Kell Brook Calls out Floyd Mayweather, Danny Garcia After Kevin Bizier Fight
IBF welterweight champion Kell Brook called out Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Danny Garcia after his one-sided victory over Kevin Bizier on Saturday, taking his unbeaten record to 36-0.
After the fight, Brook was asked who he would prefer to meet next, and he isolated two fighters in particular: Mayweather and Garcia.
Money's retirement wouldn't be an issue for Brook. Per the Daily Mail, he said it would be a “really exciting fight” if he were to return to the ring: “You know, we're both unbeaten. Bring him out, and I'll take that zero and turn it into a one for him.”
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Here's an audio clip of the full interview, courtesy of KORadio:
Garcia would be another option for Brook, as he told the Daily Mirror's David Anderson: "Danny Garcia, the WBC champion, I'd love that fight. Any of those big names, I'd get excited about fighting."
Bizier wasn't expected to trouble Brook on Saturday, as he entered the fight with two losses against Jo Jo Dan on his resume―a fighter Brook stopped inside four rounds last year, per Anderson.
Brook rocked the Canadian with a massive uppercut in the first round before dropping him with a flurry of punches in the second. Bizier got back to his feet and tried to continue, but another flurry from Brook dropped him again, and the referee wisely waved off the contest.
BT Sport's Ian Darke was impressed with the champion, but he also questioned the IBF's decision to make the fight in the first place:
Brook's talent is undeniable―he's Ring Magazine's top-ranked welterweight for a reason―but the man from Sheffield, England, has so far struggled to make fights against top competition. His resume includes wins over Shawn Porter and the aforementioned Dan, with only the former ranking in Ring's top 10 list.
Per Anderson, a fight with rival Amir Khan fell through, and promoter Eddie Hearn blames Brook's obvious quality for his lack of opportunities against major fighters:
"Matching Kell is no easy task. He's so good, no-one wants to fight him. But we're going to land a massive fight in the summer because we all want to see Kell go toe-to-toe with the best in the business.
That's what he does to these guys, he's a beast. I believe he's the best welterweight in the world.
We want to bring the best to Sheffield. If they won't come here, we'll go to America.
"
According to Gavin Glicksman of the Sun, Brook called out just about anyone near the top of the welterweight division after his win, including Keith Thurman, Manny Pacquiao, Timothy Bradley, Jessie Vargas and Porter, and he even talked about moving up in weight after three or four fights.
Of those fighters, Garcia would likely offer the biggest draw, with the exception of Pacquiao, who will complete his trilogy of fights with Bradley in April. The 37-year-old is nearing the end of his career and seems more focused on his political ambitions these days, however, and is unlikely to risk anything against a hungry and unbeaten fighter like Brook.
Few top fighters will have any interest in going to Sheffield to take on Brook, and according to BoxRec, the IBF champion has fought outside of Great Britain only once since 2011. If he's that desperate for a big fight, he'll likely have to cross over to the United States and fight on enemy territory.
Brook isn't a major international star yet, but he's an exciting, attacking fighter with the punching power to become a crowd favourite in a hurry.
His career didn't take off as some would have expected in the wake of his upset win over Porter, but things could change rapidly if he adds the scalp of someone like Mayweather, Garcia or Thurman to his resume.
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