Brook won’t take the Crawford fight says Russell Jr
August 28th, 2020 - Comments ClosedBy Chris Williams: Gary Russell Jr says Terence Crawford is wasting his time in trying to sign former IBF welterweight champion Kell Brook with his “lowball offer” for his next fight.
Russell Jr sees WBO 147-lb champion Crawford (36-0, 27 KOs) as not giving Brook (39-2, 27 KOs) what he feels is his “just-due” with the offer, which is said to be in the $1.5 million range.
In a social media on Friday, Russell Jr says he’ll take the offer that Crawford gave to Brook because he wants to “f*** him up” for his comment he made recently about wanting to break his neck.
Russell sounds like he’s ready to move up to 147 to take on Crawford if he’s willing to take the challenge.
Earlier this month, Russell Jr revealed that he socked Crawford in the mouth years ago when the two were on the U.S amateur team. Russell Jr says Crawford didn’t do anything after he hit him.
Crawford will need to sweeten the offer to Brook
With Russell Jr outing Crawford with his “lowball offer” to Brook on his next fight, he’s ready to move up from featherweight [126] to face Crawford at 147 at welterweight without a catch-weight.
$1.5 million probably isn’t going to be near enough for Top Rank to get Brook, 34, to agree to a fight with Crawford, especially if Amir Khan was given $4 million. Brook has a lot of bad blood with Khan, who he’s been trying to get a fight with for the last 10+ years.
Things are starting to look bleak for Crawford as far as him fighting this year. Crawford’s promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank has been wasting time talking about wanting to put together a fight between him and Manny Pacquiao, and there’s no way that contest has any shot at taking place.
You can bet that Brook isn’t going to agree to take less than half of what Khan received for a fight against the 32-year-old Crawford in April 2019. It likely doesn’t matter that the pandemic is going and that it’ss preventing fans from attending live events.
Hopefully for Crawford’s sake, Top Rank has a plan-B option for his next fight, because it doesn’t look like Brook will agree to the $1.5 million offer.
You got to figure that out of the $1.5 million; Brook could end up with one-quarter of that amount after he finishes paying taxes and with his training team’s expenses. That’s roughly $375,000, which isn’t a lot of money for a fighter challenging for a world title.
Russell Jr wants to put hands on Crawford
“Terence, what’s up, man? You wild as s*** for trying to send that man a little bit of money,” said Gary Russell Jr on social media about the $2 million offer that his team made to Kell Book.
“You know good and well that Kell Brook isn’t going to take that offer. You’re just talking just to talk. He ain’t going to take the fight. I’ll fight you for what you offered Kell Brook. It’s not about the money at this point.
“You said you were going to break my neck, and you said all this other stuff. You got mad because someone asked me a question about something that happened years ago.
“When I answered honestly, you got offended and said you wanted to break my neck. It’s not about the money. Now I just want to f*** you up. I just want to put my hands on you now,” said Russell Jr. to Crawford.
Many boxing fans consider Gary Russell Jr as the #1 fighter in the 126-lb division today.
Crawford wouldn’t be doing so wrong if he agreed to accept the challenge from him. As long as Russell Jr is ready to move up to 147, then it sounds like an excellent fight.
If all Top Rank is willing to offer one of Crawford’s opponents is $1.5 million to challenge him for his title, then Russell Jr would be an excellent bargain. Russell Jr might be as good as it gets for Crawford, given the circumstances with the pandemic.
Gary Jr doubts Brook will agree to the $1.5 million offer
“Tell Bob [Arum of Top Rank] to send the offer over,” Russell Jr continued. “Terence, what’s up? You’re running like a b***. I just want to fight you now. Ain’t nobody clout chasing. You’re running.
“You know Kell Brook isn’t going to take it. We’re in the prize-fighting. He wants to get his just due. You know that’s not Kell Brook’s just-due. But like I said, it’s not about the money.
“But I’ll fight you for that number [$2 million]. What’s up? You’re a b***. Terence, quit running like a sucker. He [Brook] ain’t going to take the fight. I guarantee you.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5NycCn9TH0&t=48s
“Kell Brook isn’t going to take the fight for the price that you offered based on the fact that you know that you’re lowballing him just to say that you tried to give somebody a fight.
“It’s cool. I’ll fight you for that. Tell Bob to call me, sucker,” said Russell Jr.
The hand speed and the southpaw stance of Russell Jr could give Crawford fits, and he may struggle. While Crawford is a switch-hitter, he’s not nearly as good fighting in the southpaw stance compared to when he’s in the right-handed view. Russell Jr is the real thing at southpaw, and he could expose Crawford if this fight comes off.
Top Rank promoter Bob Arum has got to know that Russell Jr would be a nightmare for Crawford, just as he was when he almost beat Vasily Lomachenko in 2014. Russell Jr was getting the better of Lomachenko through the first six rounds of that fight, and some feel the only reason he lost is that he was weight-drained.
Kell will need to drop down to 147
It’s not going to sit well with Brook isn’t going to take less than what Khan did in his fight with Crawford, and it might take a considerable bump up in pay to get him to accept the argument.
Brook now fights at 154, which is going to make it a hardship for him to come down in weight to 147 to fight Crawford. Imagine a top 140-pounder asking Crawford to come down to light-welterweight.
If Crawford did agree to it, he’d likely be weaker after making weight, and he might lose if he took on one of the talented guys at 140 like Josh Taylor or Regis Prograis.
If Brook comes in over the 147-lb limit, he’ll probably need to pay a weight penalty. How much that would be is anyone’s guess.
Brook could lose a good portion of his purse if not all of it if he comes in well over the limit. It doesn’t make sense for Brook to agree to fight Crawford for $1.5 million.
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