Kid Kell wants James Hare by Dan Foster May 5th 2006

This time last year Kell Brook was one of the most talked about young boxers in Britain. By now, he should have been practically a household name. ‘Better than Khan', they said - including your correspondent, who wrote confidently in Boxing News, tipping Brook as a star of the future. Every single person I asked about Brook within the industry told me the same – ‘he's something special' .A high-profile departure from the Ingle camp – where he had trained from the age of nine - saw him sign for Frank Warren's Sports Network. A delighted Warren described Brook as the final piece in his jigsaw – the completion of the ‘Holy Trinity' of ace British contenders; Amir Khan, Kevin Mitchell, Kell Brook. His future seemed assured. But the move did not go smoothly. He's boxed twice in seven months, both against journeyman Ernie Smith, an opponent he'd previously shone against. The first showing was disappointing as Brook – struggling with his weight – laboured to victory. That poor performance was followed by months of inactivity which came to a head with his new manager/trainer Dave Coldwell publicly exposing Brook's love for biscuits and takeaways. ‘I won't cover for my fighters' said Coldwell. ‘Kell's got the ability but he's got to knuckle down.' Frank Warren went further: ‘Brook could end up a forgotten man.' Thankfully, it seems the penny has dropped. Kell didn't quite crackle last Saturday night (on the Alex Arthur undercard) but he produced a solid, impressive display showcasing the classy, smooth movement and combination punching that truly marks him out. He also threw the jab well and by the end of the six-threes, Smith's face was a mess. It was a definitely a step in the right direction, and definitely a big improvement on his last showing. ‘We're working hard on a number of things. I loved the way he used the jab last time out – it's a real weapon. It does more damage than a lot of people do with the big right hand!' said Coldwell. ‘He's fit and dedicated again and the future looks bright. Frank Warren was very impressed with him and Ernie Smith came straight over to me after the fight and told me he couldn't believe how much Kell had come-on in the last few months.' So Coldwell and Warren were pleased – what about the lad himself? I spoke to Brook after the fight and am pleased to report he had a bottle of water in one hand and a banana in the other – no sign of biscuits or beer. ‘I thought I did OK. We're working on my speed and it's coming along. I just want to put it all together now – glad I've got my “comeback” fight out the way! I wanna fight as often as possible now. I've been sparring over in Manchester with Michael Jennings and that lot and done well. There's talk of me fighting James Hare in September and I'd love that fight – I trained with him as a kid and looked up to him a lot.' As well as Hare there's gossip about a possible future match with Ross Minter and Ingle trained Iranian Manoo Salari has also called him out in what would be a mouth-watering match-up. It's clear that Coldwell is aiming high for Brook (who has only 10 pro fights behind him) and perhaps Sports Network think that the motivation of big fights such as these is what Kell requires to keep in top shape. Certainly, the likes of Hare and Salari are far more difficult opponents than most 20 year-old prospects are matched with. ‘Kell really could – should – go all the way. He's got amazing power – it's a weird kind of power, he doesn't always seem to be putting everything into his punches but his timing is amazing. He's going to fight on the Barnsley bill in June – a TV date – and we're going to start really moving him up in class, seeing how he fares when he's in with someone throwing punches back at him. But I'm not worried about that at all - he's been sparring with a very, very well-known boxer recently – I won't tell you who – and he did brilliantly. He showed me what Kell Brook is all about.' Let's just hope Kell - as nice a kid as you could meet - shows the rest of us what he's been showing his trainer. And let's hope he does it where it matters - in the ring.

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Manoo May 5th 2006, 11:31:51 by brodie04 If i was Coldwell and Warren, i would keep Kel a million miles away from Manoo. I've seen him fight twice live (once from ringside) and he looks a very good fighter. Defeating Martin Concepcion was no mean feet. Manoo is heavy-handed, has a sound chin and good skills. Too early for Kel Brook. Tom Podmore.