It seems an age since Kell Brook defeated Shawn Porter to become the IBF welterweight champion.
The horrific leg injury he received, courtesy of a machete attack in Tenerife, stopped his career in his tracks, but as Brook prepares to defend his IBF belt for the first time, in a mandatory defence against Jo Jo Dan in Sheffield, Brook has spoken about the incident and getting back to full fitness, remarking,
‘Winning the title was an unbelievable buzz and for two weeks I was flying but after the attack, I was down in the gutter.
‘I was feeling sorry for myself just lying there in bed, but now I am back and better than ever.
‘I’ve come a long way from the injury, not knowing where I would be with the leg. I’ve put it under severe stress in a full camp and I have had no problems with it. It was hard at the beginning but we took baby steps and slowly but surely we got up to full speed and the night couldn’t come quick enough to defend the title in my hometown ? it?s going to be so emotional.
‘The leg is fine, I do everything that I used to do, there’s no pain and it’s not holding me back at all.’
Returning to that night, across the pond, where Brook wrestled the crow from Porter, Brook had this to say,
‘I don’t think that I got enough credit for the win.
‘Before the fight people were saying that I hadn’t been in with anyone and I said that after I beat Shawn Porter, ?the Mike Tyson of the 147lb division?, give me the respect that I deserve. Everybody agreed but I still don’t really feel I have had the respect for going into the guy’s backyard and doing what people said I couldn’t do and beat him, school him.’
Perhaps not, but Brook remains one of those fighters that grows on you, he doesn?t have that natural swagger the likes of Amir Khan has but his silky skills are recognized by followers of the Queensbury rules.
Continuing, Brook went on to talk about having to make a mandatory defence as his first defence,
‘Mandatories come along and you have to deal with them. He’s earned his position like I did against Porter, so he gets his chance to take that title off me – but that’s not happening. I am not looking past him, but I know that there are massive fights out there for me in the division and after I take care of business, I am free to fight anyone.
Brook certainly is and as the holder of one version of the belt Brook could quite possibly be lined up as the challenger for the winner of the huge fight between Mayweather and Floyd, who knows!
Brook Can?t Wait for Saturday Night
