Kell Brook must chase the American Dream

By Robbie Bannatyne - 02/06/2016 - Comments

brook9By Robbie Bannatyne: While most people were shocked and surprised by the bombshell that Amir Khan will fight Canelo Alvarez on May 7, Kell Brook would have been just plain seething.

I would not have liked to have been in the same room as Brook when news broke that his big plans for a blockbuster summer showdown with his British rival were up in smoke. Sure, it must be a bitter pill to swallow but Brook has to forget about the domestic dust up with Khan and chase the American Dream instead.

Brook has already plucked the feathers of one of America’s most fierce some welterweights in Shawn Porter, and he must look to repeat the trick against one of the other champions across the pond this year.

Expect newly crowned WBC champion Danny Garcia to ease his way gently into the welterweight division before targeting the other champions in 2017. If WBO champion Tim Bradley were to upset the odds and overcome Manny Pacquiao on April, that would pave the way for Brook unification clash. But you would probably get shorter odds on me shacking up with Rihanna than a Bradley victory over Pac-man. And you certainly wouldn’t bet money on Manny Pacquiao being too hot on the idea of locking horns with Brook.

Therefore the most viable unification opportunity in 2016 would be the winner of Keith Thurman vs Shawn Porter, valid for the WBA title. Brook should focus his attentions on the victor of that contest as both men have been vocal in their desire that Brook would make a great dancing partner.

If Porter pulls it out of the bag, the narrative of revenge rematch with Brook is already written and would sell well on both sides of the Atlantic. Should Keith Thurman prevail, as I expect him to, then ‘Someones 0 has got to Go’ has a fascinating ring to it for a potential Brook vs Thurman unification fight.

Of course Eddie Hearn, Sky Sports and Brook himself would ideally love these big fights to materialize on home turf. But the reality is that Brook will have to travel across the Atlantic for the truly transcending fights that he craves at this stage of his career. British boxing has come on leaps and bounds in the last few years but the axis of power in prizefighting still lies with America, especially outside of the squared circle.

YouTube video

The dynamics of the situation are clear: unless Kell Brook is fighting a big name domestic opponent such as an Amir Khan, then he must fight in America to make his dreams of unification fights a reality. pay-per-view fights featuring American fighters seldom occur anywhere other than the US as the American audience demands to be entertained during prime time hours.

So even in the unlikely event that Kell Brook was able to entice one of the other champions over to enemy territory, the prohibitive time difference between America and Britain would seriously dilute the viewing figures in the US. As far as boxing broadcasters in the States are concerned, that is just bad for business. Therefore Eddie Hearn and Sky Sports will have to bend to the whims of the likes of HBO and Showtime when they crack the whip.

Until Kell Brook brings home the head of another American champion, he must stop running after domestic glory and chase the American Dream.

Fight Fans: I look forward to reading your thoughts
Follow me on Twitter: @F1ghtingTalk
Find me on: https://robbiebannatyne89.wordpress.com



Comments are closed.