Shawn Porter is the common opponent whose fights against Errol Spence Jr. and Terence Crawford have been the most scrutinized ahead of the Spence-Crawford megafight for undisputed welterweight glory on July 29.
Well, that doesn’t mean boxing fans and critics alike can’t learn about Spence and Crawford through another of their common opponents: Kell Brook. Spence and Crawford recently sat down with Premier Boxing Champions to rate each other’s performances against the British fighter.
Here are their findings, sticking points, and backlash:
Errol Spence Jr. vs. Kell Brook
How Brook entered his welterweight title fight against Spence
Kell Brook entered his fight against Errol Spence Jr. as the reigning IBF welterweight world champion. Brook had dared to be great by challenging Gennadiy Golovkin in the previous fight and bit off more than he could chew, resulting in a fifth-round TKO loss for the British fighter. Prior to that though, Brook had recorded three IBF title defenses after first defeating Shawn Porter for the belt. Meanwhile, Spence entered the fight with a pristine 21-0 record and breakneck momentum.
Result: Spence def. Brook by 11he– knockout in the round to become the new IBF welterweight world champion; May 27, 2017
“The Truth” traveled to Brook’s home in Sheffield, England and methodically dropped the champion, unloading a series of punches to drop Brook in the 10th.he round. Sensing that he had Brook ready to be picked, Spence pummeled the Brit’s left eye until he simply couldn’t fight anymore, ending the fight in the 11th.he and forcing the title to change hands.
Terence Crawford’s counterpunch to Spence’s win over Brook
Crawford credits Spence for breaking up Brook.
“His fight against Kell Brook was a grueling fight,” Crawford told PBC. “He Broke Kell Brook in the late rounds. I feel like he did what he had to do to get the job done, as did I.”
It’s just that he feels like he managed Brook more efficiently three years later.
“I broke Kell Brook, I caught him with a big shot early in the fight,” he continued, “and I felt like I got the job done faster and faster than him.
Terence Crawford vs. Kell Brook
How Brook entered his fight to challenge Terence Crawford for the WBO world welterweight title
After losing the IBF strap to Spence, Brook rallied enough to build a three-fight win streak, including a seventh-round TKO of Mark DeLuca in February 2020. That set the stage for him to face later in the year with Crawford, who at this point was 36-0 with three defenses of his WBO world title attached to his name.
Result: Crawford hits Brook with fourth-round TKO to retain title; November 14, 2020
“Bud” stepped in and landed a perfectly placed compact right hook that spun Brook backwards, before the champ pummeled him with a series of vicious, jagged jabs until the referee saw enough, stopping the fight in the fourth round. .
Spence’s counterpunch to Crawford’s TKO of Brook
Spence believes he turned Brook into a different fighter after defeating him more than three years before the Brit faced Crawford.
“[Brook] it had been broken twice, by Golovkin and then I broke my other eye,” Spence told PBC. “At the time I beat him, he was the IBF welterweight world champion. By the time Terence Crawford beat him, it was basically just a fight.
“[Brook] I was fighting to make 147 when I was fighting him,” he continued, “so I feel like at the time, I was just doing it for the pride and the money, and just to fight a great fighter.”
He added: “I feel like Kell Brook was about to retire anyway.”
