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Kell Brook-Errol Spence Jr.: Everything you need to know

Fighters Network
27
May

Kell Brook and Errol Spence Jr. take center stage Saturday (5:15 p.m. ET, Showtime) in a fight boxing fans have had circled on the calendar since it was announced two months ago.

Brook’s IBF welterweight title will be on the line, and the “Special One” will have the home-field advantage with 25,000-plus singing, screaming loyal fans at outdoor soccer stadium Bramall Lane in Sheffield, England.

This will be Brook’s fourth defense of the title he won via majority decision against Shawn Porter in August 2014. Brook jumped up to 160 pounds for a crack at unified middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin in September, but Brook (36-1, 25 knockouts) received a broken orbital bone and his corner stopped the HBO-televised bout during the fifth round.

Now recovered from the injury, Brook is set to headline another marquee fight on a premium network in the U.S. For Spence, this will be his first time in the main event of a major show on either Showtime or HBO.



It’ll also be his first title shot, after Spence scored stoppage victories over Chris Algieri — a former champion — and Leonard Bundu in 2016.

The Odds

Spence is about a 2-1 favorite to take home the belt, as of Saturday morning.

The Particulars

Brook

Age: 31
Record: 36-1, 25 knockouts
RING rating: No. 2 welterweight
Moniker: The Special One/Special K
Hometown: Sheffield, England
Height: 5-foot-9
Reach: 69 inches
Stance: Orthodox
Career rounds: 184
KO percentage: 68
Top Amateur Accomplishment: Gold medal at the Four Nations Challenge

Spence

Age: 27
Record: 21-0, 18 KOs
RING rating: No. 7 welterweight
Moniker: The Truth
Hometown: Desoto, Texas
Height: 5-foot-9 1/2
Reach: 72 inches
Stance: Southpaw
Career rounds: 77
KO percentage: 86
Top Amateur Accomplishment: Represented U.S. at 2012 Olympic Games

Burning Questions

Is it too much, too soon for Spence, who hasn’t faced a single fighter rated in THE RING’s top 10 until now?

Did the beating GGG doled out on Brook damaged the fighter in ways we won’t know until Saturday’s fight?

What about the weight? Will yo-yoing back to 147 pounds after competing at 160 affect Brook’s stamina?

Can Brook handle’s Spence’s speed, strength and southpaw style?

How will Spence deal with the hostile crowd in England?

The Pick

If Spence stays focused on enemy territory, his superior athleticism and size should carry him to victory over Brook. Spence is a great combination puncher, but he’s also responsible defensively. His footwork is deft and he’s able to create punching angles and counter opportunities by sliding past punches.

Brook is an impressive offensive fighter, and he owns a big edge in experience, but will it be enough? It should be a nip-and-tuck affair over the early going with many tough-to-call rounds, but eventually, Spence’s superior skill set will be too much, and he’ll begin to dish punishment on Brook, leading to a late-round stoppage.

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