By Keith Idec
Now that Errol Spence Jr. and Kell Brook have made weight for their 147-pound title fight Saturday night in Sheffield, England, Spence says it’s now time to be about it, not talk about it.
The three-month buildup toward one of the most anticipated fights of 2017 is over. For Spence, it’s time to justify all the praise with which he has been showered over the past couple years.
“It’s war time,” Spence told Sky Sports following Friday’s weigh-in. “All the talking that’s led up to this fight is over. And now it’s time to glove up and it’s time to fight and see who is the best welterweight in the division.”
The 27-year-old Spence (21-0, 18 KOs) is certain that is him. The powerful southpaw is listed as just more than a 2-1 favorite, even though the 31-year-old Brook (36-1, 25 KOs) is the defending IBF welterweight champion and has faced a better level of opposition.
“He looks ready,” Spence said. “This is something I’ve waited for my whole life – fight a great opponent, a great champion and I’m waiting to dethrone him Saturday night.”
Spence expects to win by knockout. Brook’s lone loss was a fifth-round technical knockout to middleweight knockout artist Gennady Golovkin in his last bout, for which he moved up two weight classes.
But Brook also has been hurt in welterweight fights against American Carson Jones (40-11-3, 30 KOs, 1 NC) and Ukraine’s Vyacheslav Senchenko (37-2, 25 KOs). Brook bounced back to win both of those fights, but Spence sees vulnerability in the hometown champion’s chin.
“This is something I’ve been waiting for my whole life,” Spence said, “and I definitely can knock him out in front of his hometown fans.”
Spence’s skeptics point to his own lack of experience against championship-caliber boxers. The heavily hyped contender from suburban Dallas still is certain he is prepared to beat Brook in his biggest fight since he turned pro following the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.
“Definitely, one-hundred percent, I will become the IBF welterweight champion of the world tomorrow night,” Spence said. “Knockout or points, but we are going for the knockout.”
Showtime’s coverage of Brook-Spence from Bramall Lane is set to start Saturday at 5:15 p.m. ET/2:15 p.m. PT in the United States. The pay-per-view card headlined by Brook-Spence is scheduled to begin on Sky Sports Box Office in the United Kingdom at 6 p.m. BST (£16.95 in HD).
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.