IBF Welterweight World Champion Kell Brook and undefeated rising star Errol Spence face off this Saturday live on SHOWTIME (5:15 p.m. ET/2:15 p.m. PT) in the latest in a series of significant welterweight matchups between the best fighters in one of boxing’s deepest divisions.
Six of the top eight welterweights in the world* will have fought in the first five months of 2017 – all on SHOWTIME or CBS – as a de facto tournament continues in the 147-pound class to determine the No. 1 fighter in a division long controlled by the retired Floyd Mayweather.
*Source: Transnational Boxing Rankings
WBA and WBC Welterweight World Champion Keith Thurman unified the titles on March 4 with a split-decision victory over Danny Garcia in a rare matchup of undefeated champions. Lamont Peterson picked up the secondary WBA Regular title on Feb. 18, and on April 22 Shawn Porter knocked out Andre Berto to become the mandatory challenger to Thurman’s WBC belt. The remaining welterweight champion, Manny Pacquiao, is set to defend his WBO title against Jeff Horn on July 2.
Now it’s Brook and Spence’s turn to take center stage in boxing’s glamour division.
This Saturday in Sheffield, England, Brook (36-1, 25 KOs) will make the fourth defense of the IBF belt he won via majority decision over Porter in 2014. The 31-year-old, who has never been knocked down, will be the decided hometown favorite in front of what is expected to be 25,000-plus fans in the first world title fight in the 162-year history of Bramall Lane.
The 27-year-old Spence (21-0, 18 KOs) has long been considered one of boxing’s most prized prospects. The IBF’s No. 1 contender has knocked out eight straight opponents and has improved as his level of opposition has risen – his last six opponents held an impressive combined record of 151 wins against just eight losses. The Dallas resident travels abroad for this long-awaited title opportunity as he attempts to become the first American to dethrone an Englishman on British soil in nearly a decade.**
With both Spence and Brook affirming their intention to unify the division after May 27, see below for what legendary Hall of Famer Sugar Ray Leonard and current top welterweights have to say about Saturday’s IBF title matchup.
SUGAR RAY LEONARD – Former Undisputed Welterweight World Champion
“I’m really excited about this fight in particular, mainly because both fighters have to be on their A-game. I know there is talk about Kell’s eye surgery being a psychological problem, but from personal experience, I don’t see that being the case. I never thought about my eye once the doctor gave me the green light.
“To ask me who is going to win this fight, I have my favorite in Errol Spence. But, based on the each fighter’s physical artillery, one punch can turn the tables around. That being said, I am going to sit back and watch a great night of boxing.”
KEITH THURMAN – Unified WBA & WBC Welterweight World Champion
“This is an interesting fight. I have not followed Kell too much, but I have obviously seen Errol fight in the U.S. Errol is a tough, young fighter who is just getting into the public’s eye, and Kell obviously has the strength of the British crowd on his side.
“It should be a tough fight that really speaks to the strength of the welterweight division. Both fighters are men that I would be open to fighting as I continue to unify the division in 2018. As a fight fan, let’s see what’s ‘Special’ about Kell Brook, and we’ll see if Errol Spence can show us he’s ‘The Truth.’ It should be a great fight and I’ll be watching.”
DANNY GARCIA – Former Welterweight World Champion
“I think this is a 50/50 fight. I think the person with the better game plan is going to win. There is a lot of pressure to go into someone’s backyard like Spence is doing, and he’s never faced a fighter in his prime before like Brook. It is definitely a test for him and a big step up in competition. If he is ready, he can do it. He just has to go in there and stay focused.
“The welterweight division is the best division in boxing. I still feel like I am one of the best welterweights in the world even though I came up short. I never thought I would say a loss would make me stronger because I didn’t see myself losing. I want my titles back and to be seen as the best in the best division.”
SHAWN PORTER – Former Welterweight Champion & Current WBC No. 1 Contender
“I’m glad Errol is getting his title shot, and I’m happy he’s going to England for it. I’m obviously pulling for the American. Errol is a phenomenal athlete and a great boxer. I think he’s ready to show the world something, but Kell is right up there in that top tier of welterweights. People who tune in should be thrilled. I know I’m looking forward to it.
“The welterweight division is awesome, top to bottom. We’re right where we need to be and should be. Boxing returning back to the masses with PBC came at the perfect time for me and the rest of the top welterweights. There are so many of us capable of winning a title right now.”
LAMONT PETERSON – WBA (Regular) Welterweight World Champion
“This is going to be a tough fight, but I think Errol should win. At least I’m pulling for Errol to win. He’s got to overcome the idea that there will probably be 30,000 people cheering against him, so he has to show the judges that he deserves to win.
“Brook is a good fighter and is going to bring his best, but I think Errol, in the end, is the better fighter. But he will have to prove it.
“The welterweight division is one of the best in boxing right now. We’ve got a lot of good fighters in their prime making the division strong. And guys are willing to fight each other. We are seeing the kind of fights the fans want to see. If this keeps up it could bring boxing back to where it was in the days when Sugar Ray Leonard, Roberto Duran, Thomas Hearns and Marvin Hagler all fought each other. So it’s really good for boxing right now.”
ANDRE BERTO – Former Welterweight World Champion
“I’m going with Errol Spence. He is young, strong, hungry and full of fire and a great technical fighter as well. Brook will be his biggest test to date. Being in front of his hometown crowd, Brook he has a lot to fight for but I’m giving Spence the edge.”
**Timothy Bradley dethroned another Sheffield native, Junior Witter, in 2008 in Nottingham.
Errol Spence Jr. Looks to Build His Legacy: Saturdayl’s 147 pd Title Showdown vs Kell Brook
By Ryan Greene, Premier Boxing Champions
Power and precision are just a couple of key attributes in the ring that have set Errol Spence Jr. apart from the pack so far during his fledgling professional career.
When all is said and done and he’s ready to retire one day, he wants to make sure that his résumé will do the same type of talking.
At 21-0 with 18 knockouts to this point, the 27-year-old top welterweight contender faces the toughest test of said career on Saturday, when he challenges IBF titleholder Kell Brook on foreign soil. Spence’s first world title shot comes at 5:15 p.m. ET / 2:15 p.m. PT on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING, presented by Premier Boxing Champions, live from Brook’s hometown of Sheffield, England.
If Spence has his way, this will be the first of numerous significant fights he’s known for when his career comes to a close.
“This is basically my first real test, and I think it’s a great story,” he said. “My first title fight, I’m going overseas in front of 30,000 fans rooting for the other guy in his hometown, trying to take his title, and I feel like it’s a great story and a great start to something.
“What I do later on will be even greater.”
The fight many talk about in relation to Spence moving forward in the stacked 147-pound division is a potential showdown with current unified champion Keith Thurman. The path to that clash gets much shorter if Spence is first able to do what no one else at 147 pounds has been able to do, and that’s defeat Brook.
Brook won his title via Majority Decision against Shawn Porter back in August 2014, and made three successful title defenses before shocking the world in moving up to 160 pounds to challenge Gennady Golovkin. After Brook was handed his first career defeat in that loss, many thought he may vacate his 147-pound title and move up to 154 pounds, but instead he opted to make his mandatory defense against Spence.
The return to 147 pounds was exactly what Spence wanted, as he preferred becoming a champion by taking the belt off of the rightful holder as opposed to fighting for a vacant crown.
If he’s asked why, the answer is that it all plays into a larger narrative that he values greatly: His legacy as a fighter.
“A lot of the old school guys always say the fought the best and they cared about their legacies so much,” Spence said. “To me, it’s all about my legacy and how I want to be remembered. I want to be remembered as a guy who fought anyone, never ducked anyone. It didn’t matter where or when, I fought anyone, was a great fighter and a future Hall of Famer.”
Should Spence bring a world title belt with him back home to Dallas next week, expect not only his legend to grow rapidly, but also his hunger to get the top names in the 147-pound division into the ring with him.
When calling out top guys over the last couple of years, the standard response from other top welterweights has been that he needs to prove himself first.
A win Saturday will make him only push harder for those fights.
Spence has a legacy to build.
“I think I can really press the gas now, if I win this fight, because I’ll be proven,” he said. “I’ll have fought a guy in his hometown in the U.K., which is a place where everyone knows there are hardcore fans who will be yelling and screaming for this guy. I’ll have fought a big guy in his hometown and have beat him. I’ll have all the advantage because I’ll have proven myself to be a Top 5 fighter.”
