Brook, left, against Stuart Elwell in January 2009
The richest bout in history still hung in the balance last night, although there remains hope that Floyd Mayweather Jr and Manny Pacquiao will meet in Las Vegas on March 13.
Rows over blood tests and legal action from Pacquiao have brought talks for the bout to a virtual standstill, but if matters can be salvaged, one person who is determined to be watching is Kell Brook.
On February 13, Brook, the British welterweight champion, faces Krzysztof Bienias, of Poland, at Wembley Arena in an eliminator for the WBO welterweight title, the title Pacquiao is due to defend against Mayweather. But Brook has no immediate aspirations to challenge either of the world’s best two boxers, he would be happy just to be there as a fan. “If the fight happens, I have to be there,” Brook said. “I think Floyd is awesome.
“I’m such a big fan I even named my dog Floyd. He was a Jack Russell, a little ankle-biter.” The way negotiations have gone so far, Pacquiao may feel that is suitable.
If there is hope that talks for the showdown can be revived, it is largely because any replacement bouts that have been mooted have received such a flat response. A lawyer acting for Pacquiao filed a lawsuit in the Las Vegas federal court last week, accusing Mayweather, his father, uncle and promoters of defamation, as the row over drug-testing for the bout hit a new low.
Bob Arum, Pacquiao’s promoter, has suggested Yuri Foreman, the WBA light-middleweight champion, and Paulie Malignaggi, who was beaten by Ricky Hatton in 2008, as alternative opponents for the Filipino. The reaction, however, has been no better than the derision that greeted claims that Mayweather could end up facing Matthew Hatton, who is some way behind Brook in the British rankings.
But Brook, the reigning Young Boxer of the Year who is unbeaten in 20 bouts, has his own plans for now. Coming from the camp of Brendan Ingle in Sheffield, Brook was a youngster in the gym when Nassem Hamed was ruling the world. Comparisons between the two are obvious, but Frank Warren, his promoter, knows Brook is not the finished article.
“He’s quick, he’s skilful and he can punch, but he’s quite different from Naz,” Warren said. “If he lives the right life and trains right, I think he can be a big star. It’s an eliminator for Pacquiao’s title, but he is not ready for that yet. The time is right to move him up in class now. In time he could get to that level.”
Bienias, 29, was beaten in two rounds by Junior Witter, Brook’s stablemate, at Wembley in 2004, but has won all his 17 bouts since and is ranked No 4 by the WBO. “He’s above me in the ratings and if I beat him, I’ll be one step closer to that world title opportunity,” Brook said.
So what happened to the Jack Russell? “Floyd the dog ran away,” Brook said. “I live close to a park, and I think one day he just ran after some other dogs.” Hopefully, the same will not happen to Floyd the boxer in his talks with Pacquiao.
Property Of http://www.timesonline.co.uk/
No comments:
Post a Comment