The haters are my motivators - Kell Brook

by Shaun Brown for Undisputed Fight Mag

All is good in the life of Kell Brook (22-0) right now. He has just had a relaxing holiday in Hawaii with his girlfriend Lindsey, his next fight is on Dec 11 (noopponent has been named yet) on Frank Warren’s 30th anniversary show and he is on the cusp of a world title shot – with the likelihood he will fight American Mike Jones (22-0) early next year for the WBO Welterweight title. “I hadn’t heard of him (Jones) until his name was linked to mine,” said Brook.
On top of all things boxing he had a good day at court too when I recently spoke to him. “Justice has been served,” he claimed. In July of this year the Sheffield fighter was found guilty of assault after an incident in a nightclub which resulted in him being electronically tagged. “I appealed the verdict against me and the verdict has been overturned and I am now not guilty of that crime.”
The electronic tagging appeared to act as a blessing in disguise during his
preparation for his last fight with Michael Jennings in September. “I was in bed early every night because of the tag. So it didn’t affect me at all. I’m just disappointed with the way the fight ended.”
Former world title challenger Jennings was meant to be the first man to really bring the best out of Brook. He had previously been in the ring with Miguel Cotto and the Mancunian was seen as a difficult obstacle for Brook to overcome. But unfortunately the fight was stopped due to a left uppercut which caused a cut on the right eye of Jennings. “The fight didn’t live up to my own expectations. I think he didn’t want to be in there with me. I thought he would bring the best out of me but he just kept
trying to spoil it. I was starting to turn it up just as the fight got stopped. But I’ve left the domestic scene now.”
It does appear that domestically there is little if any challenge out there for him. The British welterweight scene is not exactly awash with talent and depth. However there is one more name and one more domestic fight that does interest Brook. “I’d fight Matthew Hatton in Manchester for free,” Brook said. The current European welterweight champion is not exactly every fight fan’s cup of tea but he, like Brook, is edging closer to fighting for world honours. “If I get a world title and so does he then lets have ourselves a unification. I’ll have him in his own backyard. If he does fight me I’ll own him in the ring.”
From the age of nine-years old it seems like Brook has been ‘owning’ many people in the ring. When his father took him down to a boxing gym, to try and cure his hyperactivity, for the first time. It became evident that he could punch like a mule. And it was not long before he began to develop into a special fighter. And from winning the British welterweight title when he was 22 to winning the coveted ‘Young British boxer of the Year’ 12 months later, it seems like only a matter of time before he fulfils the expectation that has been weighed upon his shoulders for a while now. “I’m always trying to impress those people that put the pressure on. I’ve gotten used to the expectations but I put it to the back of my mind. I’ve never been tested and I’ve never been under pressure in the ring. I want to prove thehaters are wrong. The haters are my motivators.”

 

Fair dos mate, just my opinion. I just think there's many more divisions with better potential and greater depth that I'm sure will provide much more success than this division will.

For example in the next 12 months I expect Jennings and Theophane to have achieved next to nothing.

But I am interviewing John Watson soon so I'll see what he thinks too :good