Kell Brook vs. Errol Spence Jr.: Fight preview, prediction, start time, odds, pick
Pound-for-pound recognition is at stake in a welterweight title bout from England
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4 min read
In what has already been a substantial comeback year for boxing in 2017, it doesn't get much better for hardcore fans than Saturday's welterweight championship bout between IBF titleholder Kell Brook and Errol Spence Jr.
Brook (36-1, 25 KOs), who has never lost at 147 pounds, defends his title against the unbeaten phenom Spence (21-0, 18 KOs) at Brahmall Lane in Sheffield, England (Showtime, 5:15 p.m. ET).
True 50/50 title bouts among top fighters in their prime have, at times, felt like a great white whale for boxing fans as segregation among promoters and networks have hampered the sport in recent years. But this bout sits firmly among the contenders for best fight on paper in 2017.
Is Spence -- the crafty southpaw with a knack for finishing -- all that he has been cracked up to be? And has Brook completely bounced back from moving up two weight classes and breaking his orbital bone in a dare-to-be-great attempt against unified middleweight champion Gennady Glolovkin last September?
These are among the questions that Saturday's fight should answer.
What's at stake?
There are many within the sport who feel that Spence, 27, is a future pound-for-pound king in waiting. But make no mistake about it; along with Brook's IBF title, what's at stake for the winner is instant recognition among the P4P top 10.
For some observers, there's even more at stake. With Manny Pacquiao's adherence towards not challenging himself on the elite level, and his inability from a political standpoint to secure fights against those within the welterweight-heavy PBC stable, many will consider the winner of Brook-Spence as the best 147-pound in the world.
Unbeaten unified champion Keith Thurman, who is out six months with an elbow injury, certainly holds a sizable stake within this discussion as well. But with welterweight remaining boxing's glamour division from a pay-per-view standpoint, there's plenty at stake in producing a contender to the throne on Saturday.
Quotables
These two have provided some great trash talk in the lead up to this fight. Here are some of our favorite quotes.
Kell Brook: "There is a lot of pressure, but I always perform better under pressure. I'm meant to be on the big stage. [Spence] is a serious dude from America. He's a young hungry lion, but he hasn't beaten anyone like me.
"I'm ready for a war. And that's what you're going to see -- a war Saturday night. I can see us both maybe hitting the canvas. You're going to be on the edge of your seat from Round 1. He's not going to take a backwards step, and I'm not [either]. All I can say is it's going to be a thriller."
Errol Spence Jr.: "This is my time, this is my era. This is my time to shine. This is my time to get the belts, this is my time to unify and become the undisputed welterweight champion of the world. This is just another stepping stone to get to where I want to be.
"I don't feel the pressure at all. I feel like there is more pressure on him because he's fighting at home. Of course there's pressure on me to win, but I welcome that pressure. It's going to do nothing but motivate me, make me more hungry and make we want to win even more. You just have to have that 'it' factor, and I think I have it."
Fight breakdown
In many ways, Brook is the prototype welterweight in that he so perfectly balances speed, technique and power with a backbone of poise and toughness. In fact, Brook went out of his way after losing to Golovkin to come back down in weight and take on such a difficult challenge in Spence, even though he has said his days at welterweight are numbered.
But there's also a bit of danger and concern in that regard for Brook. He's already a big welterweight who has had trouble at times making weight and now he's forcing himself back down from 160. Brook looked strapping as a middleweight opposite Glolovkin and history has often revealed the dangers of shedding muscle to move down.
Provided the weight and recovery from breaking his orbital bone prove not to be a factor for Brook, he still may find himself over his head against Spence, who enters as the betting favorite (-225) despite not having faced an opponent on Brook's level.
Outside of Spence's chin, which has yet to be tested against a dangerous and elite puncher, there isn't a category you can confidently give outright to Brook when comparing these two by the eye test. Spence has looked just as quick and powerful as Brook, and may already be a more polished and dynamic boxer/puncher.
If Brook proves unable to outbox Spence, he's going to need to become the puncher soon enough. There's always the chance, of course, that he does so and gains Spence's respect early. But if he doesn't and Spence, who has shown an almost surgical knack for finishing opponents, can string together combinations, Brook could find himself in trouble.
It comes down to this: Brook is a very good welterweight across the board. But Spence, a southpaw, has all the makings to be a great one, and brings with him more avenues to victory.
Brook has talked about a willingness to go out on his shield if the fight gets hairy. Look for him to do so as Spence announces himself as the division's next great star. Prediction: Spence by 8th-round TKO
