LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — Britain’s Kell Brook is looking to follow in the footsteps of Sugar Ray Leonard when he steps up in weight to challenge middleweight star Gennady Golovkin at London’s O2 Arena on Saturday.
Brook, the International Boxing Federation welterweight champion, is defying conventional ring wisdom by stepping up two weight classes to take on the unbeaten Golovkin, 32 of whose 35 career wins have come courtesy of knockouts.
However, boxing great Leonard, who made his name as a welterweight, came out of retirement to beat world middleweight champion Marvin Hagler in 1987.
“I want to do what Leonard did with Hagler — use my speed, my footwork and box the perfect fight,” Brook told the BBC on Monday.
“I do fear him. Of course I do. I know he’s a big puncher and that nobody wants to fight him for a reason. “But the fear is positive because it’s going to make me super-sharp with cat-like reactions.
“You could see the fear in Leonard’s eyes when he was in with Hagler – that’s why he was so sharp and zoomed in.”
The 30-year-old Brook from Sheffield, northern England, is unbeaten in 36 contests as a professional and has made three defences of the IBF title he won from Shawn Porter of the United States in 2014.
Kazakhstan’s Golovkin, 34, is regarded by some observers as the best pound-for-pound fighter currently involved in world boxing.
Brook has repeatedly insisted he will not be undone by a lack of punching power and at the check weigh in on September 3 he was in fact five pounds heavier than Golovkin.
“I’m interested in seeing what I can do at middleweight because I’m not draining myself and gaunt at the weight,” said Brook. “I’m going to be fully hydrated and healthy and bring the speed and the power.
“I’m excited at how much energy and excitement I’ll be giving to everyone once that bell goes.”
Brook hopes to succeed where Amir Khan failed after his British rival went up two weight divisions to face World Boxing Council middleweight champion Saul Alvarez and then suffered a sixth-round knockout in May.
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