Kell Brook-Errol Spence Jr. Is the Fight Boxers Want to See

If boxing does fight its way back into in the American mainstream, 2017 will be remembered as the turning point. Estimates differ on the length of its hiatus, but the telltale signs of the sport's reemergence are everywhere: Saul "Canelo" Alvarez's recent win over Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. generated over a million pay-per-view purchases; and boxer-turned-promoter Oscar De La Hoya expects Alvarez's Sept. 16 bout with Gennady "GGG" Golovkin will match Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s 2015 victory over Manny Pacquiao with a record 4.6 million PPV sales.

Then there was Anthony Joshua's unforgettable comeback win over heavyweight stalwart Wladimir Klitschko, which was witnessed by 90,000 screaming Brits at London's Wembley Stadium and millions more around the world last month.

And unlike Mayweather-Pacquiao—a passionless fight that seemed to diminish boxing's status among casual sports fans—the matchups of 2017 have been riveting. Joshua survived his first ever knockdown to earn an 11th-round stoppage against Klitschko; on March 18 at Madison Square Garden, Daniel Jacobs nearly shocked the seemingly unbeatable Golovkin; and earlier that night, Srisaket Sor Rungvisai scored an improbable upset over Roman "Chocolatito" Gonzalez, who was previously undefeated and considered the world's best boxer, pound for pound.

But as gripping as these fights have been, and as tantalizing as Canelo-Golovkin is, the calendar date that screams out to boxers is May 27, when Kell Brook is set to defend his IBF welterweight title in his native Sheffield, England against American contender Errol Spence Jr. (Showtime, 5:15 p.m. ET/2:15 p.m. PT)

"As soon as they made the fight, it was my favorite fight on the schedule," said former two-weight world champion Paulie Malignaggi, who will serve as an analyst on Showtime's broadcast Saturday night. "This isn't Mayweather-Pacquiao, where both fighters were already accomplished, elite guys, and they'd already made so much money… They weren't willing to go through that fire the same way and you had that kinda fight that just went through the paces.

"That's why it's important for a fight to happen at this point [in Brook and Spence's careers]," Malignaggi continued. "You test these fighters when they're in their prime and when they're hungry. Being hungry is very important. You can have a super talent, but if he's not as hungry, he's not bringing that ferociousness."

Both Brook and Spence are accomplished to differing degrees.

Not only did the 31-year-old Brook (36-1, 25 KOs) win a majority decision over Shawn Porter in 2014 to win the IBF crown, but he had the courage to move up to middleweight to face Golovkin at London's O2 Arena last September.

And even though Brook lost that fight when his corner threw in the towel after he suffered a broken eye socket in the fifth, the fighter known as "Special K" gave Golovkin all he could handle, if only for a few rounds.

"Even against a guy as good as Golovkin," Malignaggi said of Brook, "he showed a lot of skills: counterpunching, determination, and a good chin."

Spence (21-0, 18 KOs) is only 27, but the former Olympian hasn't taken the easiest route to his first title fight. In April of 2016 he became the first fighter to ever knock out Chris Algieri—something not even Manny Pacquiao accomplished—and Spence followed that performance with a knockout of Leonard Bundu, a boxer who dominated in Europe before trying his luck in America.

According to Malignaggi, Spence would have fought a few more top contenders if any were willing to risk being knocked out by a welterweight who punches more like a super middleweight or even a light heavyweight.

"He's had to fight whoever he can fight because most guys have stayed away from him if they possibly could," Malignaggi said.

Spence has an inch height advantage and his reach is two inches longer than Brook's, but his biggest advantage isn't physical. Instead it's the accuracy with which he throws his power punches.

Whereas the average welterweight connects with 37.9% of their power punches, Spence has landed 47.8% over his last four fights, during which time he connected 15.5 power punches per round, according to CompuBox.

But Spence isn't just a brawler, eager to get inside and connect a few hooks and uppercuts. He can also fight like a classic boxer, which is why he lands 22.7 jabs per round compared to 17.6 for the average welterweight, according to CompuBox.

Like Spence, Brook doesn't fit cleanly into either the "boxer" or "brawler" categories. Over his last seven fights, he's landed 34.9% of his punches, according to CompuBox. And although he connected on just 11 power punches per round over that time (the welterweight average is 12.7 a round), those figures are somewhat misleading. Brook's TKO wins over Kevin Bizier and Frankie Gavin were stopped mid-round, and the figures from his 2015 win over Ionut Dan Ion suffered only because he had to wait for the Romanian southpaw to pick himself up off the canvas four times in four rounds.

"These are both very good punchers and boxers," Malignaggi said. "It's a fight that can end in one round; it can end in 12; it can be vicious; it can be a tactical fight. Both of these fighters can do it all."

If Brook does have a weakness, it might be his surgically repaired eye socket. But American legend "Sugar" Ray Leonard, whose career was hampered with a string of eye injuries, doesn't see that as an issue.

"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," Leonard said. "I never thought about my eye once the doctor gave me the green light."

Brook's perceived advantage going into Saturday's fight was the 30,000-or-so supporters he'll have at Bramall Lane, an outdoor football stadium in Sheffield.

Of course, the recent terrorist attack at a concert in Manchester will undoubtedly change the mood in Sheffield. Security is expected to be tight, and the atmosphere will almost certainly be affected by the tragic deaths of 22 people.

"Obviously there's a black mark in the air with what just happened in Manchester," Malignaggi said. "There's bigger things in the air right now than a boxing match. England is still hurting—Northern England especially. I'm praying that the energy is still there and these people are able to go out and enjoy a good night of fights and create a tremendous atmosphere. The atmosphere in England is always great."

Fighters' Thoughts on Brook-Spence, Welterweight Division

Former undisputed welterweight champion Ray Leonard:
"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."

WBA & WBC welterweight champion Keith Thurman:
"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."

Former WBC welterweight champion Danny Garcia:
"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."

Former IBF welterweight champion and current WBC No. 1 contender Shawn Porter:
"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… There are so many of us capable of winning a title right now."

WBA regular welterweight world champion Lamont Peterson:
"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."

Former unified welterweight world champion Andre Berto:
"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."