BRITAIN’S KELL BROOK said he wanted a fight against rival world champion Danny Garcia after making short work of his International Boxing Federation welterweight title defence with a second-round stoppage of Canada’s Kevin Bizier on Saturday.
Victory in front of his home crowd in Sheffield, northern England, saw Brook extend his perfect professional record to 36 wins from 36 bouts with 25 knockouts.
But the speed with which Brook stopped his game, if outclassed, opponent was sure to raise questions about how the IBF managed to select Bizier as a mandatory challenger for the title.
“I have been training a long, long time. I wanted to warm up into it and have an all out war, but he couldn’t stand up to it,” Brook told Sky Sports after victory by technical knock out in two minutes and 15 seconds of the second round.
“I want the big fights. I have my mandatory out of the way. I have power that can knock heavyweights out,” he added after his third title defence. “That is what we have to do now — make a big fight.”
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Brook has yet to have a career-defining contest against a major name such as American fighter Garcia and, pressed on who he wanted to face next, the 29-year-old said: “I want that WBC (World Boxing Council) belt, Danny Garcia.
“Or Manny Pacquiao, or Timothy Bradley,” he added, with the latter two boxers facing each other in a couple of weeks’ time.
This was Brook’s first fight since May last year after he suffered a broken rib following a straightforward win over compatriot Frankie Gavin.
Brook stunned Shawn Porter of the United States to win the title in August 2014, but was out of action for more than a year following injuries sustained in a stabbing incident in Tenerife.
A routine victory over Romanian Jo Jo Dan followed before the defeat of Gavin.
Bizier entered the ring having won 25 of his 27 professional bouts but, significantly, his record included two defeats by Dan, both via split decisions, in 2013 and 2014.
Right from the opening bell he demonstrated an alarming lack of head movement, with Brook landing some solid punches and causing a cut above his opponent’s eye.
By the early stages of the second round, blood was pouring from Bizier’s nose and it was not long before Brook rocked him with a powerful head shot and then sent the 31-year-old to the canvas with a flurry of punches.
Bizier, never previously knocked out in his career, got back up only for Brook to floor him again moments later.
Midway through the second count, the referee stopped the contest with 45 seconds of the round remaining and Bizier in no position to continue.
Unbeaten Kell Brook eyes Garcia bout after speedy world title defence
BRITAIN’S KELL BROOK said he wanted a fight against rival world champion Danny Garcia after making short work of his International Boxing Federation welterweight title defence with a second-round stoppage of Canada’s Kevin Bizier on Saturday.
Victory in front of his home crowd in Sheffield, northern England, saw Brook extend his perfect professional record to 36 wins from 36 bouts with 25 knockouts.
But the speed with which Brook stopped his game, if outclassed, opponent was sure to raise questions about how the IBF managed to select Bizier as a mandatory challenger for the title.
“I have been training a long, long time. I wanted to warm up into it and have an all out war, but he couldn’t stand up to it,” Brook told Sky Sports after victory by technical knock out in two minutes and 15 seconds of the second round.
“I want the big fights. I have my mandatory out of the way. I have power that can knock heavyweights out,” he added after his third title defence. “That is what we have to do now — make a big fight.”
Brook has yet to have a career-defining contest against a major name such as American fighter Garcia and, pressed on who he wanted to face next, the 29-year-old said: “I want that WBC (World Boxing Council) belt, Danny Garcia.
“Or Manny Pacquiao, or Timothy Bradley,” he added, with the latter two boxers facing each other in a couple of weeks’ time.
This was Brook’s first fight since May last year after he suffered a broken rib following a straightforward win over compatriot Frankie Gavin.
Brook stunned Shawn Porter of the United States to win the title in August 2014, but was out of action for more than a year following injuries sustained in a stabbing incident in Tenerife.
A routine victory over Romanian Jo Jo Dan followed before the defeat of Gavin.
Bizier entered the ring having won 25 of his 27 professional bouts but, significantly, his record included two defeats by Dan, both via split decisions, in 2013 and 2014.
Right from the opening bell he demonstrated an alarming lack of head movement, with Brook landing some solid punches and causing a cut above his opponent’s eye.
By the early stages of the second round, blood was pouring from Bizier’s nose and it was not long before Brook rocked him with a powerful head shot and then sent the 31-year-old to the canvas with a flurry of punches.
Bizier, never previously knocked out in his career, got back up only for Brook to floor him again moments later.
Midway through the second count, the referee stopped the contest with 45 seconds of the round remaining and Bizier in no position to continue.
© AFP 2016
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Boxing Danny Garcia kell brook Kevin Bizier looking ahead World Title defence