The current WBA title holder, who is undefeated in 26 bouts, has admitted he’s an admirer of Brook – despite being a fierce divisional rival, after witnessing the Briton take the IBF belt from upcoming opponent Shawn Porter in 2014.
“I was there for the Kell Brook fight. I was ringside and I thought Shawn won the early rounds,” Thurman exclusively told World Boxing News.
“Going into about the fifth round, Kell Brook felt more comfortable, more established and I think he understood Shawn Porter’s timing better. He started landing that very nice jab and the straight right hand he has.
“From the fifth round on, I think Kell Brook really made the difference in that fight. He was landing the cleaner punches in the fight. Shawn Porter was throwing a lot of punches. He was a raging bull and wouldn’t stop throwing punches, even on the inside and even while being smothered. But in my opinion, it wasn’t effective and that’s one of the reasons why Shawn Porter lost.
“I think he should have made an adjustment, at least by the sixth or seventh round, but they didn’t make that adjustment and it allowed Kell Brook to fight the way he wanted to for the second half of the fight and dominate the fight. He was then able to win going into the judges’ scorecards.”
Despite ‘One Time’ being fully focused on locking horns with former sparring partner Porter on March 12 in Connecticut, Thurman has some interest in going on the road in order to fully cement a place as the top 147 pounder on the planet.
“The fight with Kell Brook is a good fight, especially if we go over there (UK) and do it.
“If really like his boxing style, I really like his accuracy, but any fighter will tell you about any other fighter in the world that they see something that can be exploited. They see something on why that fighter can be beat. So to beat Kell Brook is not outside of that exception.
“The American public really wants to know that if you beat Shawn Porter, ‘how good are you really?’
“Brook hasn’t really taken any damage and he has a good defence. I like the boy and a lot of people in America would like to see him in more competitive fights, especially since he won the world title.
“But it is what it is, and hopefully, one day we do get to make that fight happen because I plan on hurting everybody and to me the judges always have the best seat in the house.”
Asked straight up if a fight with Brook at Wembley in on his immediate radar, Thurman answered: “On a personal level, yes I’d be willing to do that. I don’t care where we fight. I never have, never will. I’m a true warrior, a true champion and every time I come for the victory, I come for the knockout.
“So Kell Brook, Amir Khan, it doesn’t matter which one I get in there with, I’m going to do my job.
“Kell Brook is an amazing fighter, and it would be big at Wembley, but it’s not the same as if we were to do it in America,” he added.
