"I want to fight Chris Eubank Jr, I dislike him more than Amir Khan" 🥊 Kell Brook | Up Front

Up Front With Simon Jordan

25 Jan 202466:18

Summary

TLDRIn this open conversation, British boxer Kell Brook reflects on his career with broadcaster Simon Jordan. He discusses growing up in Sheffield and being inspired to box from a young age. Brook talks about his rise in the sport, working with promoter Frank Warren, relationships with other fighters like Amir Khan, and some of his biggest fights. He opens up about personal struggles outside the ring and questioning himself after losses. Brook contemplates returning to boxing for big money fights but seems content in retirement now.

Takeaways

😞 Brook feels his career and life were ending after retirement, leading to alcohol abuse
👊 Boxing saved Brook from a delinquent path growing up
💪 Belief from his father and Brendan Ingle made Brook believe he would be a world champion
🥊 Brook felt held back by promoter Frank Warren early in his career
😡 Losing to GGG and Spence made Brook question his ability for the first time
😐 Brook puts himself in dangerous situations often outside the ring
🤼‍♂️ The Khan fight was motivated by years of build up and Brook wanting to silence the critics
🙅‍♂️ Brook denies Khan avoided the fight for years out of fear of losing
👀 Changing gloves before Khan fight fueled rumors he would not come out
⚖️ Brook believes Khan had no idea he tested positive for a banned substance

Q & A

What fueled Kell's passion for boxing from a young age?
-Kell was inspired by Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan films, and martial arts. He was energetic as a kid and liked punching, which led his dad to recognize his talent and interest in boxing.
How did Kell's relationship with his trainer Brendan Ingle help keep him focused?
-Brendan Ingle invested a lot of time mentoring Kell, driving him after training to talk for hours, playing classical music, and keeping him motivated to stay out of trouble. This guidance was critical in Kell's development.
Why did it take many fights before Kell stepped up to bigger name opponents?
-Kell felt promoter Frank Warren had him fighting lesser opponents for too long rather than pushing him. Kell wanted bigger fights to challenge himself but had to go through many tune-up fights first.
What does Kell attribute his loss to Errol Spence Jr. to?
-Kell believes the fight preparation was all wrong - he had personal issues with his trainer, struggled to make weight after the Golovkin fight, and wasn't mentally right. He wishes he had postponed the fight.
How did the Golovkin fight impact Kell mentally?
-Suffering the eye injury against Golovkin made Kell question his ability for the first time and introduced self-doubt. It changed his perspective on boxing and made him realize it's 'just a sport'.
Why does Kell want to fight Chris Eubank Jr.?
-Kell finds Eubank Jr.'s arrogance irritating for some reason. He dislikes his personality and believes getting up for that fight would be easier because he wants to 'beat him up'.
What does Kell think was behind Amir Khan's positive drug test?
-Kell believes Amir had no idea he had the banned substance in his system. Since they were both heavily tested leading up to the fight, Kell feels Amir didn't take it intentionally.
How did losing to Spence affect Kell mentally?
-The loss to a top fighter in his own weight class made Kell question if he was 'really good enough' and consider retirement. It was the lowest point of his career.
What motivates Kell to consider coming out of retirement?
-Kell misses the competitiveness and challenge of fighting. He loves training hard, competing, and proving doubters wrong. Names like Connor Benn intrigue him.
How does Kell reflect on his career struggles outside the ring?
-Kell admits he was young and 'dumb' getting into trouble early on. He's learned from rehab and has better relationships now. His family and kids are what's most important.