"You Can Only Avoid The Truth For So Long" Brook v Spence SHOWTIME 5/27 Fight Thread
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back Swift, Chavez Jr and now Brook
reservoirdogs
Superstar
Hearn Recalls How He Failed to Convince Brook to Skip Spence
By Keith Idec
Eddie Hearn had a plan for Kell Brook.
Give up the IBF welterweight title, move up to 154 pounds and try to arrange a fight with an established star, someone – anyone, honestly – other than Errol Spence Jr. Hearn considered Spence much more risk than reward and perhaps too tough of an opponent in Brook’s first fight since Gennady Golovkin broke the orbital bone around Brook’s right eye during a technical knockout win in their middleweight title fight September 10 at 02 Arena in London.
Brook stopped listening the second his promoter mentioned giving up his 147-pound championship. The once-beaten fighter from Sheffield wasn’t the least bit interested in vacating the title, especially since all Brook had heard and read was that he would look to avoid Spence, an emerging American that even Floyd Mayweather Jr. has touted as boxing’s next big thing.
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A couple weeks later, Hearn and Tom Brown, the promoter who negotiated on Spence’s behalf, came to an agreement for Spence (21-0, 18 KOs) to challenge Brook (36-1, 25 KOs) on Saturday night in Sheffield, England. The deal enabled them to avoid an IBF purse bid that had been pushed back a week, from February 7 to February 14, so that they could continue negotiating.
“I remember the conversation very well, actually,” Hearn said during a recent conference call. “We were sitting in Kell’s living room, with his dad. And I said, ‘Kell, I really think you should look at moving up to 154 pounds.’ And Kell asked me what would happen with his belt? And I said, ‘Obviously, you have to vacate the belt.’ He said, ‘Absolutely no way.’ I said, ‘Yeah, but the weight and Errol Spence is a tough fight.’ He said, ‘There’s no way I’m giving up my title. I remember how hard I had to work to get it. So no way.’
“He said, ‘Go and get the fight. Do what you’ve got to do. Do the business side. Let’s do the fight in Sheffield. Everyone thinks I’m gonna duck Errol Spence, so let’s fight him.’ And the response from the British fans has been sensational because, of course, we know he stepped up to middleweight to fight Gennady Golovkin. And in his very next fight, he’s fighting probably the most feared welterweight in the world. So the fans and the profile through the Golovkin fight, the love for Kell Brook in this country is unbelievable.”
The Brook-Spence showdown is expected to draw a crowd of roughly 30,000 to Bramall Lane, a soccer stadium in Spence’s hometown (Showtime: 5:15 p.m. ET/2:15 p.m. PT; Sky Sports Box Office: 6 p.m. BST; £16.95 in HD). There were times earlier in the 31-year-old Brook’s pro career, which began nearly 13 years ago, when Hearn wasn’t certain Brook had the drive and maturity to become the determined, disciplined champion he is.
“Kell’s changed a lot,” Hearn said. “We’ve been together a long time. He’s been immature in the past in his preparation. And the amount of times I’ve sat in his kitchen, telling him he’s gotta do this [and that]. And sometimes it takes a little bit longer to realize what you want in your life. And I think Kell got away [with it] in the early part of his career because he was just so good. So he got away with sometimes preparing not quite how he should. That’s all changed now, and what he’s showing me in this fight is desire to make 147 [pounds], but most importantly, desire to prove people wrong.
“And you can see that in his physique at the moment, the weight he is at the moment, and when this kid gets a bit between his teeth, like he has now, I believe he’s unbeatable at 147 pounds. It’s gonna be difficult to make the weight. When he refuels on fight night, he will be a beast in the ring. And I have to take my hat off to him, because like I said at the start of this call, before he joined, maybe the old-school promoters and fighters would say, ‘Nah, leave Errol Spence alone. He’s not that well-known in the UK. And he’s very, very good. Let’s move up. Let’s have a nice name at 154 pounds – Miguel Cotto, someone like that.’ But no, Kell’s response was, ‘Give me the young lion and let my slay him.’ ”
- See more at: Hearn Recalls How He Failed to Convince Brook to Skip Spence - Boxing News
be proud of trying to talk out your fighter from one of the best matchups of the year brehs...
to Brook if this is true
Got Coli money and actual money on Brook in this fight. Can't see him walking out of his actual hometown with an L. Might not be fair in the end, but I think Spence walks out the loser.
Alotta money to be made if you're betting Brook in this fight, and I think the circumstance is perfect for it.
And even so, I think Brook's skills and will are being underestimated. I think and hope he wins fair & square, but see him getting the W regardless.
Alotta money to be made if you're betting Brook in this fight, and I think the circumstance is perfect for it.
And even so, I think Brook's skills and will are being underestimated. I think and hope he wins fair & square, but see him getting the W regardless.
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MoroccanBoy
Madness
LinusCaldwell
From The Eastside with Love
krackdagawd
Inspire.
I'm so hyped for this 
Spence ends Brook and matches our reigning middleweight king's best win.
Ward gives kkkovalev another L :
Canelo gives a
ggg that Chavez Jr work
What a time to be alive
Spence ends Brook and matches our reigning middleweight king's best win.
Ward gives kkkovalev another L :
Canelo gives a
ggg that Chavez Jr work What a time to be alive
LinusCaldwell
From The Eastside with Love
#strapseason I got Spence it's gonna be a good fight though
RoidJonesJr
Superstar
BlackAchilles
Veteran
Oh shyt I forgot this was today
The last we saw Kell he was getting his eye beaten shut by GGG ... I gotta give him props for fighting a hungry young opponent right after instead of some "scrappy" white tomato can to get some easy momentum back
The last we saw Kell he was getting his eye beaten shut by GGG ... I gotta give him props for fighting a hungry young opponent right after instead of some "scrappy" white tomato can to get some easy momentum back
Mortal1
Superstar
So is this coming on really early due to the time difference in The UK ? I'm really hoping it doesn't so I don't find out the results of the fight before I see it.
