By Edward Chaykovsky
Former world champion and Sky Sports analyst Johnny Nelson if confidently picking Kell Brook (36-1, 25 KOs) to defeat Errol Spence (21-0, 18 KOs).
Brook, who holds the IBF welterweight title, has to make a mandatory defense against Spence. A deal is very close to being made, with an IBF mandated purse bid scheduled for next Tuesday.
According to Brook's promoter, Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Sport, the fight would likely take place in Sheffield - which is Brook's hometown - and the date would fall on May 20, May 27 or possibly June 4.
Spence, who is one of the hottest talents rising up in the ranks, appears to be the early favorite to win by most fans.
Brook has certainly faced a higher level of opposition, but not by much.
Brook took a major risk last September, when he moved up by two weight divisions and was stopped in five rounds by IBF, IBO, WBC, WBA middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin. He also won a close decision over Shawn Porter to capture the IBF world title.
"I am going to say here and how, [Brook] will beat Errol Spence Jr and answer those questions. There are a few questions, like what is he going to be like back down at welterweight? Or how is he after the Gennady Golovkin fight? And, perhaps the major one, how good is Spencer Jr?," Nelson told Sky Sports.
"[Brook] is an awkward, elusive southpaw, and the difficulty is finding people to work with when you're preparing to face someone like him. Well, believe me, there are five or six of them in the same [Dominic] Ingle gym, so Kell is fortunate enough. It won't be foreign to him, sparring with someone like Spence Jr, because he fights people like him all the time. Okay, they are not at the same level as his IBF mandatory challenger, but he is just used to it."
Nelson has called Spence's record into question and seems less than impressed with the Olympian's wins. Nelson is so confident of Brook winning that he'd tab him to walk away with the victory if it took place in the United States.
"Well against Spence Jr, people are asking if he can do the same? But if you are questioning that, give me three, top level fighters Errol Spence Jr has dealt with? You can't. You get one - Chris Algieri - but the other two? No chance. Yes he looks slick, yes he is good, but would he get in with Golovkin? I doubt it," Nelson said.
"We know Kell has the talent and the heart and he came out of the 'GGG' fight with plenty of respect. People might doubt him back down at 147lbs but if it were me, I'd take Spence Jr over in America - like Porter. Is this a 50-50 fight, like the Shawn Porter fight that saw him become a world champion in the American's backyard? I don't think so."
The one thing that seems to worry Nelson is the possibility of Amir Khan being further pushed away from facing Brook in the future. He also worries that Khan could be upset in his next fight.
Before Brook turned his attention to Spence, he was seriously in talks to face Khan in a big domestic showdown. Their discussions fell apart because Khan refused to budge away from his demand of a 70-30 split. That would change if Brook defeats Spence, says Nelson. He says a victory over Spence would raise Brook's name value above that of Khan's.
"The one thing that does worry me is that winning this fight will push Amir Khan even further away. Amir wanted the 70-30 split, but if Kell goes in there and smashes Spence Jr, he suddenly become the big name, the one riding the crest of a wave," Nelson said.
