IBF welterweight champion Kell Brook is an ideal person to predict this Saturday’s big welterweight clash between Keith Thurman and Shawn Porter, having been in there with Porter; being the only man to have beaten him. Brook won a very close decision over Porter back in August of 2014, to win the IBF belt he now holds and looks to defend against Jessie Vargas, the WBO champ, in a September unification (that still has not been 100-percent finalized).
Brook scored the biggest win of his career in winning a majority decision over Porter – since then, Brook has been ranked as the number-one welterweight in the world by Ring Magazine as well as a top-10 pound-for-pound fighter by “The Bible of Boxing” – and he now picks Porter to upset Thurman in their WBA title clash.
“I am going to shock you and pick Porter,” Brook said to Sky Sports today. “Thurman was looking seriously good when he came through but he had a few niggles in a couple of fights and then that car crash. He’s human, he’s not a machine. I think most people are saying Thurman but I can see Porter grinding him down, outworking him over the 12 rounds and nicking it. This fight is wicked for the welterweight division.”
Thurman, 26-0(22) is the favorite to win, but as Brook says, he had that car smash that postponed the fight for a few months. Thurman hurt his neck in the crash and he has admitted himself he has done less sparring than he would have liked after resuming training for Porter. We have no idea how Thurman might react if he’s caught by a snapping shot to the head. And against Porter, a superb pressure fighter, Thurman figures to get hit – maybe quite a lot. Of course, Porter, 26-1-1(16) will be in the line of fire himself as he tries to get in close and work, and Porter’s chin figures to be tested also.
It’s a great fight, between two fighters who have styles that promise to compliment each other. Barring an early Thurman stoppage, a Porter win, earned with a gutsy battle of attrition approach that will test the heart of both men, is a strong possibility. That’s according to Brook, anyway. And for what it’s worth, this writer also picks Porter to walk away the winner after what could well be a Fight of The Year contender. This one could be so great a rematch will be called for.