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Brook eyes Khan following KO in American debut

Fighters Network
17
Dec

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — Unbeaten British welterweight Kell “Special K” Brook battered rival Luis Galarza with crisp lefts and rights behind a stiff jab throughout the fight on the way to a fifth-round knockout on Saturday night at Boardwalk Hall.

The 25-year-old Brook (26-0, 18 knockouts), making his American debut, forced referee Alan Huggins to step in and protect the game Galarza (18-3, 14 KOs) along the ropes at the 1:38 mark of the round.

Brook-Galarza took place on the undercard of a Showtime main event featuring the Super Six World Boxing Classic final and battle for THE RING’s vacant super middleweight crown between Andre Ward (24-0, 13 KOs), of Oakland, Calif., and Carl Froch (28-1, 20 KOs), of England.

Brook told RingTV.com during an interview on Friday that he wanted to “look sensational.”



“I want to knock someone out. I want to go out there and show the American public what I’m all about,” said Brook. “I’m coming over here to make my American debut, and I’m looking to shine. I’m looking to pop off for the public. I want to steal the show.”

Brook has been calling out countryman Amir Khan, and said that he that he felt that a solid outting against Galarza might draw him out.

“I think that our paths will cross and we will fight further down the line. I think that will happen later now, because he’s going to go for the rematch and stay at 140 for a bit,” said Kell of Khan.

“But eventually, he will move up to 140, and I’m the biggest name for him there in Britain out there for him, and soon, I’m going to be the biggest 147-pound fighter in America as well.”

In the fifth fight of the evening, New Jersey’s John Lennox (8-1, 4 KOs) slammed his opponent with about 13 unanswered punches, the last, an overhand right that dropped Pennsylvania’s Jeremiah Witherspoon (2-2, 1 KO) to his left shoulder.

Witherspoon was out cold, and so referee Randy Neumann did not need to count. The fight ended 50 seconds into the third round.

In the second bout of the evening, Puerto Rico-based Colombian light heavyweight Edison Miranda (35-6, 30 KOs) dropped his rival with a left hook and later battered him to the point where referee Alan Huggins stepped in to protect Tampa’s Kariz Kariuki (24-10-2, 19 KOs) for a fifth-round knockout at 2:15 of the round.

Click here for video of Miranda’s victory

In the night’s first bout, Los Angeles-based heavyweight Bowie Tupou (22-1, 16 KOs) floored his rival with a chopping right in the seventh of a 10-round unanimous decision over Donnell Holmes (33-2-2, 29 KOs) of Ivanhoe, N.C.

The 242-pound Tupou won, 95-94, on the cards of Barbara Perez and Luis Rivera, and, 96-93, on that of John Poturaj against the 226-pound Holmes.

“I felt great out there tonight. Donnell has a lot more experience than I do, you know. I was definitely the underdog going in there tonight,” said Tupou. “So I’m really happy with my performance and I can’t wait to get back in the ring.”

In the third bout, Houston light heavyweight Cornelius White (18-1-1, 15 KOs) bled profusely from over his left eye throughout the bout yet nevertheless banged out a unanimous decision over Yordanis Despaigne (9-2, 4 KOs) of Coral Gables, Fla.

Click here for video of White’s victory

Click here for White’s interview

White used a vicious body attack, also rising to the head against his game opponent to win, 59-55, on the cards of Perez and Rivera, and, 60-53, on that of Poturaj.

“I got cut over the eye in the early rounds but a headbutt, but I took it. I took it like a man and I kept coming,” said White, whose cut was ruled to have been caused by a punch.

“It wasn’t a distraction because I was determined to win no matter what. We had eight weeks of great training and there wasn’t anything that we weren’t prepared for.”

Lem Satterfield can be reached at [email protected]

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