By Scott Gilfoid: Kell Brook (27-0, 18 KO’s) should forget all about his hopes of facing the new IBF welterweight champion Randall Bailey, because the chances are high that Brook won’t make it past his next opponent American Carson Jones (34-8-2, 24 KO’s) next month on July 7th at the Motorpoint Arena, Sheffield, Yorkshire, UK.

Everything that Brook does, Jones does it better. He’s got the better power, speed and most importantly, he’s got the longer arms. The reach is going to be a killer for Brook, because he’s not going to be able to get close enough to land his shots due to his short arms not being long enough to land his punches.

Jones, 25, breaks from the tradition from the mostly weak opposition that Brook has been feasting on for eight long years since turning pro. Boxing fans have been waiting many years for the day that Brook would finally face his first quality opponent and it’s hard to believe that day is about to arrive next month on July 7th, barring any kind of injury that delays or wipes out the fight. At this point, I’m not assuming anything until I see Brook in the ring with Jones. Even then, I’m still not counting on it until the fight goes past the 4th round and it can’t be ruled a no contest.

Jones has been wiping every opponent that’s been put in front of him for the past couple of years since losing a questionable 10 round split decision to Rogerio Pereira in September 2010. I saw that fight, and I had Jones winning by at least four rounds. But those things happen in the sport.

Brook was supposedly going to fight a big named opponent in his last fight. But instead of facing a star, he took on Matthew Hatton, and defeated him by a 12 round decision. Brook completely ran out of gas by the 8th round, and was fighting on fumes from the 9th round on. Had he been in with a quality opponent, Brook would have lost the fight.