By Scott Gilfoid: Former super middleweight world title challenger Paul Smith thinks that welterweight Kell Brook (36-0, 25 KOs) will be able to land some shots against IBF/IBO/WBA/WBC middleweight champion Gennady “GGG” Golovkin (35-0, 32 KOs) in the first few rounds of their fight on September 10. However, Smith sees Golovkin catching up to Brook after three rounds and the fight could go downhill for the British fighter from that point on. Smith, 33, isn’t ruling out an upset in the fight. Smith does think Brook has a chance to beat Golovkin, but he sees it as a tough ask. Brook will need to move up two entire weight divisions to fight Golovkin.
Brook and his promoter Eddie Hearn have made a big deal about him being a junior middleweight in size, and possibly even as big as Golovkin on the night of their fight on September 10.
What Brook and Hearn are failing to point out is that this will be the first time that Brook has fought a huge puncher in the middleweight division. It doesn’t matter how big Brook is in terms of weight. What matters is that Brook is suddenly going to be getting hit harder than he ever has before.
When you’re used to getting hit by welterweights, it’s going to be a shock when all of a sudden you’re getting hit by the hardest puncher in the 160lb division in Golovkin. As such, Brook will likely fold once Golovkin starts landing head and body shots.
All training from here until September. #GGGBrook #GolovkinBrook pic.twitter.com/WWimRVMpbB
— Gennady Golovkin (@GGGBoxing) July 22, 2016
“For a few rounds, you can see Golovkin getting picked off a little bit. It’s the typical Kell Brook style,” said Paul Smith to IFL TV. “He’s a quality fighter. Then eventually, he’ll [Golovkin] catch up to him…For Kell Brook, it’s a no lose situation, because he won’t lose his title. He’ll still be champion. It’s a good payday for him. He’s got a chance. Of course, he’s got a chance [against Golovkin]. He’s got a chance, and the style is there to upset the applecart, but Golovkin is bit of a beast,” said Smith.
When asked who will have the harder fight of the two, Smith said, “For me, it’s Brook, for the jump up in weight. If this was Golovkin going up two weight classes, you’d think okay, but someone going up two weight classes to fight Golovkin. I know Kell’s a big lad. I know he’s a quality fighter. I know he’s strong. It’s a big ask. Golovkin is a different breed. The Daniel Geale knockout; he [Golovkin] got caught with a big shot that would rock a lot of fighters. He comes back with a counter after he was caught [to knockout Geale]. The body shot that did [Matthew] Macklin. The fighters that are durable, he’s [Golovkin] taken out of there. These are middleweights or big light middles. Kell’s a welterweight coming up. I’d love Kell to do it, but I’m a big fan of Golovkin,” said Smith.
I don’t see it mattering how big Brook is for this fight. Heck, he could blow up to 200 pounds after he makes weight on September 9, and he’ll still be out of his league when he gets inside the ring with GGG. Brook can try his clinching tricks to try and smother Golovkin’s offense like he did against Shawn Porter in 2014, but Golovkin is going to find a way to work an arm free while being held and look to tear Brook’s head off. Holding won’t work against Golovkin, and I hope for Brook’s sake that he doesn’t bring shame to himself by resorting to that. There’s too many boxing fans watching this fight, and it won’t present a pretty picture if Brook is seen holding on for dear life to save himself from becoming consecutive KO victim No.23. Sometimes you just got take the beating and go down with the ship. I hope Brook is brave on September 10 and doesn’t stink up the joint with spoiling/survival tactics like clinching 10+ times per round like we saw in his fight against Shawn Porter. That was so awful to look at. The elderly referee working that fight should have disqualified Brook for all the holding he did because it disrupted the entire fight, making it look like an MMA fight and not a boxing match.
“Publicity wise, he’s got nothing to lose really,” said Hughie Fury to IFL TV. “He’s fighting a good man. He’s going to go there and do his best, but I think he has no chance against him,” said Hughie about Brook’s fight against Golovkin.
Yeah, I agree with young Hughie. Brook doesn’t have a chance against Golovkin. About the only thing Brook can do is try and survive the entire 12 round distance by spoiling. I suppose that would be a major victory for Brook if he can spoil his way to going the full 12 round distance in losing every round of the fight.