Kell Brook wants to be a two-time world champion.
The Sheffield-born fighter is determined to make 2020 his year and wants to smash the next twelve months in stunning fashion. On Saturday, he takes on Mark DeLuca at the FlyDSA Arena in his home city and insists nothing but a "spectacular" win will suffice.
"2020 I want to be two-time champion," Brook told Matchroom Sports. "I've never been as driven, I've never been as focused in my whole career as I am now, because I want to mix it with the best. If I don't have an unbelievable performance, it doesn't count on February 8, I'm not happy. It's got to be spectacular.”
After a lengthy spell away from the ring, 'Special K' has not fought since December 2018, and is eager to remind boxing fans of what they’ve been missing.
“You've got to go away and think 'He's back better than ever.' That's what I want people to say. I want to be on everybody’s lips, ‘I can’t believe what this guy’s done. I can’t believe it. What’s happened? He’s the main man again'. That’s what I’m aiming for.”
He’s even prepared to drop a division to renew his name in the history books.
"I want whoever holds a belt, I want to be a two-time world champion this year. I could do welterweight. For the right fight, I'll do welterweight. It would have to be a meaningful fight. A world title fight, or a big meaningful fight."
DeLuca, an ex-marine, will fight for the vacant WBO Inter-Continental Super-Welterweight title and the American has caught the eye of Brook’s trainer Dominic Ingle.
"Dominic has seen the guy fight live a few times, it is a hard fight," Brook added. "He's tough, he's an ex-Marine, he's obviously into his fitness. He's very determined. He knows this is a chance to make a name for himself. He's going to give it his all.
"He's learnt on the road. He's got one defeat and the next fight he avenged the loss, so he's obviously learning. Really he's never lost, he's a winner. He believes this is his chance. I need to listen to the game plan from Dominic and then it's just about getting in there and executing it."
DeLuca is in confident mood ahead of the fight of his career and insists Brook has much to do with all of the eyes on him.
“This is the pinnacle of my career at this point, fighting a former world champion,” DeLuca told Matchroom Sports.
“Kell Brook fought two of boxing’s biggest bogeymen at the time in Errol Spence and Gennadiy Golovkin, he shook up their world. I have admiration and respect for Kell as a champion but in order for me to get to where he has been, I have to beat him in Sheffield.
“I can’t speak for him, but I know he is at the crossroads in his career. I know he wants to get back to where he once was and in order to do that he needs to beat me. I don’t think that he has taken this fight lightly. It’s a make or break fight for both of us.
“I don’t really get into social media or read online comments, but I think he is feeling the pressure ahead of this one. All of his fans are waiting for him to come back and it’s in his hometown. He has to deal with this pressure and show up and perform, he has his hands full.”
