Will Brook ease to victory or can Bizier cause an upset?

On Saturday, Kell Brook (35-0-K024) defends his IBF welterweight belt against mandatory challenger Kevin Bizier (25-2-K017) in front of his hometown crowd in Sheffield; it’s a test Brook is expected to come through with relative ease.

Brook’s third title defence should have been against the rugged Diego Chaves, however, an injury sustained to Brook’s ribs during preparations saw Bizier fill the void. The kudos he will earn for beating Bizier is questionable, nonetheless, Brook’s performance needs to reflect his ‘Special One’ nickname.

Bizier will be doing his best to upset the odds; hopefully the opportunity produces a fan-pleasing performance from the Canadian. Despite his credible record and an impressive victory over the previously unbeaten Fredrick Lawson last November, Bizier is a huge underdog with the bookmakers.

The Canadian doesn’t appear to possess anything the champion won’t have seen before. His accuracy, power, ring generalship and boxing IQ all are inferior to the man he’s facing. Both fighters share a common opponent, having both previously fought Jo Jo Dan, of whom Brook dealt with ease, dispatching him in just four rounds. Bizier, on the other hand, went the distance twice, losing split decisions.

If Bizier does come out aggressively, Brook’s first and best line of defence is his jab- it’s one of the best in the division. Should Bizier be able to get past Brook’s ramrod jab, he’s declared his intention to rough Brook up. Can he make it uncomfortable for Brook in there, grind him down and force the champion into a dark place? It’s not easy, just ask Shawn Porter.

The last fighter who successfully pressured Brook and made him look genuinely uncomfortable was Carson Jones. Again, the 2016 version of Brook is a far more experienced, better prepared and more accomplished fighter than the one that fought Jones.

If Brook senses early on that he can take Bizier’s power, he may choose to stay in the pocket. This may produce some entertaining action for the fans. More likely than not, however, he’ll stick to his basics, keep it long, sit on the back foot and neutralise his opponent at range.

Bizier will be looking to join the likes of fellow Canadian champions Bute, Stevenson, Pascal and Lemieux. How Brook deals with his opponent on Saturday night is important, however, just as important is what he and his promoter Eddie Hearn do next. It’s time for Brook to step up.

He deserves credit for going over to America to earn his title, not to mention having to recover to full fitness following a near fatal stabbing. But he must move on from here. Brook’s been doing his job, taking care of whoever is put in front of him. But as impressive as his victory was over Shawn Porter, that was back in 2014. There are massive unification bouts out there with the likes of Danny Garcia and Keith Thurman threatening to be much sterner opposition and push Brook in every department.

These are the sort of names Brook should be mixing it with. The IBF’s tolerance for fighters not taking mandatory defences is well known (just ask Tyson Fury) but Brook needs and deserves to be fighting the big names. If he wants to go down as one of Britain’s great fighters, then his choice of opponent needs to reflect that ambition. Brook does not inhabit a division devoid of world-class talent. He’s the champion of the world; now he needs to box like it.

Published on behindthegloves.com

Kovalev vs. Pascal II Preview

Sergey Kovalev currently rules the roost in the light heavyweight division and is one of boxing’s most feared pugilists. For one of the weight class’s hardest punchers, there’s smoothness to his work. He doesn’t load up with his shots; instead, his punches are released with fluidity in twos, threes and fours. He keeps himself balanced, poised and controls the distance well. He’s a smart fighter too- perhaps the most technically proficient 175-pounder bar Andre Ward. For much of his career, Kovalev fought for little reward away from the attention of the mainstream broadcasters. Now, however, thanks to his fan-pleasing style and promoter Kathy Duva, he’s risen from relative obscurity to become one of HBO’s biggest stars.

Tomorrow night he puts his 28 fight unbeaten record on the line against the awkward and strong Jean Pascal. Pascal now lives in Canada but heralds from Haiti, and has been in with some of the division’s finest, including Kovalev. Their first fight proved highly entertaining; a great stylistic matchup and well worthy of a second run. For the most part, Kovalev dominated the bout, landing the most hurtful punches and sending Pascal to the canvas for the first time in his professional career. But there were moments in the fight where the momentum swung. Pascal had the Russian visibly wobbled in places before the fight ended in the 8th with the referee stopping the contest.

So should fans expect the rematch to deliver a different result? Both fighters have weighed and are in fantastic shape, as we’d expect. Pascal has made the most noticeable changes to his camp, bringing in hall-of-fame trainer Freddie Roach. Quite what Roach can add to Pascal’s performance with just this training camp for the two to gel is uncertain. Roach has a wealth of experience and is a great tactician. But even if he can refine Pascal’s style, tighten up his punches a bit, and bring a bit more boxing to his game, is that going to be enough to trouble Kovalev. If Pascal’s game plan is to outbox Kovalev, I don’t see it working. To my eye, the better boxing skills lie with the Russian. It’s hard to get past Kovalev’s jab for one. He uses it as a weapon, directing it to head and body. Once he’s softened you up with the jab, he brings in behind it brutal straight rights and hooks. Will Roach be able to bring some refinement to Pascal’s game, and even if he can, how much will that benefit him. Much of Pascal’s success in their first meeting came from slipping inside and under Kovalev’s shots, launching his big bombs around the side of Kovalev’s guard. He did have some success with the straight right counter too. Injecting a bit more method to Pascal’s attacks would stand to reason. Coming in behind a jab would surely help. And keeping on the front foot too, I see as key. When Kovalev is backing you up, you’re in trouble. I believe Pascal needs to pressure Kovalev, make use of the jab more and bring in his power shots behind it. If he can unsettle Kovalev’s rhythm and make it uncomfortable in there for him, he could have some success. He has the power to hurt Kovalev. I can see Roach bringing improvements to Pascal; whether those improvements will bring a greater degree of competitiveness rather than a change in result is unsure. Pascal will no doubt have moments in the fight, and Roach’s work may be enough to stop it ending in a knockout. Ultimately, though, I see this as Kovalev’s night.