Since its announcement, there's been much hyperbole surrounding Kell Brook vs Gennady Golovkin. The boxing community has been awash with suggestions that it's a mismatch with Brook being too small to jump up two weight classes to middleweight and Golovkin being too strong for opponents that are bonafide middleweights, let alone one who to date has campaigned at the welterweight limit of 147lbs. It’s undeniable that Golovkin punches like a mule. But this fight isn't as fanciful as it may seem and not the mismatch that many have assumed.

Firstly, this isn't a prediction for victory by either fighter. It's also not a suggestion that Golovkin isn't the favourite. Brook is coming up to Golovkin’s division where the latter has deftly handled every opponent placed in front of him. Golovkin is known to be a fighter that others in the division actively duck whereas Brook has shown moxy in abundance in taking the fight that no one seems to want. In doing so, he’s also refuted any claims of ducking anyone in the welterweight division. 

While the Eubanks (who were close to signing the fight with GGG) genuinely believe Eubank Jr has the beating of Golovkin, they arguably didn't want it as badly as Brook with Eubank Snr being unable to abandon his ridiculous demands in the negotiations. Ultimately, Eubank Snr scuppered his son’s chances for a big payday in a huge fight due to his own hubris and shortsightedness. It also has to be said that while Eubank Jr is a decent fighter, he’s only proved himself at domestic level. Weight class aside, Brook therefore represents a more formidable opponent for Golovkin than Eubank Jr as a better fighter who has operated at world level and as a world champion for some years.

The biggest criticism of Brook taking this fight is the weight. Yet what many people fail to realise and appreciate is just how big Brook is at welterweight. Despite being a world champion at welterweight, Kell Brook is not a natural welterweight and boils down to the welterweight limit of 147lbs for every fight. He’s huge at the weight and presumably weight drained while campaigning in the division. Indeed, Brook’s optimum weight is likely light-middleweight and the jump in weight isn't the issue that many have claimed it to be, especially compounded by Golovkin being a relatively small middleweight. 


Brook undoubtedly walks around closer to 170lbs (and has the frame to support it), probably heavier than Golovkin, and will be coming down to make weight. Essentially, this will be a fight between a big light-middleweight in Brook against a small middleweight in Golovkin and subsequently I doubt Brook will fight below light-middleweight. Even at welterweight, Brook is a ferocious puncher and not being weight drained will make him an absolute beast with a higher work rate. Add that to his speed and accuracy, and his desire to forge a legacy for himself in a career defining fight, and this is no mismatch.

Comparisons to Canelo vs Khan have been made but the difference is that Khan was effectively a blown-up welterweight. Not to mention, Khan struggles shotold a big shot at 140lbs let alone against a fighter who would have come to the ring well in excess of 160lbs. Consequently, the outcome was always likely to be a stoppage for Canelo, a fighter who can make 160lbs but would rather fight smaller fighters at spurious catchweights. 

Brook is possibly Golovkin’s toughest test as a professional and it's indubitably the case vice versa. Brook, despite being a world champion, hasn't had a truly credible opponent since he wrested the IBF belt from Shawn Porter. That can only add to the difficulty facing Brook as Golovkin will represent a calibre of fighter that hasn't featured on his resume. Though within boxing circles, it's been long opined that we’re yet to see the best of Brook. We know Brook's a world level fighter but we don't really know how good he is. Conversely, putting aside the difference in weight class, Golovkin hasn't fought a fighter as good as Brook. It shows just how many unknowns there are in this fight that make it so intriguing.

Golovkin remains the favourite for this fight and Brook will need to fulfil the potential that so many around him and within the boxing community have spoken of. Against Golovkin he will have no choice and I expect to see a better Brook than we’ve seen before; one who’ll make this fight a lot more of a genuine match up than many have suggested.