to 154 to advance his career. Crawford won’t do that, but he may end up failing to get the opponents he wants even if he leaves Top Rank.
“Me personally, deep down inside, I do feel in my heart that I’m one of the best welterweights out right now,” said Crawford.
Right now, Terence is unproven, and he’s going to have to beat more than Brook for him to be viewed as the #1 fighter at 147.
