Kell Brook amped for a shot at redemption
When it comes to former world champion Kell “Special K” Brook (39-2, 27 KO’s), there is no doubt he is pumped for his next bout. On November 14, he will get a shot at WBO world welterweight champion Terence “Bud” Crawford (36-0, 27 KO’s) on ESPN. Most boxing fans give Brook the same odds of beating Crawford as an ice-cream sandwich surviving 30 minutes in a hot oven. The majority of this doubt stems from his previous ring wars, the battle damage sustained and his recent lackluster competition.
Thankfully for Special K, he is using all the vitriolic forecasts as motivation for his training. The Yorkshire pugilist is eager show the boxing world that he is far from done. He has taken to his social media numerous times during camp just to state that fact. Yet, no matter how positive Brook is, he does have quite a mountain to climb.
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REDEMPTION AROUND THE CORNER?
Optimism alone cannot correct the residual damage from his two broken orbital bones. The first was fractured by IBF and IBO world middleweight champion Gennady “GGG” Golovkin (40-1-1, 35 KO’s) back in 2016. Then in his very next prizefight, Errol “The Truth” Spence Jr (26-0, 21 KO’s) fractured the other one. Also, it is a very well-known fact that Brook is an extremely big welterweight. With that being the case, smart money would bet on him having a tough time making weight. Not to mention that Special K has not fought top competition since Spence busted him up three plus years ago.
In Brooks favor however, is the realization that he is a talented fighter. During the first half of his dust-up with Golovkin, Special K was giving GGG all that he could handle. In fact, during the first few rounds many believed that perhaps an upset in the making was brewing. However, as the fight wore on, Golovkin’s size and power steered Brook right into a brick wall of defeat. He was also making a good account of himself against Spence until his face failed him.
It should also be mentioned that Crawford is typically a slow starter. Beyond that, the WBO champion has been caught and buzzed in several of his fights. Therefore, it is not outrageous to believe that if Brook catches Bud early, and still cold, he might be able to shock the world. Granted this is a big ‘if,’ but Brook does have a fair amount of pop in his punches.
So, the question is, can Brook force-feed Bud that chocolate brownie he is always talking about? Or will he leave the ring with another loss and more busted bones? Tune in November 14 to find out!
By: Bakari Simpson
