Saturday 9 July 2016

Kell Brook v Gennady Golovkin, September 10th.

In a surprise turn of events this week at middleweight, Sheffields unbeaten IBF welterweight champion Kell Brook 36/0 (25) has signed to face 160lb King Gennady Golovkin 35/0 (35) for 4 versions of the world middleweight championship at the O2 in London on September 10th..  This fight comes completely out of the blue, as the muted Golovkin v Eubank jr bout looked likely..  Golovkin took to social media on Wednesday with news that he had signed his part of the contract, enquiringly sarcastically why Eubank jr had not obliged in signing his part..  Truth emerged today via Eddie Hearn, Eubanks promoter that Chris jr was offered the same financial package as Anthony Joshua, Carl Froch and Kell Brook had been given, along with lucrative fight opportunities..  Chris Sr was incredibly demanding according to Hearn, he wanted control of ticket pricing, undercard fight selection, undercard fighters wages and various other intricate options, Eubank wanted to run the show, a job that belongs to the promoter, a Job Matchroom and Hearn had done for over 30 years..  Eubanks actions could have potentially destroyed the event, the proposed ticket prices were ludicrous according to Eddie Hearn..  The Golovkin deadline passed and neither Eubank budged..  Chris jr is a fabulous fighter with huge marketable potential, but as long as his father is sabotaging his career, jr will miss out on a huge chapter in his story...  So enter Kell Brook, himself the IBF champion in a lower division but nonetheless a man who craves the major fights..   Brook watched a potential money spinner with Amir Khan go down the tubes as Khan opted himself to jump to 160 to face the formidable Canelo Alvarez in April, a bout that has to play a factor in Brook taking the same route, possibly an opportunity to upstage His rival..  Brook won his championship away from home in 2014 beating Shawn Porter in a close fight, since then he has made three defences, neither against top draw opposition (Gavin , Dann and Bizier) but regardless, all three impressive victories came by stoppage..    Golovkin looks to make the 16th defence of the championship he won originally back in 2010, more recently he has secured his place as the number one feared fighter on the planet with defences against our own Martin Murray, Dominick Wade and David Lemieux, he was handed the WBC title in May after the newly crowned champion Saul Alvarez refused to face Golovkin within a proposed time frame.. Brook could be the toughest opponent Golovkin has faced to date on paper, an unbeaten current beltholder with respectable power, but it's welterweight power, a factor that may appear questionable in a substantial weight move..  Gennady applies constant pressure combined with heavy hands and steely resolve, he's a naturally bigger man who has been knocking full blooded middleweights out at world level, if Brook, who is a huge welter, can make the transition to 160 successfully, he could pose the champion a bunch of questions he has not been required to answer in a while..  Nonetheless, Brook deserves credit for taking the step..

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