Photo by Lawrence Lustig
Kell Brook, although I admire your courage for taking on the Mike Tyson of the middleweight division, and as a natural welterweight no less, I must say, I am not sure quite what you were thinking.
On Saturday, September 10, Great Britain’s Kell “Special K” Brook will go toe to toe with Kazakhstan’s WBC, WBA (though this title will not be on the line), IBF and IBO middleweight champion Gennady “GGG” Golovkin in the O2 arena in London, England.
Brook has nothing to lose and everything to win in this bout, owning four belts in two different weight classes at the same time, as well as becoming one of the most respected fighters in the sport if he wins.
If he loses, he will not lose the belt he already possesses, and will still gain respect for even taking the fight against GGG.
No matter the respect that Special K gets however, facing against the most feared man in boxing will be no easy task and he will have to use every possible advantage he has to come out of the night victorious.
Keep reading to find out the three keys for Kell Brook to overcome the odds and defeat Gennady “GGG” Golovkin.
1. Make Him Respect You
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Gennady Golovkin has earned a second nickname of “The Terminator.” This is the perfect way to describe him in the ring.
Dropping opponents with devastating power was one way that Golovkin earned this nickname, but his inhuman ability to take punches and walk through them as if they were nothing has been one of the most intimidating reasons he has been dubbed with the nickname.
This attribute has scared many fighters into a defensive, purely speed-based boxing style. This style has only led to an easier time for Golovkin to cut the ring off and unleash vicious combinations on his opponents.
In order for Kell Brook to prevent Golovkin from stalking and destroying him, he must come into the fight swinging power punches. If Brook can land solid power punches early in the fight, he can make Golovkin respect his power and buy a bit of breathing room as the fight continues.
2. Make the Best of Your Window
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Gennady Golovkin has said it in fights before, he loves giving the fans a dramatic show. One of the ways he does this is to let the opponent hit him with solid shots, both showing off his chin of steel and sending the message “whatever you do will not hurt me,” to his opponents, breaking their will.
He exhibited this habit against Willie Monroe Jr. and in his most recent fight against Dominic Wade, and will most definitely try the same tactic against Kell Brook.
GGG’s allowance of numerous of past opponents to hit him could have weakened his chin over time however, and this could be Brook’s window of opportunity. When Golovkin attempts to take away Brook’s will, “Special K” must fire his power shots with everything that he has.
Brook does not have light hands, but facing a fighter the caliber of Golovkin, he has to punch like even his hardest shots won’t be enough. If Brook can actually hurt Golovkin by firing everything he has in his window of opportunity, then he has a far better chance at ending the night with a victory.
3. Do Not Stop Moving
Photo by Esther Lin
Let’s face it, even in the most optimistic outcome of the fight for Kell Brook, Gennady Golovkin will stun him in at least one moment during the fight.
A boxer’s first instinct when hurt is to cover up and attempt to absorb the force of incoming blows with their arms. Gennady Golovkin however, has adapted over time to render this defensive tactic useless.
In the fight against Dominic Wade, as well as in his second round knockout of Marco Antonio Rubio, he finished both of his opponents off, not by hammering away their defense, but rather by adjusting his angles of attack and punching around their guard.
When “Special K” gets hurt at a point in the fight, even though he does need to keep his guard up, he must move and attempt to avoid as many incoming blows as possible rather than block them.
If Brook is unable to gather enough of his wits to evade incoming blows, the Golovkin will finish him early in the night.
