Vinny’s Views: Boxing Fans Errol Spence, JR – Kell Brook Showed Us Why We Love Our Great Sport!

By Vinny “Glory Days” Lucci

Amid a crossfire of hurricanes a new champion was crowned this past weekend at Bramall Lane, Sheffield England as Errol Spence, JR. crossed the pond to become the man who would be king and returns home to Texas as the new IBF welterweight champion. In a bout where he was slightly favored, to win by Vegas odds he defied the live gate of 30 thousand with a rousing display of heart and power as he admittedly wasn’t sharp and found the champion Kell Brook a much harder fight than anticipated.

The word “fight” is relative word as the defending champion proved to be a better boxer on almost every level, but it was Spence, JR. who won the war by outlasting his quarry in trench warfare as the rounds eclipsed. It was noted here that this was as close as a pick-em’ match that you’d find all year in a quality title fight. Errol deserves to take a bow along with that belt as he not only overcame hostile territory he won over the judges too as he was ahead of scorecards at time of eleventh round stoppage.

Kell Brook was undefeated at 147 pounds and making his fourth defense of welterweight crown where he has been so dominant that many of the media and fan set believed he was the best of the division having taken Shawn Porter’s title while sharing alphabet honors with lineal WBO champ Manny Pacquiao and WBA/WBC champion Keith Thurman. It must be noted here that neither the champion nor challenger had an impressive ledger of vanquished names on their resumes. The talent and skillset were undeniable but this was the first time either boxer would face competition equally matched in height, firepower, and boxing acumen. As Spence, JR. arose as the man who beat the man it quickly ignited a “who’s next” wave of anticipation for a unification match for his next challenge.

Recapping the fight is a moot point on a round by round basis as all three judges’ scorecards were different as well as Showtime’s unofficially televised analyst Steve Farhood, and theirs varied from mine. Not that anybody was wrong but almost every round was split evenly down the middle as a two chapter brawl. In the first five rounds a similar scenario would play out where one or the other would come forward stalking and gaining advantage in pushing their adversary back on his heels with jabs or single power shots only to surrender the work ethic and admiration by allowing a tennis match of give and take where the momentum completely shifted.

At end of each round if you weren’t making notes as to who did more with their time in control than it was fairly easy to lose sight of the action and rewarding the round to who you liked to begin with. What was apparent from the onset was Brook looked classier boxing and had better balance. His angles, jabs and uppercuts were making the Showtime announcing team who called the fight question early on if this was a case of too much, too soon for Spence, JR.?

In round six, the challenger got tagged well in the opening seconds but then began to impose his will on Brook and completely dominated the round until the last twenty seconds. The following round was as even by proxy in punch count but an underlining current was rising with the tide. Spence, JR. was now finding his mark with more regularity and his accuracy at mid punching range was becoming prevalent. Regardless how even it looked Kell was beginning to take too much thunder amid the storm.

The champion’s heart was on display in the eighth where they continued to trade evenly but now the challenger’s legs appeared rubbery and he was visibly tired and wobbled at end of stanza.

When they returned from corners between rounds in was clear that the scorecards were close and any lead the champion held was surly usurped as Errol played catch up based on heart and ability to soak up a punch and return fire. With four rounds to go in a highly competitive and exciting match the fight was still up for grabs depending on who had more in their proverbial gas tanks.

Spence, JR. would come out at the bell renewed and on a mission not to let his trip overseas be nothing more than a paid vacation. He continued to walk his man down with visible effects as Kell’s left eye began to close and he frequently pawed at it. Twice the tape on his gloves was loose and action had to be halted so his corner could cut the debris and refasten. During those mini time outs his trainer implored him to six second speeches trying to cheer his fighter to victory with a win at all costs lecture. While his legs did not betray him his eye once again did.

Focusing began to be a problematic handicap he could not overcome. (Kell’s only previous loss was to middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin by fifth round stoppage last September due to broken orbital bone.) Driven back to the ropes time and again he was now in survival mode and fighting on heart and instinct. The tide quickly changed with Errol now firmly in control and seeking a knockout that he promised the media. To his credit as a champion Kell did pick his spots and landed several power counters hoping to once again dissuade his tormentor from forward aggression.
Round ten was more of the same until the last 35 seconds when Kell voluntarily took a knee and eight count surrendering a two point round to judges’ score cards.

At the half way mark of round and trying to maintain gravity through double vision the champion took a knee for a second time with his mind reverberating over the possibility of he was again suffering a possible career ending eye injury.

Referee Howard Foster called off the fight at end of eight count giving Errol Spence, JR. his 19th KO on his unblemished record of 22-0.

Brook’s record now stands at 36-2, 25 KO’s losing some luster amid bad karma, fate, or perhaps luck. It’s highly debatable as to whether the back to back losses would have played out any different if he hadn’t sustained eye injuries.

Of note, it was reported by promoter Eddie Hearn that Kell once again fractured his eye socket, but this time it was his left orbital bone leaving his fans on baited breath to his future in the game.

Yes, quite likely titanium will once again be used to repair the broken socket but it leaves more questions than answers as to the nature of the injury. Is the density of Brooks’ skull thin or porous and susceptible to breakage? If it heals to satisfaction will he decide to rest on laurels and retire at age 31, or evoke the ambers of combat in his soul and elect to wage artistic war seeking another crown?

From here we get down to the nitty-gritty as few boxers ever retire without at least one comeback. Would Kell’s pride seek a rematch next year on American soil? Would his camp elect to quietly steer him away from heavy handed adversaries like Spence, JR. and look to re-establish himself against formidable, but smaller welters like Keith Thurman, Manny Pacquiao, and Danny Garcia? Finally, does this jeopardize his much ballyhooed and long overdue match against another fighter of damaged goods in Amir Kahn? If I were Hearn I’d risk the fragile eyes against the fragile chin any day of the week while I ran to the bank with heavy satchel in hand. From there, Kell needs to be carefully guided in positioning himself to a title run. Even with back to back losses Brook is still a threat to reclaim a belt. One has to consider both sides of the coin handicapping his next fight. Who did he just lose to; and who is he fighting next? Wise money says stay at welter and leave the Charlo brothers be.

As for Spence, JR., this young man passed all the tests every boxer needs to answer sooner or later at some point in their career. When equally matched in power and skill he was able to dig down and win with heart, guile, and the dogged determination of a champion. At 27, he has ascended to the throne in perfect timing to greet his peak years. I’d make Errol the betting favorite over any welterweight in foreseeable future as he awaits the emergence of Junior Welterweight champion Terence Crawford to rise seven pounds north in his continued quest for greatness.

Onward, my mind is going a hundred miles an hour wondering if the rematch between Andre Ward and Sergey Kovalev for Ward’s light heavyweight belts on June 17th can live up to the hype and surpass the action of this bout?

Stay tuned…

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