If "The Special One" Kell Brook wants to be considered one of the premier welterweights in the world, he has to be dominant in his rematch against Carson Jones on Saturday night.
Brook is 29-0 with 19 KO in his career. He's defeated the likes Matthew Hatton and Lovemore Ndou to garner some attention in his native United Kingdom, but he hasn't attained much notoriety anywhere else in the world. To ultimately join the crowded 147-pound title picture, Brook has to prove that he's at least one of the four or five best welterweights in the world.
Can Brook compete with the likes of Floyd Mayweather Jr., Manny Pacquiao, Juan Manuel Marquez, Timothy Bradley, Adrien Broner or even fellow Brit, Amir Khan? He's mentioned squaring off with Khan in the past, but things haven't yet taken shape on that front.
Brook is talented enough to be considered one of the best in his weight region. However, the first step towards driving that point home to the public is scoring a decisive victory over Jones.
This will be the second time Brook and Jones have met in the ring. Brook won a majority decision over Jones in July 2012, but it wasn't exactly his best performance. Jones is a respectable welterweight, but the 26-year-old American is far from what most would consider elite.
For Brook to struggle with Jones wasn't a positive for the former's reputation.
IFilm provides this interview with Brook where he discusses the rematch with Jones and his current career prospects and potential rivalries.
Since the win over Jones, Brook hasn't been active. Injuries have led to repeated cancellations with IBF welterweight champion, Devon Alexander. Because of the setbacks, the 27-year-old from Sheffield, Yorkshire is making just his second in-ring appearance since narrowly defeating Jones a year ago.
The absence has robbed him of any momentum he'd established. Because of the lack of weight Jones' name carries in the sport, Brook needs a big performance to distance himself from a fighter most would view as a middle-of-the-road contender.
BoxRec.com has Jones ranked just 23rd in the world amongst welterweights.
Just like the first fight with Jones, the rematch will take place in Brook's backyard at Craven Park Stadium in Hull, Yorkshire, United Kingdom.
All but one of Brook's 29 professional fights have taken place in the United Kingdom. He may ultimately have to venture outside of the comforts of his country to maximize his global appeal. However, he can't afford to look past an opponent he's already failed to handle with ease.
Brook has to remove doubt as to who is the better man between he and Jones before he can chase the bigger fish in the welterweight pond.
Brook needs to make a statement.
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