By Scott Gilfoid: #1 IBF, Kell Brook (30-0, 20 KO’s) will reportedly be facing former WBA World welterweight champion Vyacheslav Senchenko (33-1, 22 KO’s) in his next fight, according to Boxing News. I hope this is wrong, because I honestly don’t consider the 36-year-old Senchenko as a big name or even close to being a big name.

Senchenko was BADLY exposed last year in April in getting stopped in the 9th round by the feather-fisted Paulie Malignaggi. I don’t care that Senchenko beat a rusty, WAY past his best Ricky Hatton in his last fight in November of last year. I still see Senchenko, #11 WBA, #12 IBF, #13 WBC, as not being a big name at 147. He’s a fringe contender and that’s it.

Why is it that we keep hearing that Brook will be fighting a big name fight after fight and instead we see him fighting guys like Matthew Hatton, Hector Saldivia, and Carson Jones? It’s just pretty sad because the training wheels should have come off for Brook years ago. I mean, the guy is a 9-year pro and he’s still not fighting upper echelon of the welterweight division.

Why isn’t Brook fighting Keith Thurman, Diego Chaves, Adrien Broner, Marcos Maidana, Victor Ortiz, Robert Guerrero or Ruslan Provodnikov? I can understand him not fighting for a world title given that he blew it big time recently when he had a chance to fight for a title against IBF welterweight champion. But I don’t understand why Brook isn’t being matches against the best welterweights like the fighters mentioned above.

Instead of fighting those guys, we’re seeing Brook matched against Saldivia, Hatton, Jones and now Senchenko. I’m wondering what will happen if Brook ever captures one of the world titles. I can picture him fighting a lot of fringe contenders instead of meaningful fights. I would hope I’m wrong about that, but judging by the kinds of guys he’s been facing in his 9-year pro career, I think we’d see never ending tune-ups by him.

Senchenko was the WBA welterweight champion from 2009 to 2012 and his time as the WBA belt holder was one of the most undistinguished reins that I can remember. During his time as the WBA champion, Senchenko fought the following fighters: Motoki Sasaki, Charlie Navarro, Marco Antonio Avendano and Paulie Malignaggi.