Hearn: It’s time for Kell Brook to establish himself as the next big star at 147

By Boxing News - 08/14/2014 - Comments

Shawn Porter and Kell Brook(Photo credit: Esther Lin/Showtime) By Scott Gilfoid: Matchroom Sport promoter Eddie Hearn says that #1 IBF Kell Brook (32-0, 22 KOs) is ready to unveil himself as the next star in the 147 pound division by beating IIBF welterweight champion Shawn Porter (24-0-1, 15 KOs) this Saturday night at the StubHub Center in Carson, California.

Hearn is hoping that Brook will capture the IBF title and strike gold for him so that he can match him against Amir Khan and some of the other fighters in the 147 pound division. Brook his eyes on fighting Khan, Floyd Mayweather Jr and Manny Pacquiao. He believes those fights are possible for him if he gets past Porter.

“It’s time for Kell Brook to establish himself as the next big star in the welterweight division,” Hearn said at the final press conference earlier today.

It’s going to be tough for Brook if he loses this fight, because him and Hearn will have a long flight back to the UK and I imagine it won’t be a happy occasion. Brook will have all that time to think about the loss and go over it in his head about what he could have or should have done.

If Brook gets wiped out by Porter, it’ll be especially bad for him because it would be tough to see anything positive in the defeat. It would be one of those situations where Brook simply wasn’t good enough.

Porter said “On Saturday night I’m going to make sure you know what time it is. I’m ready mental, physically & I’m in the best shape of my life.

Porter didn’t looked weight drained during the final press conference, so you have to see that as a positive. He’ll likely rehydrate up to close to 160 by the time they step inside the ring, but he didn’t appear overly thin today. Neither did Brook for that matter. He just seemed kind of nervous for some reason, as if the magnitude of the moment is finally hitting him.

Brook has spent 10 years facing largely 2nd and 3rd tier opposition. Fighting Porter is a huge, huge step up for Brook, and it’s obviously going to take some adjustment once he gets in the ring and realizes how talented Porter is compared to the guys Brook has been feasting on for the past 10 years.

De La Hoya said “Shawn Porter is like a chameleon, he can adjust to anything. Porter is a real throw-back fighter. What he did to Paulie Malignaggi, no one had done.”

De La Hoya is right about the Porter-Malignaggi fight. No one had ever battered and beaten Malignaggi before during his long career. He was no match at all for Porter despite having a fairly decent first round. The fight turned into a route in the 2nd and got steadily worse until Porter put Malignaggi out of his misery in the 4th.

Brook said “I’m ready for sat night. It’s always been a childhood dream of mine. I know Shawn Porter is going to be a tough customer, but I’m ready to take the IBF title from him.”



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