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Kell Brook won a one-sided if uninspiring fight yesterday over Mexico's Alvaro Robles in what was designed to be a final tune-up before the British contender gets his first world title shot later this year. Now, he awaits the winner of the April 19 fight between IBF titleholder Shawn Porter and veteran, two-weight titlist Paulie Malignaggi.
Brook admits that he may not have been entirely motivated for another tune-up fight, but that he'll be better prepared for Porter or Malignaggi:
"It's getting hard to get up for these kind of kids now. I've moved on. It's hard to get up at 5 and 6am each morning to drive and train. I'm only after those elite fighters now. I'm happy I got this out of the way and the next one is for the IBF strap. Whoever has got that belt, I want them. We know the crack and we know what's happening. I've got to get my nut down and train for that fight."
Brook (32-0, 22 KO) will be taking a big step in competition against either Porter or Malignaggi, two completely different fighters. The best opponent Brook has actually faced in his career was probably Carson Jones, who pushed Kell very hard in their first fight -- a majority decision win for Brook -- though Brook did dominate and stop Jones in their rematch, to his credit.
Other than that, Brook has built a record on mediocrities and oversold non-contenders like Vyacheslav Senchenko and Matthew Hatton -- decent fighters, but no threat to top guys.
Is Brook going to be ready for Porter or Malignaggi with that fight likely to happen in July? He's overdue for a fight like this, but has he been properly prepared for it?