Kell Brook vs Errol Spence: War in Bramall Lane

Saturday, May 27^th 2017 should have been marked on your calendar a long time ago. If you aren’t excited for this fight you’re probably either very contrarian or DKSAB. Either way, this fight is an absolute necessity. Let’s jump right into it.

Fight airs at 5:15 pm ET on Showtime.

Kell “The Special One” Brook 36-1(25 KO) vs Errol “The Truth” Spence  Jr. 21-0(18 KO)

Resumes

Kell Brook has the better resume here but probably by default seeing as he’s been pro for 13 years to Spence’s 5. Brook’s most notable fight is his scrap with Middleweight Champion Gennady Golovkin. He had had some game moments but ultimately lost most of the rounds and ended up getting stopped. His second most notable fight was obviously for his IBF Welterweight title against Shawn Porter. A lot of folks (who rightfully feel silly) thought of Porter as the boogeyman after his demolition of Paulie Malignaggi. They believed because of Brook’s lack of serious opponents that he would stand no chance in this one. Wrong! Brook befuddled Porter and made him look pretty average in an 8-4 Majority Decision win.

Errol Spence has only 21 fights and his biggest fight occurs on Saturday. He has faced every test presented to him and dominated pretty much every fight. His biggest wins are Chris Algieri and Leonard Bundu. He has 18 knockouts in 21 fights and these two ended in demolition. Algieri himself had been a titlist and Bundu had beaten the guy who Kell Brook faced recently so both are pretty decent wins for an up and coming prospect.

Skills

Brook has everything that you need from a fighter. The jab, the technical skills and the power. Against Shawn Porter all of this was on display and he put on a clinic boxing and counterpunching. He also used his footwork to avoid being on the ropes too much and keeping the center of the ring. Against Golovkin, Brook showed off a beautiful uppercut from time to time as well as a chin to take some of the shots he did from a prime Middleweight.

Spence’s jab is one of pure consistency. He’s such a dedicated offensive fighter. He works patiently and establishes the jab. His body attack is one of the best in the sport. Spence doesn’t head hunt and doesn’t merely go up top when he has his man hurt. His skill at cutting off the ring is upper echelon, similar to GGG. Very diverse attack.

Pick

The odds used to reflect how close of a fight this but now Spence is a sizable favorite on the road. Spence -230/Brook +195.  Some things are difficult to quantify though. Will Brook’s damaged orbital bone play a part in this fight? Will Spence’s lack of experience fail him here? I expect a back and forth fight. Spence is a come forward fighter who has done so for 21 fights, so how will he respond to a fighter who can withstand his pressure and actually punch back. Brook himself has had some missteps and tough fights (such as Carson Jones) that make you question if he can deal with that pressure. We don’t know if Spence’s chin has been tested and he doesn’t exactly move his head much. How will he deal with a guy like Brook who throws crisp combinations and can really counter.

I think Spence’s jab and is the key to him winning this fight and he has a slight height(5’9 ½” to 5’9”) and reach(72” to 69”) advantage. I believe Spence’s lack of experience is overblown as was Brook’s before he beat Porter. The skills are what matters. Spence’s dedication to the body attack will also be key.

Brook has shown the toughness in a number of fights and a good punch resistance in the GGG fight. I think in that area, Brook has the advantage. He also seems more willing to be mobile and box off the back foot. He says he wants to stay in the center of the ring with Spence, though, so it should be interesting to see how that plays out. He will definitely have to push Spence back at some point.

I expect this fight to go to the later rounds but I’m going with Spence by late TKO. The orbital bone may possibly factor in. But the reality is Brook’s defense isn’t that good (neither is Spence’s) and from what I’ve seen in previous fights, the jab and consistent pressure can really cause him some problems. Also, having to cut weight all the way down to 147 yet again may take a toll.

Expect a really great fight.

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