Kell Book Looking For Big Fights In 2017
After being knocked out by Gennady Golovkin, welterweight world champion Kell Brook is still looking for fights against the biggest names in the sport.
Brook was present at the Badou Jack vs. James DeGale fight on January 14 at the Barclays Center and spoke to ESPN about his plans for 2017. Brook admitted that there had been talks of moving up to 154 pounds, but Brook remained adamant he feels great fighting at 147 pounds.
“Everybody on my team wants me to move up to 154 pounds, because when I’m training I am a lot better, a lot healthier, have more energy for sparring than I do when I have to kill myself to make 147,” Brook said. “Making 147 drains the life out of me, but it took me all my life to get the IBF world title, and I still want to defend what’s rightfully mine. I still want to have the big fights with Keith Thurman, Danny Garcia, Manny Pacquiao. The big fights.”
Speaking of Pacquiao, Brook said a fight with the Philippines star is a dream match for him. Brook said his fight against Golovkin boosted his stock, despite being knocked out in the fifth round in their September 2016 bout. Brook moved up from welterweight (147-pound limit) to fight at middleweight (160-pound limit) for the first time in his career.
“I’m a big name in world boxing now,” Brook said. “Everyone knows who I am now. I’ve been in with Golovkin and I did what no other middleweights have done to him and I’ve never lost at welterweight, so if we could make the Pacquiao fight and I had to make 147 that’s a fight I would get up for every day. That’s an exciting fight for me. It’s the kind of fight I’ve been wanting for years.”
Brook suffered a broken eye socket in the fight against Golovkin and had been sidelined ever since then. The IBF champion currently has a mandatory defense due against Errol Spence Jr.
