Brook, 31, chose to stay at 147 to defend his belt against the mandatory challenger when a move to 154 looked the more sensible option.
‘The Special One’ had struggled to make the welterweight limit, which ultimately which led to the acceptance of an offer to face the formidable middleweight king Gennady Golovkin in September and ended badly for the Yorkshireman.
A serious eye injury took place at the O2 Arena in London, an ailment that could be a deciding factor in the contest with Spence.
The American challenger is known for his ruthless finishing and will no doubt target that very area Golovkin found so effectively last fall.
For my money, Brook could be stopped in the later rounds due to damage suffered to his surgery-fixed socket.
Other than that, Brook would have to stay out of trouble and exchanges, avoiding being a ‘Man Down’ in order to score a points win after twelve rounds.
During the build-up, both fighters were highly confident of victory…
“I’m ready for a war. And that’s what you’re going to see – a war Saturday night. There are going to be two winners Saturday night: that is going to be myself and everyone watching,“ said Brook.
“There’s no way he can beat me. I’m a man possessed and I have a serious job to do. This is my night to shine.
“I love it [being the underdog]. I was born for it. People don’t have me winning this fight, but that just gives me the extra energy I need to go out and prove them all wrong.
“This guy is a talented guy, but he’s never been tested. He’s never been in with someone who is so determined like me. Who’s bigger, stronger, who has all this energy, who’s meant for this game, who’s meant to be a winner. He hasn’t been in with someone with that mindset, and that’s what I’m coming to bring on Saturday.
Spence said: “This is my time, this is my era. This is my time to shine. This is my time to get the belts, this is my time to unify and become the undisputed welterweight champion of the world. This is just another stepping stone to get to where I want to be.
“I can’t let the fans get to me. I’m not worried about him having his hometown fans. Eventually everyone will be my fans by the end of the night.
“I don’t feel the pressure at all. I feel like there is more pressure on him because he’s fighting at home. Of course there’s pressure on me to win, but I welcome that pressure. It’s going to do nothing but motivate me, make me more hungry and make we want to win even more.
“You just have to have that ‘it’ factor, and I think I have it. I’m not worried about the crowd, I’m not worried about the boos or anything like that.
“It’s a good step-up. Kell Brook is a good fighter, he has great skills. I welcome this step-up – I’ve been asking for it for a long time and I’m finally getting my opportunity.”
Brook v Spence Jr: Weights / Running order / TV scheduling / Undercard news / Ring walk times
