February eighth @ Sheffield Arena. Brook will have been inactive for exactly 15 months, skipping a full calendar year since defeating Michael Zerafa on December 18th of 2018. DeLuca will have been inactive for half as long, having last fought on the Andrade vs. Sulęcki undercard in June. IMO this is a very difficult match-up for the Special One, particularly with that much rust on him. I have a feeling they intended to cherry-pick a guy with a nice-looking but padded record, but... DeLuca is pretty skilled, not to mention a big strong natural junior middleweight, and in his prime, with far less wear & tear on him than Brook despite being just two years his junior. He also happens to be a southpaw - and Brook used to style himself the "Slayer of Southpaws", but the best lefty he actually ever defeated, by far, was Frankie Gavin - and the last one he fought (Spence) knocked him out. That of course was the culmination of a back and forth war, but I have doubts that Brook can again summon the kind of performance he put up in his losses to Spence or Golovkin, both of which probably took a lot out of him. Compounded with the layoff, DeLuca, while not a world-beater, might just be the wrong 'cherry' to pick at this point...
I picked Brook by stoppage, but it wouldn't shock me in the least if DeLuca pulled the upset, he's a beast. If Brook has an off night, which after a year off is likely, this could go horribly awry.
Exactly what I'm thinking. Dumb pick by Team Chocolate Brownies. They probably DKSA the Bazooka, just found him on BoxRec.
I've been meaning to do a thread on DeLuca for a while. I definitely am now. Because win or lose, I have a feeling he's going to acquit himself quite honorably.
Damn, Brook has wasted more time than Khan without the devastating KOs. Hope after this they both just face each other and retire together to Dubai.
IB funfact: I once fought on the "undercard" of Mark's brother in a smoker hosted at my gym. The boys' uncle was also my barber for a long time, and he always figured that Mark would be a shoe-in for a world title if he a) stuck with it and b) got the opportunities. So far neither has quite happened (he took layoffs of 2 and 4 years each in the first half of his pro career, in the six year span of 2008 until 2014 he fought just twice ) ...but hey. Still only 31. Who knows? Also the guy he lost to might look like a bum on paper but I remember Walter "2 Gunz" Wright from season 2 of The Contender. Not a bad fighter at all, and Bazooka immediately avenged the defeat.
I hope Brooks comeback is successful as I would love for him to come to Australia and decapitate Jeff Horn.
Bazooka DeLuca late round stoppage. Too much Boston(or Whitman) for Brook to handle. Mark's gonna mollywhop this mother****er!
Interesting analysis. Although I was never especially high on Brook, I certainly viewed him as an interesting player at 147lbs. Now, however, he'd be battered by the very best junior middles (J-Rock would crush him, for instance).
A sharp in shape brook is a thing of beauty to watch, he was timing porter to perfection in that fight
Really good Brook interview. https://player.fm/series/5-live-box...ell-brook-the-forgotten-man-of-british-boxing I feel really bad for him he's been in a really dark place. You can see it in his face This content is protected Hope things don't go pear shaped for him again against this Deluca chap
