The GG-Giant Killer: Underdog Kell Brook Has the Tools to Shock the Boxing World

Trying to pick one word to describe Gennady Golovkin is a tougher task than predicting Paul Pogba's next hairstyle.

Is Golovkin "impressive" in action? Absolutely. Is GGG "dominant" as a pro? A 35-0 record, with 32 of those wins coming by knockout, suggests so. Is the former amateur star "imposing" to his peers? Look at the middleweights who are seemingly unwilling to share a ring with him and you have your answer.

But is he unbeatable?

Golovkin has looked that way so far in the paid ranks. He's left a long trail of destruction at 160 pounds, dismantling all foes he's faced with his aggressive approach.

Kell Brook is next in line. Many believe the Englishman has bitten off more than he can chew. After polling their online team for a prediction, Boxing Monthly came up with a 9-0 vote in Golovkin's favour.

There's a reason for the one-sided nature of the predictions. Experienced middleweights have buckled under pressure, yet here is Brook moving up two whole divisions to try and slay the division's dragon.

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"The Special One" will have to live up to his nickname if he is to pull off a huge upset at the O2 Arena in London.

Per Odds Shark, he is a 7-2 shot to dethrone the IBF and WBC champion (the WBA belt is not on the line after the governing body failed to sanction the bout). The pessimists would suggest his price is still far too short.

Brook's supporters, though, can point to history as a reason for hope.

Muhammad Ali was not expected to be able to cope with George Foreman in 1974, yet found a way to win the Rumble in the Jungle and regain the world heavyweight title. In 1990, James "Buster" Douglas burst the bubble of invincibility around the "Baddest Man on the Planet" by stopping Mike Tyson.

Just like the formidable opponents Foreman and Tyson, Golovkin's reputation is built on knockout power.

At 5′10½″, he's not that physically imposing. He's not one to use psychological warfare to gain an advantage either, as the 34-year-old does his talking in the ring. His actions speak far louder than his words.

Instead, he dazzles with the way he goes about his business. His work-rate is always high and he rarely takes a backward step, not allowing his opponents the chance to recover from his constant attacks.

With his clever footwork, GGG is able to cut off the ring before throwing lethal combinations to both head and body. Paul Hayward wrote in the Telegraph how the man from Karaganda is a "relentless hunter, blending Kazakh rigour with Mexican aggression."

So, when it comes to Golovkin, the audience knows exactly what to expect. It is the man in the opposite corner who will decide how the story unfolds.

By stepping up, Brook no longer holds a physical advantage.

At 147 pounds, he was able to physically control opponents. Shawn Porter—who failed to rough him up in their fight in 2014 and ended up losing his IBF title on points—admitted in a video interview with FightHype (from 1:18 in the clip below) how Brook's strength caused him problems.

Golovkin will not be bullied in the same way. Pushing around welterweights is one thing, but GGG won't budge so easily. To attempt such tactics on a regular basis would only use up energy anyway.

Brook's fitness needs to be at an all-time peak. Boxing is not a game you can play at if you want to reach the very top, as he nearly found out to his cost when surviving a scare against Carson Jones in 2012.

The former British champion should be physically ready for the biggest night of his boxing life after going back to school for advice.

Guided by the Boxing Science team at Sheffield Hallam University, the 30-year-old has meticulously prepared his body for not only the rigours of going 12 rounds at a high intensity, but also how best to carry the added muscle that comes with putting on 13 pounds.

Bigger doesn't necessarily mean better. However, Danny Wilson—co-founder of Boxing Science—told Bleacher Report: "We’ve seen from the data that he [Brook] is getting fitter, faster and stronger. The numbers don’t lie."

Importantly, it appears the move to middleweight hasn't affected two other key areas of performance: Accuracy and speed.

Having spent time in camp working as a sparring partner, Liam Williams, the reigning British champion at super welterweight, can testify Brook hasn't lost any of his sharpness despite growing in size.

"The speed of his punches…you don’t see them coming," the Welshman—who is preparing to defend his Lonsdale belt on October 22 against Ahmet Patterson—said.

"I was surprised by his accuracy, too. He doesn’t waste many shots at all, and that’s probably what he needs. He’s got to keep as much in the tank as possible."

The Brook jab will need to be particularly accurate. A fundamental weapon in any boxer's armory, it not only sets up attacking opportunities but also acts as a deterrent in defence.

Williams noted to Bleacher Report how Brook's jab was both "sharp" and "solid" during their work. Reece Cartwright—another fighter used for sparring during training camp—described it as a "spiteful."

However, the best way to keep a rival at bay is to hurt him with power shots.

That's easier said than done with Golovkin, as he hasn't really been bothered by any middleweight yet. His policy is to keep coming forward no matter what, working on the proviso that to land his own punches he may have to take one or two coming back in the opposite direction.

Brook, therefore, has to earn the respect of his rival. Wilson's data revealed he's hitting harder than before, but can he really produce a big punch to make GGG think twice about stepping into range?

Cartwright knows exactly how hard his fellow Yorkshireman hits.

The 22-year-old from Leeds, who has won the IBF Youth title at middleweight, is a tall, awkward sparring partner picked to make a nuisance of himself. At 6'3" and with a willingness to run through brick walls, it must have felt for Brook like he was up against boxing's version of Stretch Armstrong.

"He's powerful. People are going to be shocked when they see how powerful he really is," Cartwright said after going eight rounds. "I know Golovkin is meant to be this machine, but Kell has got a punch on him."

Junior Witter—a former world champion—has seen Brook develop at close quarters, ever since young Ezekiel (Kell's birth name) first stepped through the doors at the famous St Thomas' Boxing Gym in Wincobank, Sheffield.

"His accuracy and timing is brilliant, but he also carries power. The bigger he is, the harder he punches," "The Hitter" said.

"I said a few years ago to Dominic [Ingle] that Kell hits harder when he’s heavier than when he’s down at the welterweight limit. I think it will suit him better. I didn’t see him being at welterweight much longer anyway. I saw him moving up and dominating."

Witter—who has done so many rounds of body sparring with Brook that there may not be enough fingers and toes in the city of Sheffield to count them all on—reckons his gym-mate has a "killer instinct" in the ring.

"Kell sees a weakness, finds a flaw. Then he pounces on it," he added.

The problem is, though, Golovkin hasn't displayed too many weaknesses. Instead, he's walked through every man put in front of him.

Martin Murray, who managed to make it to Round 11, told Richard Damerell of SkySports.com: "When I fought the other world-class fighters, like Sergio Martinez, Felix Sturm, Arthur Abraham and then recently George Groves, they all give you time to think but Golovkin doesn't—that's the difference."

Murray lasted so long because of his ability to absorb punishment. You simply cannot expect to avoid, block, defend and duck the high volume of punches Golovkin sends your way. Eventually, he's going to catch up with you.

Williams suggested that could be the crux of the fight: "Ability-wise, Kell can definitely do it. He’s fit and can punch, but the main thing is over whether he can take shots from Golovkin."

Brook hasn't looked in any serious trouble against welterweights, and no doubt he's mentally readied himself to get tagged by one of the heaviest hitters around in the sport today.

Only when he takes that first left hook to the body—a punch GGG loves to throw—or when he cannot avoid a long right looping over the top, will the challenger have an appreciation for what he is truly up against.

It is a monumental task, even Brook must acknowledge that. But, he has seemingly relished preparing for the bout ever since he nipped in front of Chris Eubank Jr. to sign the contract.

Ingle believes the bigger the challenge, the better his man will be.

"He [Brook] never actually slacks off, he trained hard for the [Kevin] Bizier fight because he’d been out for so long," he said. "But if you can train for those opponents that you don’t feel offer a major threat, you’re obviously going to work even harder for someone who is a genuine danger."

"It’s like when he took on Shawn Porter," Ingle said. "He knows in the back of his mind that he’s up against a guy who wants to take his head off, but he doesn’t want that to happen."

The hard work is done now. Brook has built up his body, put in the hours in the gym and gone through round after round of sparring.

He has demonstrated in his career, so far, that he has the tools to spring a surprise. More importantly, he seems to have the self belief that he will write his name into boxing folklore.

Is he really the special one who can puncture the air of invincibility surrounding Golovkin? Saturday will provide us with the answer. It will be fascinating to see how the action unfolds.

Rob Lancaster is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise stated.