Porter vs. Brook: The proof is in the pudding for Kell Brook in this East vs. West showdown
By Chris Carlson
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 17 Aug 2014
The time is here and now for Brit Kell Brook to prove to the world that he is a top notch fighter at the glamour welterweight division. The ever improving Shawn Porter has a full head of steam setting his sights on a "Money" mission.
After long winded negotiations resulting in purse bid extensions and random testing drama, Shawn Porter and Kell Brook will finally fight this Saturday night, in the main event for a Showtime Triple Header at the Stub Hub Center in Carson, CA.
Both men look the part, with their sculpted Greek god type physics. Once the bell rings it won't matter how many reps of 225 pounds either man can lift.
The old saying "defense wins championships", rings true in most major sports. That logic doesn't necessarily influence the end formula as much in this style matchup. Instead let's use more sports clich? such as "numbers don't lie", or "experience goes a long way".
Of course clich? are used for a reason and clearly Shawn Porter is the more experiment fighter, and the numbers don't lie on Kell Brook's thin resume. Brook has faced some quality veterans but no one that will prepare him for Porter.
On the other hand, Porter fought Devon Alexander and Paulie Malignaggi back to back which should give him an advantage.
Kell Brook's career hasn't quite taken off the way he envisioned back in 2004. Injuries and other setbacks have stalled Kell's momentum, but all that is in the past. Even with the injury bug and a poor outing in his first fight versus journeymen Carson Jones, Brook has made a nice name for himself back in England.
On the way up as a prospect Shawn Porter looked very ordinary and showed many flaws. He had balance issues and a habit of lunging as he punched from too far away. Too often he would settle for head hunting without the jab throwing wide punches.
A change came some two years ago when Shawn and his father Kenny changed their camp philosophy. Instead of longer breaks between fights, their now in some form of training camp all year round with only very short breaks outside the gym.
The improvement is evident, to the point it has some people question if he got their naturally. It should be pointed out that random drug and urine testing began very late due to the long talks between camps that lead to date changes.
If Porter follows through with his plan to join V.A.D.A.'s year round testing all the speculation will be silenced. In this day and age it's hard to trust any athlete who isn't getting tested at the very least in training camp and in a perfect world year round.
It's easy to be on the fence with Porter because of the explosion in his punches seems to impact opponents harder now. For instance, Paulie Malignaggi is a very durable guy and he ran through the Magic Man like string cheese knocking him unconscious in the fourth round.
The biggest difference from the old to new Porter is patience and distance. He uses his jab with more authority and remains under control when attacking. Sometimes he leads with body shots on the way inside. Everything is still thrown very hard but with more thought and strategy.
He will bounce or even move on the outside. In a blink of an eye he will close the gap and land heavy hooks to the head and body. He has turned into a patient punches that applies smart pressure.
Kell Brook is an above average offensive fighter who sports a steady jab with quick hands. His bread and butter is a jab-right hand combo. He loves to throw uppercuts that a very effective if thrown from the correct distance.
He keeps a decent guard up and can move on the outside. In this style matchup it will be Brook's chin and overall defense that gets tested the most. It will be interesting to see if he is able to outbox Porter, and if so for how long. A telling sign may be his low left hand and overall lacking in upper body movement.
Which Kell Brook will show up tonight? The one that struggled in the middle and late rounds with the limited Carson Jones, or will he control the pace with offense making it tougher for Porter to find a rhythm?
32 fights for Kell Brook without a true top level challenge could be detrimental. Often fighters get exposed when they hit the big leagues without having struggled or tested from a real contender. Names like Jones, Hatton, and Sedchenko are not true contenders at 147.
That's not to say I think Brook is going to be knocked out early, in fact I see Kell giving Shawn plenty to deal with offensively. Is Brook capable of staying busy with potshots and combos all while on the move being responsible on defense?
That question will be answered tonight with the winner moving on to bigger and better things. Brook will land flashy punches in bunches out of the gate. By the middle rounds Porter will have closed the gap after measuring distance and learning Book's tendencies.
All bets are off in an exchange with both guys having power and hand speed. I for one will wait to see who's the faster. Porter is around a 2-1 underdog so if you?re a legal gambling person it's a good bet either side you favor.
Porter?s new found skills combined with smart pressure will rule the day in what should be a fight that builds in intensity with every passing round. Porter's experience and power will be too much for Kell Brook.
The way this fight will end may be dictated on if Brook chooses to go out on his shield or be forced into survival mode after feeling Porter's power.
My official prediction is Shawn Porter by late stoppage or unanimous decision.
Written by Chris Carlson Owner and Host of Rope A Dope Radio at www.blogtalkradio.com/ropeadoperadio
Follow on Twitter @RopeADopeRadio
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