Stab Kell Brook in his arm, machete his leg to the point where he says “I could see death,” it doesn’t matter. Nothing is stopping “Special K” these days at welterweight, and Saturday on Showtime, he easily handled a veteran journeyman/fringe contender who had never before been easily handled.
In his first fight back since both his best career win over Shawn Porter and a grisly machete attack, Brook stopped Jo Jo Dan, aka Ionut Dan Ion, never once suffering a moment of inconvenience. Brook is more than just speed and power, but if there were any worries about his speed and power after this performance, they ought to be gone. Dan just couldn’t withstand the assault, suffering four knockdowns in four rounds from a variety of shots: uppercut, straight right, left, accumulation of blows. His corner retired him at the end of the 4th.
Dan was a mandatory contender to the belt Brook owns. Under the circumstances, he might’ve been a challenging one, especially with Brook saying there were worries he’d ever walk again. Nope.
There are few bigger domestic rivalries in the whole world than Brook vs. Amir Khan, and it’s time for Khan to stop dodging him. It just so happens that it’s a great fight on paper between two exceptional athletes who can box well, so this isn’t just a great fight for England. It’s a great fight for the welterweight division, and for the whole world. Gather your testicles, yon Khan. And if you’re smart, you’ll gather up a bigger pile of money than you could get against anyone else, too.
(SHEFFIELD, ENGLAND – Kell Brook in action against Jo Jo Dan during their welterweight at the Motorpoint Arena on March 28. [Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images])
