By William Mackay: In response to brisk ticket sales in the first week that the March 17th clash between undefeated welterweight contender Kell Brook (26-0, 18 KO’s) and Matthew Hatton, Brook’s promoter Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Sport will be opening the entire 13,500 seat Motorpoint Arena, Sheffield, Yorkshire, UK.

Hearn originally had the arena set for only 9000 fans tops, but after 5000 tickets were sold within days of the fight announcement, Hearn has decided to open the entire arena for the fight. If a fight between Brook and Hatton can bring in 13,500 fans that would be quite impressive, as Brook hasn’t been that big of a seller in that past. Having Hatton face him obviously helps a lot, even though isn’t that great of a fighter. He’s got his brother’s last name and that brings in the fans.

Brook, #2 WBO, is taking his time in working his way to a title shot. With any luck, he could finally face his first real opponent later on this year if he can get a title shot against the winner of the fight between Mike Jones and Randall Bailey for the vacant IBF welterweight title. Ideally, Brook should fight at least one quality fighter before gets to that fight because Hatton hardly counts as preparation for what Brook will be facing against either Jones or Bailey.

In Brook’s last fight against Luis Galarza last month on December 17th, Brook showed a weakness in blocking right hands. It didn’t cost him against Galarza because he was a flawed fighter specifically picked out to make Brook look good, but if Jones and/or Bailey are able to land straight right hands against Brook, we could see Brook being scooped up off the canvas with a spatula and taken out of the ring on a gurney. Brook needs to face someone that can get him ready for those fighters and Hatton is not the guy to do that.

Hatton is someone in the Michael Jennings class and that’s somebody Brook beat two years ago in 2010. Brook isn’t moving forward for some reason the way fighters normally are and is being held back by his promoters. He may be ranked high, but he’s still facing the same kind of weak opposition he was fighting years ago.