Welterweight Kell Brook is in a similar position as Thomas Hearns back in 1980 on his way to Saturday's title bout against defending champion Shawn Porter on Showtime.

Thomas Hearns was undefeated, 29-0, but was overshadowed by the big names in boxing like Roberto Duran and Sugar Ray Leonard. The heavens opened up when he landed a title match against then-champion Pipino Cuevas.

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Hearns won the fight in a stunning upset when he knocked out Cuevas, who was on a 12-fight winning streak, in the second round. The match placed him on list of the all-time greats.

Fast forward 2014. Brook, undefeated with 32 wins and an astonishing knockout record (22 KO's), is going to face an unbeaten Porter (24-0-1 with 15 knockouts). If Brook can get an impressive win, doors will definitely open opportunities for the 24-year-old boxer.

Brook undeniably has speed and a tremendous punching power. However, his name is not within the radar of the American audience, except among die-hard boxing fans.

He has all the qualities of a boxing star and his potential is very promising. At the end of the road, Porter acts as a hurdle in achieving this status.

"I was born to do this," Brook said in an interview with Yahoo Sports' Kevin Lole. "For most of my life, from my earliest days, I wanted to be a world champion. I've sacrificed a lot and given a lot of myself to get here to this stage. And now that I'm here, I want to finish the job."

Positive mindset alone cannot give one a win. Hearns was able to prove himself that he has what it takes to be one of the all-time greats. On the other hand, Brook has not faced any big names in boxing yet.

The IBF title fight will determine how far he can go in the world of boxing.

TagsBoxing, Kell Brook, Shawn Porter, IBF, Thomas Hearns