By Adam Baskin: Trainer Dominic Ingle says Kell Brook is showing interest in coming out of retirement to potentially face the winner of the October 8th fight between Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn.
Ingle says the former IBF welterweight champion Brook (40-3, 28 KOs) has been showing up at his gym regularly recently, and he feels he’s got the bit between his teeth.
Whether the 36-year-old Brook can get the Eubank Jr-Benn winner is unclear. If that’s the condition for Brook returning, it’s up in the air whether that’ll happen.
It’s hard to imagine Brook returning to try and work his way into the title picture at 147 at this stage in his career. Brook last fought in February, stopping Amir Khan in the sixth round in a fight that was many years past its sell-by date.
Brook had wanted the Khan fight for well over a decade, and he finally got it when the interest from the boxing public was scant. Brook’s punching power looked just as good as ever in that victory. There was no noticeable difference from earlier in Brook’s career.
If Brook is going to come back, fighting the Eubank Jr-Benn winner would be an excellent fight for him if he can get it. If not, Brook needs to decide whether he’s up for the idea of going for one of the world titles at 147 or 154.
It’s unlikely Errol Spence Jr would entertain the idea of fighting a rematch with Brook because he already knocked him out in 2017, and there’s no fan interest from the U.S boxing public in a second fight.
Likewise, Terence Crawford knocked out Brook in four rounds in 2020, and he’s not going to waste a fight by throwing a bone at Kell because the fight won’t sell on PPV in the U.S.
“You never say never. He came into the gym. He’s been in last week, and he’s been in this week. He’s training and doing alright,” said Dominic Ingle to Boxing Kind Media about Kell Brook potentially making a comeback.
“He’s got a couple of public events where he’s doing talks, but he did say to me that he’s getting the bit between his teeth. The more he’s watching the Benn-Eubank saga, is kind of like laughing.
“He says, ‘Eubank is kind of writing himself out of that fight because of the weight. He’s the bigger guy. On paper, he’s the better fighter. What’s wrong with him? Why is he losing his pen again?’
“So, maybe he’s had talks with Ben Shalom and Sky about the winner of those two, I don’t know. He’s been in twice today, training. Who knows what the outcome is going to be,” said Ingle about Brook.
