By Yannis Mihanos: Tonight, Kell “the special one” Brook (39W-2L,27 KOs) is facing one of the most hyped fighters of our time: Terence”Bud” Crawford (36-0,27 KOs).
I say hyped because it’s yet to be seen if he is the real deal. Crawford remains unbeaten but is yet to make the big step and enter where big fighters enter: in the real arena of greatness.
In the last few years, Kell Brook has gone through a lot; he suffered two serious eye injuries during two very difficult fights against Gennadiy Golovkin and Errol Spence Jr.
At that time, they were both out of his league. It looked as he was on his way out.
But the courage of Kell Brook is undeniable, and his recovery has been remarkable, both mental and physical, and he is now at his best ever condition. Yesterday he had no problems making the weight looking amazingly trimmed and menacing.
A good Crawford will have many problems with this Brook.
Crawford must be feeling frustrated with the lack of competitive fights he has had so far; if this fight doesn’t go his way, I see him parting ways with Bob Arum and Top Rank.
Arum has treated him like an elder man, a past his prime fighter by constantly protecting him from top opponents and that has been a major blow for his confidence and his hunger in the pursuit to be a champion because that’s what every serious boxer wants: to fight with the best.
Most recently we saw what happened with Canelo Alvarez, he had enough being sidelined and arguably protected by his promoter Oscar De La Hoya, that’s not the way a to be treated a fighter.
Thanks to his new coach, Brook has even improved his training, understanding that there is a different demand for the top level.
So can Brook win this fight? Yes, I believe he can. And that’s not a romantic idea, its just the right time and right place for him. If Crawford believes that he is the star and fights like a star then he will lose.
Brook is so much focused right now, I saw him even in the face-off midweek, not blinking, not moving, not going anywhere until Crawford couldn’t keep it up anymore.
In sports not always wins the best sometimes the match wins the hungriest, the one who really wants it.
The fight, this Saturday night is not to be missed by any boxing fan.