Golovkin gunning for successful UK debut in Brook title defence, Haskins and Hall collide again

Brook aiming to shock the world

Yorkshireman Brook is set to contest arguably the most feared fighter in the sport, with the Kazakh bulldozer boasting the highest KO percentage in the middleweight division’s history and has not been taken to the judges’ scorecards since 2008.

The now 30-year-old contender is also unbeaten in his career to date, though has lacked the big name opponents in recent years, with his IBF title triumph over Shawn Porter in 2014 being his most prominent to date.

It’s been 50 years since a welterweight champion stepped up and overcame a reigning middleweight title holder, proving the size of Brook’s task at hand, and he is 4/1 to cause a major upset on Saturday night.

‘Special K’ is aiming to align himself with some of the greats of the sport when he enters the squared-circle against ‘Triple G’, such as legends Sugar Ray Robinson and Sugar Ray Leonard, who both moved up from 147lbs to defy the odds at middleweight.

“I feel Golovkin is on edge…”

“I feel Golovkin is on edge, he’s uncomfortable,” said Brook after weighing in heavier than the champion.

“I’m ready for this fight. I’m at my natural weight. At past weights I look like I’ve got my granddad’s teeth in I’m that thin but now I feel healthy and I feel ready to put my skills and my chin to the test.

“It’s written for me to be out there, in the stars, to win this fight. If I win I’m the man in boxing, pound-for-pound world number one.”

Brook looks in tremendous shape for the toughest test of his career, having previously looked gaunt when making the welterweight limit, and the beefed-up Sheffield challenger is 7/1 to earn a shock decision victory over Golovkin.

“I want big fights…”

Having halted the likes of Curtis Stevens, Martin Murray and David Lemieux along his devastating path of success, high-profile middleweights aren’t exactly queuing up to face him, with Chris Eubank Jr having recently turned down a massive pay-day and Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez vacating his former WBC belt to delay a meeting.

Canelo’s promoter Oscar De La Hoya has claimed numerous times that a blockbuster showdown with ‘GGG’ will occur next year, but the latter middleweight champion is first looking to boost his reputation in the UK with another stoppage.

“I’ve had fights in Kazakhstan, in Germany, in Panama. This is the boxing world. The UK is huge for me. There are some great champions from the UK. People understand boxing here,” outlined Golovkin, who is 7/2 to end Brook’s efforts early within rounds 1-3.

“It’s like Mexico. There are true fans. I can’t just stay in Kazakhstan. I can’t stay in the United States. I want to fight all over the world. I want big fights.”

Hall faces Haskins again on undercard

Reigning IBF bantamweight champion Lee Haskins will defend his title against Stuart Hall on the undercard in London, with the Bristol-born fighter hoping to record his second success over his rival after outpointing him back in 2012.

The defending title holder is 11/4 to halt Hall, while his 36-year-old challenger is the same price to gain redemption.

British flyweight Charlie Edwards also faces a big night in the capital, as the contests IBF champion John Riel Casimero, and the 23-year-old is 11/8 to overcome the Filipino to become a world titlist in his only his ninth professional outing.

Super-middleweight prospect Callum Smith is set to collide with Norbert Nemesapati too, and the highly-rated Merseysider is 9/2 to earn a first-round triumph, while his older brother Paul is 11/2 to outpoint Daniel Regi.

Coral sponsored fighter Gavin McDonnell is in action too against Robin Zamora, with Conor Benn 3/1 to halt stand-in foe Joe Ducker in the second round of his latest showing, while Martin Joseph Ward is 10/3 to stop Andy Townend in their British super-featherweight title bout.

Golovkin’s recent training partner and pound-for-pound star Roman Gonzalez is 1/7 to get the better of Carlos Cuadras in the early hours of Sunday morning, as the Nicaraguan ‘Chocolatito’ looks to become a four-weight world champion in California.

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Have a look back at Gennady Golovkin’s best knockouts before his UK debut this weekend.