WBC, WBA welterweight champion Keith Thurman believes Kell Brook, who holds the IBF's version of the world title, did not do enough to prove his worth at the weight class.
Brook captured his title the fall of 2014, with a close twelve round decision over Shawn Porter. But since that win Brook's opponent at welterweight have been very lackluster - with three fights against Fankie Gavin, JoJo Dan and Kevin Bizier. Brook was also sidelined more than once with injury.
Last September, Brook made a lot of noise when he moved up to the middleweight division to face IBF, IBO, WBA, WBC champion Gennady Golovkin. But Brook was stopped in five rounds and suffered an orbital bone fracture.
This Saturday, Brook return to the welterweight division to make a mandatory defense against Olympian Errol Spence at Bramall Lane in Sheffield. Although the contest if by far the biggest for Spence, many experts have Brook tabbed as the underdog in the contest.
"Of course Kell Brook came over here to America to take the title back home but for this one, he has fluctuated in weight classes," Thurman exclusively told Sky Sports.
"I am just interested in how bad he wants to be a welterweight and establish himself as one of the best welterweights in the world today. It is going to be difficult (moving back down to 147lbs) if he wants to hold onto that title and in my opinion, he didn't do enough at welterweight before moving up anyway For me, that is what this fight is about. In my opinion, there is so much going on at 147 but he had to go up two weights just to make a big fight happen."
Thurman also thinks it might be a big mistake to make such a rapid drop back in weight, after suffered a stoppage loss and a serious injury.
"I just don't like coming off a big fight, and a big loss, then taking this one back down at 147," Thurman said. "The one thing I do like is he got out of the Golovkin fight before he suffered more damage, so it wasn't too severe and as a fighter, seeing them back in the ring is great. But it's just hard for me to be confident with Kell Brook because to me he hasn't proved it. We will see what he's got."