By Jeff Aranow: IBF welterweight champion Kell Brook had better watch out because challenger Errol Spence Jr. says he’s going to go to his backyard and take his title from him and bring it back to the U.S. The two fighters will be facing each other on either May 20 or May 27 in Brook’s hometown of Sheffield, England. Brook’s promoter Eddie Hearn keeps saying that he wants the fight to be moved to May 27.
Spence (21-0, 18 KOs) says that Brook came to the U.S to win the IBF title in beating Shawn Porter in 2014, so he plans on returning the factor by defeating him in his hometown of Sheffield. Spence isn’t worried about fighting in front of Brook’s fans. He thinks he can still beat him.
“I’m built different,” said Spence to Fighthype.com, when asked why he’s willing to face Brook in his own hometown of Sheffield. “He came over here and took the title, so I’ll go to his backyard and bring it back. That’s the type of fighter I am. I’m not scared to go to his backyard to take what I think is mine,” said Spence.
When reminded that Brook used a lot of constant holding to defeat Porter in 2014, Spence said, “We have ways. We have two different styles. It’s going to be a tough fight. Kell Brook, he can fight. It’s going to be a good fight. We’re the same size. I’m one of those avoided guys.”
Keeping Brook from holding will be tricky for Spence. Brook hasn’t done a lot of holding in his recent fights, but he might go back to that style if he feels he has no other options. In Brook’s last fight against Gennady Golovkin, it appeared that he wanted to make a favorable impression on the boxing fans in a fight that he had no chance of winning.
In fights like that, it doesn’t pay to spoil and look bad in front of the fans by try to nullify your opponent’s offense. But with Brook facing the potential of him losing his International Boxing Federation title welterweight, he might choose to limit the amount of punches Spence throws. There’s several ways to limit Spence’s punches. 1. Brook can move constantly like he did against Golovkin. 2. Brook can throw a lot of punches to keep Spence from being able to get his own shots off or 3. Brook can hold frequently. It’s going to be up to Spence to try and deal with Brook’s tactics if he chooses to spoil rather than fighting him.