My feedback from the fight.... Kell looked little nervous on ring walk maybe watching him for 16 fights maybe i noticed?, first 1-3 rounds it was clear kell was computing what Mark was doing and really didn't commit to a sustained attack. It seemed his classic southpaw pull counter was wayyyyy off in rounds 1-2. His timing was a little off but i think that was due to him being hesitant and just getting his eye in a live fight situation. He moved well cutting off the ring (other fighters should take note not following opponents), the "presence" he has in the ring where he is so in your face was there, which is mentally taxing for lesser opponents. The footwork and educated feet, havn't left him so that was on point. He switched southpaw and connected effortlessly through the fight and it seemed silky as it always does. Punch selection is always a elite category with kell and it was there. after 6 rounds he was hardly breathing heavily which is rare at 147. Seems his fitness was on point. Power was there and lets be honest if he could not punch, he would of struggled against mark. His chin he got tagged and tbh Kell has always had a elite chin. GGG hit him clean and kell didn't budge. Things i have open questions... Got hit to the body clean by Mark which i thought he should and would need to tighten up against a better body puncher. Maybe its rust or they didn't think mark target the body? He seemed SMALL compared to a big 154 fighter. I worry he simply won't have the physical size to keep fighters off him in the clinch. Also how tiring it is fighting a fighter who hydrates really high come fight day. I thought his foot speed was a tad slow? maybe it was age maybe rust i am not sure. Did he seem hesitant to get Mark out of their as he was worried getting tagged? or was he just trying to set him up? Not sure if this is a sign of being gun shy. In summary i thought being 14 months out this was good performance, a fighter like kell relies on timing and speed/reflexes and you need a live boxing fight to get that up to a good level. I heard from people on the sparring vs smith in the GGG camp and from what people say it was 50/50 nobody was better nobody got a beating. Kell was to sharp and won clear early rounds but Smith comes on later as he usually does, taking more risk. Either way i would think Kell is better than mungiya is and he showed the limitations of SMith. I think that fight be kell early rounds win and smith come on late and rock kell but kell to win a UD, by 3-4 rounds. Kell very rarely loses rounds if you look at his record.
Can see it getting played at Kell Brook's funeral (hopefully a long time away) with coffin completely lined with flashing LED lights as the song plays.
Brook looked ok last night. His feet weren't as quick but for a 14 month lay off he looked decent. His punch variety was good and he should get better as long as his active. I'm glad his accepted that 154lbs is his division and its now time to live the life of a professional athlete. I would still pick brook over Smith
Brooks pretty much finished at the top level. More so because hes outgrown the 147 division than his age imo. De luca looked massive in their in comparison. Brook would have had a similar 147 opponent out of there sooner in his prime if he hit them with as many as he did de luca. These guys at 154 can take a lot more....they also hit a lot harder, have better length and size etc. Its hard work when you yourself are getting on in age. Its just unfortunate hes outgrown the weight at this stage of his career. Still say brits should move them up earlier in their careers even before their forced up. Let them grow into the division properly. The problem is by the time their forced up their too old to deal with it. Would take any solid 154 lb fighter to beat him. His best shot is still khan. You,ve got to wonder whats going through khans mind atm. Where even is he? Just sitting waiting on a big fight no ones really interested in seeing, hes no chance of winning must be a bit soul destroying when a big fight with brooks waiting for him that people do want to see and hes got a bit of a chance in.
I still think, Kell has enough skill and guile to beat smith on points. I mean are we going to find a completely different fighter in smith than he has been all his life? -no. Mungiya showed if your a hard, varied, accurate puncher you can deter Smith who doesn't have any creative offence to close the distance. Smith will march forward with hands up and once in range let his hands go. Problem is Kell can fight backwards and forwards and switch southpaw and have a world class punch variety and that be the difference.
Kell would rightfully be the favourite but Smith is the bigger man, will walk him down all fight and is physically fit. It’s whether Kell will either commit enough to the attack and has the power to hurt him, or has the gas tank to do the 12 at pace and win a decision.
Problem is being bigger has liam smith shown a iron chin like GGG? thats the difference. Kell always had a world class chin. GGG hit kell clean and i didn't see kell fall like career middleweights. If kell still has his accurate and timing on point he will catch Liam all night. Just charging in being a bigger man means nothing. People get to wrapped up in this bigger man thing. If you have a boxer who has a excellent punch variety, can fight backwards/forwards and can punch accurately it make little difference. For sure it help you take more punishment and dish a bit out to, but he get hit a awful lot. Just think kell still have a little to much for liam and a UD where liam lets his punches go late as a last hurrah as the fight be moving away from him.
Brook has always been levels above Smith let's be honest here. Still think Smith is one of the most overrated fighters on here. Yes I get that he's tough, most of Gallaghers fighters are and theres only so far ear muffs and toughness get you. Imo he's on the decline now, won't be long until he's in Crolla territory (when Crolla fought Burns and the bloke he beat to fight Loma). Could tell he had really declined. Same will happen with Smith, theres only so much punishment he can take and he's already been in quite a few tough fights and he's not exactly a youngster anymore.
Liam Smith is so underrated in terms of skill. He is a much better boxer than many give him credit for. He does do that Gallagher style peak a boo thing with his gloves held high. He fights like a Mexican, and makes his opponent fight at an uncomfortable pace behind that jab. If he gets chinned, he just smiles and keeps coming. For all his faults, Munguia can really dig, a lot harder than Brook imo, and Liam’s performance in that fight against a much bigger opponent had me cheering him on. Prime Brook does a job on any version of Smith, but this isn’t prime Brook, and his feet have slowed down significantly for me. You have to keep picking your shots and moving against Smith and I’m not convinced he can do that now. He certainly can’t stop Smith.
I personally think Twentyman it would be like Crolla vs Linares, the first fight. Smith isn't exactly a huge puncher, although he does some good bodywork. Let's be honest also, Smith was getting picked apart by William's in there first fight until the headbutt, yea he was slowing down but he was still winning. Mungia is a decdnt enough world champion but he isn't anything special and Smith lost that fight convincingly enough. I know you have a soft spot for him but he doesn't win enough rounds against better opposition. Against a sharp accurate puncher like Brook I think he'd take a lot of culmative damage. Smith pressures you yes, however he doesn't throw a lot of shots for all the pressure he does and he isn't particularly fast with his shots either.
Can see both Twenty's and Kojak POV's here. Brook took a couple of rounds to get going but then he started landing nice sharp punches. So offensively he's still there against the lower tier fighters. He did jump in a couple of times which does make me wonder about his ability to close the gap on taller, rangier fighters and he defo took a few decent hits of De Luca. He's never moved his head loads but it did make me wonder against a Charlo or someone would those punches which were largely single shots turn into 2's and 3's that he can't counter. I think Brook Smith is cracking fight. Liam hasn't really had a big name fight after Muniga but he has fought in the US - maybe trying to build some name recognition late in his career over there? What that fight would tell us is if Brook still really wants it - De Luca who was decent but limited (think he hurt himself by trying to switch stances at times and Brook would just hammer a right hand in) managed to last 7 with a possible broken nose. Id expect Smith to take Brook a bit later in the fight in that The KO had me wondering as well that De Luca who looked like an absolute tank was maybe gassing a bit - bit like Yarde Vs Kov a heavy jab and down hard. Still lots of questions for me I thought Brook looked old before the fight (facially) drawn a bit, a decent performance but i don't see this as a second coming. He might get world title fight again but I think that will be it.
I would agree it would be like Crolla v Linares but about 2 years ago. For me, it’s a combination of two things and they’re both with Brook...is he long past his best, which I think he is, and there’s the size thing. Liam Smith is the bigger man and Brook is very much unproven above 147 and he’d be fighting a career 154. Technically, Brook is the more skilful fighter, I’m on the same page as you with that... I’m just thinking in 2020, the bigger man wears down the inactive, past his best 147 fighter.
I don;t really understand what you mean a bigger man wears him down. As i said above Brook punches hard enough that smith won't just come chanrging in. And your neglecting limited bigger men endue a lot of punches on the way inside. Also Liam williams was a good example. This fight will be won long/mid range where kell is superior. Liam smith to get inside will all night get hit against a accurate/varied skilled fighter. The fight won't come down to a dog-fight toe-to-toe and "bigger man wears him down". Also Smith is too slow to launch attacks against a skilled fighter, the tactic of wearing a fighter down is too risky for liam. If you go to a ABC you find a lot of bigger guys sparring smaller skilled fighters and the whole wearing down thing never happens as much as they are a bloody mess enduring so much punches and it is only 3 rounds!!
