KELL Brook is such a hot favourite for Saturday's British welterweight title bout that his trainer believes he would have been able to end the contest "in two or three rounds" had it not been the fact that his opponent is a southpaw.
"Kell is much stronger and more powerful and if Barrie Jones had been an orthodox boxer it would not have lasted very long," says Dave Coldwell.
"But it is tricky sometimes against southpaws and Jones is tall and has a long reach.
"Kell can't allow him to get at him from long range. He has to take the fight to him straight away, get in some body shots and take away the advantage of Jones being tall and southpaw."
Brook, 22, from Hillsborough, fights Jones at London's Bethnal Green on Saturday.
He has not had an easy run-up to the championship event.
Two previous attempts to contest the title were postponed through injury to his would-be opponent, Scotsman Kevin McIntyre, who has since been stripped of the belt.
"The challenge has been to keep his focus, and he certainly has done that," said Coldwell. He has been dynamite in the gym. His hand-speed is incredible and he has a ramrod jab."
Jones beat Brook's Rotherham gym-mate Daniel Thorpe 14 months ago, but Thorpe believes Brook will "walk through" Jones.
Says Coldwell: "This is Kell's dream; everybody's dream. It is the biggest purse of his career. He is about the take off, and although he is the favourite, he is aware of all the banana-skins that lie in wait."
Brook, a Frank Warren fighter, has won all of his 16 fights, nine by KO.
Jones has won all 16 of his fights barring one, his last contest in March against Ponty-pool-based Tony Doherty, for the Welsh title.
Meanwhile, South Yorkshire's vanquished WBC light-welter champion Junior Witter has been installed as the mandatory challenger for Gianluca Branco's European crown.
What do you think? Post your comments below. READ MORE Football headlinesMore BladesMore OwlsMore SpireitesMore RoversMore RedsMore MillersMore Ice HockeyMore rugby leagueMore rugby unionMore boxingSports columnistsAll sport categoriesThe full article contains 374 words and appears in Sheffield Star newspaper.
