By Ian S Palmer
Junior middleweight Kell Brook of Britain will slug it out once again with Carson Jones of in a rematch of their bout last year. Brook is undefeated so far in his pro career with a record of 29-0 along with 19 Kos. The veteran Jones will climb through the ring ropes with a mark of 35-9-3 with 25 Kos to his name. The bout is scheduled for 10 rounds and will take place in Hull, England at the Craven Park Stadium.
The first meeting between these two took place last July and was a lot closer than many experts anticipated. Brook took the fight by a close majority decision with some fans believing it was a hometown decision. Brook started the fight well, but seemed to run out of gas as it progressed. He said things will be different this time as he’s in great shape and stamina won’t be an issue.
Photo: Lawrence Lustig
If the 27-year-old Brook from Sheffield, England is to remain a legitimate contender for a world title he’s going to have to be boxers like Jones more decisively. He’s been pegged as a top prospect, but hasn’t reached the elite level yet due to various things such as postponements, injuries and his physical condition. If he’s going to make the grade he has to deliver starting with this bout.
Jones, who hails from Oklahoma City, already has 46 pro bouts under his belt, but he’s still just 26 years old. He’s got a great work ethic which helps make up for any lack of skills. He keeps his hands up and is an intelligent boxer who doesn’t make too many mistakes in the ring. Brook has the edge over Jones in the skill department, but Jones will have gained confidence from their first fight.
Jones has gone 21-3 over his last two dozen contests after losing four out of five previous to that. He’s fought some decent opposition over the years such as Alfonso Gomez, Roberto Garcia, Freddy Hernandez, and Jesus Soto Karass. But the problem is that he lost to all of them. He has a hard time when he steps up in class. On the other hand, Brook has faced a few name opponents so far, such as Matthew Hatton, Philip Kotey, and Lovemore Ndou. Jones probably doesn’t want to leave the outcome up to the judges again in Brook’s backyard, but it could be a mistake if he starts looking for a knockout.
Brook did just enough to win the last time out, but he’ll need to improve his defense and footwork in the rematch. Jones is confident he can take Brook out, but he should be patient and not go looking for a single knockout punch. However, he should be the aggressor once the bell rings and make Brook fight all three minutes. Brook has probably learned something from the first meeting too though and he should take this bout again, but by a slightly wider decision.
