Eddie Hearn Comments on Kell Brook vs. Gennady Golovkin After London Fight Set
Matchroom boss Eddie Hearn thinks Kell Brook has “put his balls on the line” by agreeing to face Gennady “GGG” Golovkin later this year.
The surprise bout was announced last week, with the O2 Arena in London set to hold the fight on September 10. Brook is stepping up two weight classes to take on the best pound-for-pound fighter on the planet, and Hearn told IFL TV (h/t BoxingScene.com) it’s taken a massive amount of courage on the part of the Sheffield native:
"I'm so pleased with him, that he's decided to put his balls on the line and show immense courage against the best pound for pound fighter in the world. [The weight is] a disadvantage for Kell and it was a disadvantage of [Amir] Khan [against Canelo in May]. But Khan was never a big welterweight and Kell is a huge welterweight.
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It’ll be a massive challenge for Brook, who will know he’ll likely be walking head first into a hurricane of pain in the capital in September.
Golovkin has won every fight in his professional career, with 32 of his 35 wins coming inside the distance; his win against Dominic Wade in April was his 22nd consecutive knockout victory.
For any fighter, getting the better of GGG will be a huge ask, but for a welterweight stepping up, the power in the Kazakh’s fists is going to be tough to take. However, Hearn played down the significance of the bulking up Brook will have to do.
“The weight gives him some added comfort as well,” he said of Brook. “I'm not really too bothered about the size. Kell knows what he's getting himself into.”
It’s not an opinion shared by everyone, though. Chris Eubank Jr., who was rumoured to be close to agreeing a deal to fight GGG, per the initial source, made his feelings known on social media recently, although Brook had a swift response for his compatriot:
It’ll be a major jump in quality for Brook. He too has won all of his professional bouts and has been a dominant force in the welterweight division. However, after a very impressive win over Shawn Porter in August 2014, his opponents—Jo Jo Dan, Frankie Gavin and Kevin Bizier—haven’t been to the highest standard.
Golovkin evidently is. The Kazakh’s jab is a major weapon, allowing him to build attacks and keep his opponents on the back foot. Brook will have to be slippery in the ring to escape it, although GGG is an expert at chopping down space and striding after his prey.
Still, Brook is arguably one of the best fighters Golovkin has faced so far. While there have been comparison’s made between Amir Khan’s tussle with Saul “Canelo” Alvarez earlier in the year, Kevin Mitchell of the Guardian feels this one is the better fight on paper:
There’s an opportunity for Brook to make history too. “He has the chance to become the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world—how many chances do you get that in life?” said Hearn. “It’s the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world against arguably the best British pound-for-pound fighter.”
The Briton has been accused of ducking the elite fighters in the past, although that’s a slant that cannot be levelled at him any longer.
As Hearn put it, there’s a lot at stake for Brook here, and if he can somehow pull off a surprise result at the O2, it’ll be a catalyst for great things in the future. He, his promoter and all those in attendance in the capital on September 10 will know just how difficult it’ll be to tame boxing’s very own force of nature, though.
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