Big fight brings Brook in from the cold
KELL BROOK admits he fell out of love with boxing during two years in the wilderness but says Saturday’s clash with Gennady Golovkin will provide a chance to write his name in the history books.
It is 24 months since Brook beat Shawn Porter for the IBF welterweight title but, after recovering from a machete attack in Tenerife just days after the victory, the Sheffield man has had to endure a mundane spell.
It has included three knock-out victories but none of Jo Jo Dan, Frankie Gavin or Kevin Bizier were able to deliver Brook the big fight that he has craved.
Meanwhile, his bitter rival Amir Khan landed a clash with boxing’s No1 attraction Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez in May, while he has been inactive since March.
The tables, however, have turned. Khan was knocked out by the Mexican and now Brook has secured a shot at glory — in the middleweight division — when he takes on WBA, WBC and IBF champion Golovkin at London’s 02 Arena.
‘Did I fall out of love with boxing? A little bit,’ Brook said. ‘When I found out Khan was fighting Canelo instead of me I just thought: “Oh well”.
‘Now we’ve got this massive fight that I’ve always wanted. This fight silences everyone. Nobody believed that I would take this fight.
‘I’m not just fighting a champion but the unified middleweight champion. I’m taking on the best fighter in the world.’