Loeffler: Brook's Performance May Give Others Courage To Sign!

Saturday's performance by IBF welterweight champion Kell Brook could potentially create some courage in other fighters, so hopes Tom Loeffler, who promotes IBF/WBC/IBO/WBA middleweight champion Gennady 'GGG' Golovkin (36-0, 33KOs).

Brook, who fights at 147-pounds, moved up by thirteen pounds to face Golovkin at the middleweight limit of 160-pounds.

With a sold out crowd of nearly 20,000 fans behind him at the O2 Arena in London, Brook put forth a very brave effort which at times saw him trading toe to toe with the much bigger puncher.

Before Golovkin and his handlers decided to face Brook, they attempted to get three other opponents.

First, they tried to secure Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez, who vacated his WBC middleweight title and dropped down to 154-pounds. Then they tried to get WBO middleweight champion Billy Joe Saunders, who requested more money than Golovkin's handlers were able to provide, and then they tried to get British middleweight champion Chris Eubank Jr., who couldn't reach an agreement with his own promoter, Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Sport.

Golovkin would now like to get Saunders in the ring, although first GGG may have to make a mandatory defense against Daniel Jacobs,who holds the WBA 'regular' title at the weight. The WBA has ordered Golovkin-Jacobs, with the sanctioning body giving them 120 days to stage the fight.

But Golovkin has had mandatory challengers in the past and many of them bypassed their guaranteed title shots to pursue other opportunities.

Brook, the smaller man, had spurts of success against Golovkin and landed some hard punches. Loeffler is hoping that Brook's decision to do what many others have refused to do, will create a line of opponents who are willing to fight.

“Maybe (Brook’s performance) will give (other opponents the) courage to actually sign a contract,” Loeffler said.