Kell Brook is on different level to Zerafa

WBA super-welterweight world title eliminator
Sky Sports Action, 7pm Saturday

Speculation over a fight between Kell Brook and Amir Khan has been dominating the boxing headlines over the last week but for that to finally stand a chance of happening Special K must overcome Australian Michael Zerafa in a WBA super-welterweight world title eliminator in Sheffield.

He's a shoo-in according to the odds, which have Brook just 1-33 to emerge victorious in his home town, and it's not easy to make a case for the Aussie underdog.

We are often told that boxing is about levels, and Zerafa has been operating at a level well below Brook's. The Melbourne man has a decent record, winning 25 fights and losing just twice, but he has only once before fought someone at world level and it didn't end well with Peter Quillin sparking him out in five rounds in 2015.

Brook is certainly at world level and has been for many years. He has lost two of his last three contests, but they were against ultra-elite opponents Gennady Golovkin and Errol Spence Jr, and a two-round demolition of Sergey Rabchenko earlier this year proved that he still has plenty to offer.

This is seen as a warm-up fight for Brook ahead of bigger things in 2019, but he will want to make a statement and put extra pressure on Khan to fight him. He's known for his aggressive, fast starts and won't want to mess around against Zerafa, so evens that he gets the job done in the first six rounds looks a fair price.

Later in New York Vasyl Lomachenko - number one on The Ring magazine's pound-for-pound list - takes on Jose Pedraza (BoxNation, from 1.30am).

Pedraza is no mug but Loma is different class and should win convincingly. He is just 4-9 to get the KO victory, but consider backing him to win in rounds seven to 12 instead - only two of his 13 pro fights have ended before the seventh round.

Recommendations
K Brook to win in rounds one to six
1pt Evs Sky Bet
V Lomachenko to win in rounds seven to 12
1pt Evs Coral, Ladbrokes, Sky Bet

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