Dominic Ingle reveals why he turned down offer to train Kell Brook for Terence Crawford fight
The former welterweight world champion is set to challenge the pound-for-pound star
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Your support makes all the difference.Kell Brook’s former trainer Dominic Ingle has revealed he refused the chance to train the welterweight to fight Terence Crawford due to the risk in travelling during the pandemic and a lack of notice.
Ingle guided Brook to the top of the sport and a world title in 2014 with victory in the United States against Shawn Porter.
But the Sheffield-based trainer will not help ‘The Special One’ next month on 14 November against the pound-for-pound contender Crawford, who will present the biggest test since defeat to Errol Spence Jr in 2017.
Top Rank chairman Bob Arum confirmed the fight, which will see the Briton fight for the first time since Mark DeLuca in February.
Las Vegas and Crawford's hometown of Omaha in Nebraska are options for the fight, with ‘Bud’ still to fight this year, having last defended his WBO world title in December last year against Egidijus Kavaliauskas.
But Ingle maintains the circumstances were not right to resume his partnership with the 34-year-old in the “twilight” of his career.
“He's back, he's doing stuff by himself, not an issue,” Ingle told Seconds Out. "The Covid situation and travel restrictions, I can't take the risk of going anywhere, I've got Liam Williams and Willy Hutchinson fighting.
"Kell is in the twilight of his career, it’s great he got the Crawford fight, he’s not a spring chicken himself. Well has been training well over the last couple of months, his weight is good, I don’t think he’ll have a problem making the weight.
"It’s too risky, I can’t be travelling back and forth from places. Kell is going freestyle, freelancing a bit. But I’ve got to concentrate on the kids coming through.
"Once they leave the gym and walk out, it’s not a concern, I don’t give it much thought. It’s not an issue. I don’t train people for a fight for less than 10-12 weeks.
“It’s not the way I’ve ever worked. No matter what money is involved. I’ve got ambition that my fighters will win. I need to know what their capabilities are, when to push them, pull them out or be careful with them.”
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