By Edward Chaykovsky
One fighter who is very familiar with IBF welterweight champion Kell Brook (36-0, 25KOs) - is tough contender Carson Jones.
They fought twice, in 2012 and 2013. In the first meeting, Jones came very close to ending the unbeaten streak of Brook. He battered the undefeated fighter in the contest and barely lost a twelve round majority decision. There were some at ringside who even saw Jones as the winner.
A rematch was scheduled a year later, this time at 152-pounds, and Brook dominated the action and stopped him in the eight round.
Jones is trained by Abel Sanchez - who also trains Brook's upcoming opponent, WBC/WBA/IBO/IBF middleweight world champion Gennady 'GGG' Golovkin (35-0, 32KOs).
Brook's challenge of Golovkin takes place on September 10th from the O2 Arena in London.
When the fight was first announced, Jones thought it was a joke - because the two boxers are separated by thirteen pounds and two weight divisions.
"I thought it was a joke, because Brook is a 147-pound champion and Gennady is the 160-pound monster that he is. Hats off to Brook for taking the fight. Maybe he should have started off with someone a little bit easier if he was going to make that jump to 160," Jones told Sky Sports.
"[Brook is] a very good boxer and very accurate too. He is not the biggest puncher, but his accuracy makes for better power when he lands. [Golovkin is a]power puncher, a boxer, he can do a little bit of everything."
"What I think is going to happen is that Brook will box well for the first four or five rounds, because he's a good boxer and he has a good jab, but as soon as he starts getting touched - I don't think he'll be able to handle it. Golovkin is a big puncher and I think eventually he is going to catch up to him in five, maybe six - and as soon as he does it's lights out."
