There have been rumblings around a potential return to the ring, predominantly surrounding the former IBF welterweight champion Kell Brook.
After the long anticipated and somewhat overdue fight with Amir Khan in 2022, Kell Brook announced his retirement. The ex-welterweight world champion has been talking about the prospective opponents he would be prepared to come out of retirement for. In one of British boxings hottest rivalries, we saw Brook stop Khan in the 6th round. A dominant Brook defeated a lackluster version of Khan, whom too announced his retirement not long after the clash.
I Want Chris Eubank Jnr
There have been a number of names mentioned and also fighters calling Kell Brook out. Amongst those names is Conor Benn. Benn is still entangled with the BBBoC over his positive VADA drug test almost a year and a half ago. An appeal from the BBBoC to be heard imminently is a major stumbling block for this match up though. As it stands, Benn has no licence. Any BBBoC licenced fighter could potentially face sanctions if they chose to fight Benn under the auspices of another licencing authority.
Speaking on Up Front with Simon Jordan, Brook said “Realistically, I’d prefer to fight Chris Eubank Jnr”. “I just don’t like him” . Brook also says that Chris Eubank Jnr is arrogant and that will fuel him during training camp. Brook goes on to say that he dislikes Chris Eubank Jnr more than his past nemesis Amir Khan.
Liam Smith’s name has also been mentioned are a possible come back fight option for Brook. The noise around this fight has been somewhat quieter though and as Brook has stated, he prefers the Eubank Jnr fight.
“I Just Don’t Like Him”
Chris Eubank Jnr is coming off the back of an emphatic win in his rematch against Liam Smith. In the first bout, Liam Smith stopped Eubank Jnr in the fourth round. A flurry of well placed shots, culminating in a beautiful left hook sent Eubank to the canvas. The shockwave of the knockdown could be seen on many peoples faces, wide eyed, mouths agape.
Chris Eubank Jnr was the favourite heading into the fight but Liam Smith was adamant that victory would be his. Eubank Jnr had never been put down in his career and this showed when he jumped straight to feet, rather than give himself the eight count to compose himself. Eubank was staggering around the ring like he’d just stepped out of a night club akin to a drunken reveller. The referee would have been quite within his rights to stop the fight at that point but allowed Eubank to continue. Still clearly dazed, Smith went straight after Eubank and a chopping hook saw Eubank down again and that was enough for the referee to call a halt to the fight. Had the ref not stopped it, Eubanks corner was ready with the towel in hand.
The rematch saw a very jaded Smith easily beaten by a much improved Eubank Jnr. Smith barely threw a punch and seemed to be struggling with an injury, fitness or both. Eubank dropped Smith in the fourth and his output was excellent to watch. Still Smith walked him down but with very little to offer, Eubank was landing with ease. It was painful to watch the next five rounds. Then in the tenth, Eubank Jnr dropped Smith with a combination and that was the end for Smith.
“I’m Getting a Bit Bored Now”
The former world champions record is, 43-3-0 with 28 wins coming by way of KO. The 3 defeats on his record are from reputed pound-for-pound greats, Terrence Crawford, Gennadiy Golovkin and Errol Spence Jnr. Kell Brook beat Shawn Porter by majority decision in August 2014 for the IBF World Welter Weight belt with a well planned and executed performance. After the fight, Brook said “Since I was nine years old, I’ve been training to be a champion”.
After stepping up to middle weight for a fight many said he shouldn’t take, Brook took a shot at the IBF, IBO and WBC holder Gennadiy Golovkin. In a brutal battle, Kell Brook’s corner threw the towel in during the 3rd minute of round 5. A well beaten Brook suffered a fractured orbital socket and was eight months out of the ring. Then in May 2017, Brook attempted to defend his IBF title back at welter weight against Errol Spence Jnr. Brook was down in the 10th and down again in the 11th and lost his long coveted title to a classy Spence Jnr.
For many of the boxing fraternity, Kell Brook was not the same fighter after the Golovkin defeat. He seemed somewhat diminshed from the heavy loss. It is opined that had he not taken the Golovkin fight, he would have fared better and possibly beaten a younger man in Errol Spence Jnr.
The Beginning of The End
Kell Brook has been out of the ring since February 2022. He has openly admitted that his retirement has been very difficult to accept. Talking about a deterioration in his mental health, Brook said “It’s no secret that I struggle with my mental health and I’m finding retirement really hard”.
Brook was also seen in a video snorting a white powder claimed to be cocaine. An apparent friend had filmed Brook then placed the clip online. Brook responded to the video by saying “I messed up, and want to apologise to my family, gym, friends and fans”.
Since then, Brook has kept his nose clean and returned to the gym to begin the process of getting himself back in shape. There is no speculation on a potential return date as of yet but he is desperate to get back in the ring.
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images
