By Jake Donovan
Carson Jones is brimming with confidence heading into his July 7 welterweight showdown with Kell Brook and you really can’t blame him. The working-class American spoiler has spent the majority of his career taking fights with minimal notice and turnaround time.
It’s not at all the case for Saturday’s bout, in which Jones (34-8-2, 24KO) has enjoyed the rare luxury of a full training camp.
The American enters the fight riding a seven-fight win streak – all by knockout. The resume might not be as eye-catching as his opponent, though several of his losses came earlier in his career while being thrown to the wolves by previous management.
Things have changed dramatically in Jones’ career since hooking up with Bobby Dobbs and even more since permanently campaigning as a welterweight. Jones isn’t even concerned about traveling to Brook’s hometown of Sheffield, England, his first fight outside of the United States.
If anything, the veteran spoiler is relishing in the role of road warrior and underdog, confident that his hard road to the top has prepared him for the biggest fight of both fighters’ careers.
“He’s never been on this stage before,” Jones suggests of his Brook (27-0, 19KO). The statement isn’t entirely true in its most literal form – the Brit is in the midst of his an impressive stretch, having defeated a trio of former champs and title challengers within his last four fights.
However, Jones speaks more of the pressure leading into a big fight, more so than the fight itself. Brook has never been shy behind the mic, but hasn’t exactly kept a cool head during a promotion that has featured plenty of harsh words between the camps.
Brook openly admits that it has become personal, that he “can’t wait to knock your ass out” while speaking to the media during Wednesday’s press conference.
For Jones, Saturday’s fight at the Motorpoint Arena is just another day in the office.
“Nothing is personal in this business,” Jones insists. “I know what it takes. I know I’m inside his head. I’m a bull, he’s a lamb. You’re going to see that on Saturday night. He has a lot of maturing to do. He’s older than me by a year but he hasn’t had the experience. I had to learn the hard way. I know the ins and outs and I know what it takes (to win).”
Jake Donovan is the Managing Editor of Boxingscene.com. Follow Jake on Twitter: @JakeNDaBox
