IBF Welterweight world champion Kell Brook is the next to contestant in the hunt to eradicate Gennady Golovkin’s undefeated record.
The Briton will move up two weight divisions to Middleweight to challenge Kazakhstan’s pound-for-pound king Gennady Golovkin, rather than defend his title.
Originally, a fight was being planned against fellow Briton Chris Eubanks, Jr., but apparently it couldn’t be made during the negotiation process. Promoter Eddie Hearn, who also represents Brook, thought this new match-up would be an exciting challenge to the IBF welterweight champion and he was right.
Brook, who is unbeaten in 36 bouts with 25 ending inside the distance, had been expected to put his IBF crown on the line against WBO welterweight holder Jessie Vargas, who only has one loss to Timothy Bradley.
Instead, he moves up to middleweight to face the feared champion Golovkin, who has 32 knockouts to his credit in his 35 victories, in London at the cavernous O2 Arena on September 10.
Brook will not be stripped of his IBF title and has everything to gain as Golovkin’s Middleweight titles are all on the line.
Brook has posted three consecutive technical knockouts against obscure foes in Britain after winning the International Boxing Federation belt from recent welterweight title challenger Shawn Porter by majority decision in a 2014 bout at StubHub Center.
Golovkins efforts to get WBO middleweight champion Billy Joe Saunders also went nowhere. HBO will televise the 160-pound bout.
