Saunders, who was linked to facing Golovkin before Chris Eubank Jr. and then Brook eventually stepped in, says people may have been a little hasty in all but ruling ‘The Special One’ out of the fight so early on, as the 27 year-old champion explained.
“There’s a lot of people saying Kell Brook doesn’t have a chance and they wouldn’t put a pound on him if he was one million to one, but he has a chance in this fight,” Saunders exclusively told World Boxing News.
“Golovkin can be hit, that’s been shown before, although Brook has to fight the right way or it won’t be a good night for him. He can’t plant his feet too much, and coming in at the heavier weight he needs to keep his speed. It could also be a shock for Brook when the bell goes as he’s never fought at this heavy before but speed is the key for him.
“If he starts to plant his feet to get set, that’s when Golovkin can put all his power into his shots to wear him down.
“That’s what happened to Martin Murray so Brook has to use what he’s best at. What he can’t do is stand and trade with Golovkin. If he does that, this fight only goes four rounds.”
Asked what Brook’s actual chances of victory were, Saunders added: “Listen, Kell Brook’s got home advantage and probably would have got the ring size and whatever else he wanted, so everything is in his favour. He just needs to use the right strategy to keep Golovkin off him.
“Brook looks in unbelievable shape, he’s bigger and stronger and may well weigh more than Golovkin when they get in the ring together.
“Plus, Golovkin won’t have seen the Ingle Gym style during his career so far, and if Brook can use it, keep moving around the ring, being awkward and using his speed, the fight is not going to be easy as everybody thinks.
“Obviously, Golovkin hits hard and I haven’t seen anything in his last four fights that changes that, so you have to favour him to win, but as I said Brook is not completely out of this fight.”
Brook is a massive 5/1 underdog to pull off a shock and take Golovkin’s clutch of titles this Saturday night at the O2 Arena, with the general betting pattern favouring a mid-to-late stoppage for the man they call ‘GGG.’
The Yorkshireman looks set to leave the 147 pound division behind him after this weekend and could be looking to campaign at super-welterweight if things don’t go his way in London.
