Andre Dirrell drops Christopher Brooker three times for KO win!
Andre Dirrell (27-3, 17KOs) hasn’t quite lived up to lofty expectations following his stellar amateur career. He was thought to be a surefire world champion as a professional after claiming the Bronze medal in the 2004 Olympics in the middleweight division. The amateur standout now holds losses to Carl Froch, James DeGale and more recently Jose Uzcategui. Now 37 years old, the former Interim IBF super middleweight champion is gearing up for one last run.
Campaigning now at light heavyweight, he’ll take on Christopher Brooker (16-7, 6KOs) in a ten-round bout. Dirrell ranks #10 in the WBA light heavyweight rankings and is the overwhelming favorite. This will be his first fight since stopping Juan Ubaldo Cabrera in five rounds in December of 2019. Simply put: it’s now or never for Andre Dirrell!
Dirrell, a switch-hitter, opened the bout with Brooker in the southpaw stance. He would set the tempo shooting out a quick right jab that kept Brooker at bay. As the round progressed, Dirrell would throw a left hand that connected on the elbow of Brooker. In doing so, he appeared to hurt the hand. Although, that would not deter him from using it moving forward in the fight.
THREE KNOCKDOWNS DOES BROOKER IN!
When round three rolled around, it was clear that the Flint, Michigan native was well in a groove. He would come forward stalking his opponent, while firing off straight left hands to head with an occasional right hook to the body. Things would go from bad to worse for Brooker as he would really feel the power of Dirrell. A straight left followed by a left uppercut would send him down for the first time in the fight. Showing heart, he rose to his feet only to be dropped two more times. It was clear he was simply no match for Dirrell, who would claim the knockout victory.
All in all, it was a good showing for Dirrell, who was shaking off rust. He showed that he still has the speed, power and fundamentals to cause problems for his fellow fighters in the light heavyweight division. Will he really make noise in his new division? Only time will tell.
By: Jerrell Fletcher
