Dmitry Salita and Paul Mccloskey for your boy Khan was just as bad. And past it (never was nothing) overrated featherfisted extremely average Paulie Malignaggi
Crawford went on a bum tour: Dulorme Jean Lundy And then he went on his second bum tour: Molina Jr. Diaz Indongo
Funnily enough, Gennady Golovkin was veering awful close to as dismal a run, right around the time this thread was posted. Willie Monroe Jr, vacant belt-winner David Lemieux and Dominic Wade would be just as bad if the Quebecer hadn't had the credential of being able to crack like a mule. At least Brook ended up facing one of the harder punchers in the sport two weight divisions up within a year of this thread being started. Keith Thurman certainly hadn't wanted to fight Zeek. Claimed he was all about coming to the UK in September-December 2014 while the Special One was laid up after a severe stabbing incident, then changed his tune when Brook returned and said that he didn't know how Al Haymon would feel about him flying to the UK (where the packed arena and the PPV was). Have to credit Brook for going to the US and winning a decision from the house fighter, Shawn Porter. Have to credit him for taking on Golovkin when he's really a pure welter who only really struggled with 147 because he loves his food and drink too much. Have to credit him for boiling back down to defend against Spence immediately after the defeat to Golovkin. (Have to credit Spence for doing what Thurman was leery to do by bucking the Haymonite trend and going over to the UK to face Brook, for that matter, although he's fallen into the typical Haymon pattern since then.) Brook wanted to unify with Thurman after beating Spence, too, but we know what happened. No top fighter at the weight wanted Kell without massive money on the table. Even a relative ham-and-egger like Jessie Vargas wanted the crown jewels. Top welterweights were turning their trunks into Hershey's factories until Spence was bold enough to declare intent and follow through on it. Meanwhile, Keith Thurman was following through in an entirely different way any time Zeek was mentioned.
True. Brook scored an elite win on away soil against porter. he dealt with his mandos with ease, he wanted to keep his belt afterall. people forget brook was fighting on even terms with Spence until his face didn’t hold up. His face undoubtedly weakened by the GGG injuries. Brook is past prime now and people laughed at him only scoring a UD win over zefera. Then zefera goes and kos horn at middle, zefera is a fringe top 15 guy at middle. And let’s be left with no doubt, brook would have iced Khan. Shame he waited about for him. I still think kell has a superb chance of defeating Crawford, he might be missing a step from the porter fight but Crawford is starting to show signs of slowing down also
Cutting back to 147 after doing 160 wouldn't have done his bone mineral density any favors, either. Possibly a factor in the damage. (Was the Spence injury confirmed as another fracture?) I thought that criticism was way undue at the time. Who'd beaten Zerafa at that point? Magomedov on a decision on a Sasha undercard over in Russia at middle (I don't recall the fight, dunno how accurate the wide scores were), and the only guy to spark him was a Quillin who outweighed him by a stone on fight night. Not even a question. A hard-hitting counter puncher with good timing and decent ring IQ? Amir goes to sleep. I really want to see it. Best fight out there for Brook now (seems to be on the table for him, judging by Bob's recent comments). He might as well go for the gusto, the sands of time are not on his side. A win over Crawford would do big things for him, if he could pull it off.
