Kell Brook says he knew he wasn’t finished with his boxing career when he got bored of sitting on a beach.
The 33-year-old former IBF welterweight champion, steps back in the ring in Sheffield on February 8, when he faces American Mark DeLuca in a super-welterweight 12-rounder, having not boxed in 2019.
Brook says he has made enough money in his 15 years as a professional to never have to box again, but he hopes that victory over DeLuca could propel him into a fight with Terence Crawford that eluded him last year.
“It was never the intention [taking a year out],” Brook said. “I went to America wanting Crawford, wanting to make that fight. We were in deep talks, but it never materialised into anything. I got fed up with it.
“I thought take a backwards step. No one was excited about Kell Brook anymore. So I took some time off and went travelling a little bit.
“I enjoyed my time with my little girls, but after a while I started getting bored and a bit depressed. I went to Thailand, I did Disneyland with the kids but I felt my place was here.”
Brook has suffered two defeats in his career, to Gennady Golovkin and Errol Spence, suffering fractured eye sockets in both fights. He still believes he has what it takes to beat the best at welterweight or super-welterweight.
“All I know is boxing,” he said. “I’ve got enough money not to have to box again, but I love competing, I like running against others, sparring with others and I still believe when I see these fighters that I can beat them.
“I still feel I’ve not lost. I had two eye injuries. To this day I feel like I have never been outclassed, it has always been a bad injury. I couldn’t walk away without giving it a proper go.
“After this fight there is no holiday, I just want to build on this and go for all the top boys.”
DeLuca, 31, from Massachusetts, has won 24 of his 25 fights, avenging his only loss to Walter Wright in 2018. He has not boxed anything like the standard of opposition that Brook has. If Brook were to lose, he says he will have no choice but to retire.
“If I get beat I will be done,” Brook said. “It would be over. Because if I can’t beat DeLuca, how am I going to wipe myself down and shout out to the top boys. If I can’t beat him, then why am I going to carry on?
“I don’t overlook anyone. He’s tough, he was beaten but went back and got revenge, he’s a marine, he wants it and this is his golden ticket. If he beats me, he’s up there.”