By Scott Gilfoid: Kell Brook (36-0, 25 KOs) says he always finds a way to win and that Gennady “GGG” Golovkin (35-0, 32 KOs) has never been inside the ring with anyone with the kind of talent that he possesses. Well, we’re going to find out whether that’s so next month on September 10 when the two fighters face each other at the O2 Arena in London, England.
Right off hand, the 30-year-old Brook, whose claim to fame was clinching his way to a narrow 12 round decision over Shawn Porter is seen as totally deluded in think he can beat or even compete with Golovkin.
Brook is patting himself on the back and looking confident, but the boxing public isn’t buying into it, even Brook’s loyal British fans. They’re just saying that they hope Brook wins, but they’re not kidding themselves about his chances. They know obviously that Brook has really stepped in it this time by choosing to fight the best middleweight in the division when he’s not even proven that he’s the best fighter in the 147lb division.
To be sure, a fight between Brook and Golovkin would make sense if Brook was seen as the best fighter in the 147lb division, but he’s not. Oh yeah, Brook is considered the best welterweight with Ring Magazine, but that’s just a small group of individuals giving their opinion.
“I’m punching very hard. The speed is there,” said Brook to skysports.com. “I’m going to shock the world. Don’t be shocked. I’m going to find a way to beat Triple G and take those belts off him. This guy can punch like a mule. It’s going to make me sharp. My eyes are going to be on the ball in this fight,” said Brook.
First of all, mules can’t punch; so Brook’s comparison of Golovkin to that of a mule throwing a punch doesn’t make a heck of a lot of sense. A mule can certainly kick with a lot of power, but they don’t punch. I’ve never actually seen a mule throw a punch before. As far as Brook shocking the world, I can’t see that happening. If you saw how Brook looked against his recent opponents Kevin Bizier, Jo Jo Dan and Frankie Gavin, there was nothing in the performances from him that would suggest that he’ll be doing anything other than getting knocked out by GGG on September 10.
The way Brook looked against Bizier, Dan and Gavin, I can’t see him beating Keith Thurman, Errol Spence or Shawn Porter [with a referee that is doing his job by policing Brook’s clinching]. I would be more inclined to change my mind about Brook if he would fight at middleweight and knock off some names like Tureano Johnson, Chris Eubank Jr., David Lemieux, Daniel Jacobs, Peter Quillin, Any Lee and Billy Joe Saunders. But since Brook hasn’t done any of those things, I can’t give him any chance of beating Golovkin.
Instead of thinking about winning the fight, Brook’s goal should be a small one of just going the full 12 round distance with him. I think it would be a major victory for Brook if he could just last the full 12 rounds in losing by a lopsided 12 round decision to GGG.
If Brook lasts the full distance while spoiling the whole time by holding and running, he would be the first fighter that has gone the distance with Golovkin since his fight in 2008. That’s eight years of straight knockout wins for Golovkin, and Brook could break the streak, which is now at 22 consecutive fights.
“Kell has the audacity to think he can come up to 160 pounds,” said Golovkin’s trainer Abel Sanchez.
Yeah, Brook is going to move up two weight divisions to take on Golovkin in this fight, but he’s going to get a painful remainder in this fight that he shouldn’t try that again. Getting knocked out viciously by Golovkin should be lesson enough for Brook not to try that trick again in the future if he gets any other bright ideas that he can compete with guys in this weight class. Brook should be looking to fight Saunders rather than Golovkin. It’s a mistake on his part to be fighting Golovkin because he can get really hurt in this fight.
“He’s never been inside the ring with anyone like me,” said Brook. “I’m unbeaten for a reason. I always find a way to win.”