Thursday 28 April 2016 13:33, UK
Gennady Golovkin is open to a fight with Kell Brook if a weight class can be agreed, promoter Tom Loeffler has revealed.
IBF welterweight champion Brook would be interested in moving as high as 157lbs for a catchweight fight against a big-name opponent, his promoter Eddie Hearn said last month.
Golovkin's representative Loeffler has responded by challenging Brook to follow in the footsteps of legendary welterweights who have made the move to middleweight.
Brook is one of the best fighters in the sport. He's at 147lbs and Gennady is at 160 so the only question we have is about the weight, nothing else.
"If Kell is really serious, it would be something to discuss," Loeffler exclusively told Sky Sports.
"Brook is one of the best fighters in the sport. He's at 147lbs and Gennady is at 160 so the only question we have is about the weight, nothing else.
"A lot of great welterweights have fought at middleweight - a classic example is Sugar Ray Leonard, who moved up to 160lbs to beat Marvin Hagler.
"Any comments we have made about Brook have not been disparaging, we have a lot of respect for him.
"His win over Shawn Porter was fantastic - I rated Porter as one of the best welterweights in the division so for Brook to come to America and beat him speaks volumes."
Golovkin, the WBA 'Super' and IBF middleweight champion, is the mandatory challenger to the WBC belt that Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez will defend against Amir Khan in May, and has made it clear his eventual title shot will not be held at a catchweight.
Loeffler says Golovkin would only consider moving up a weight, rather than down, and would admire Brook if the Sheffield puncher also chose to leave the comfort of his welterweight home.
"If you outgrow your division, I don't consider it a major accomplishment if you move up," Loeffler said. "What is a big accomplishment is fighting outside of your division when you don't have to.
"Kell clearly can make welterweight so if he ever moved up to middleweight to challenge Gennady, that would be a big statement. Kell is the type of fighter that I would give the most respect to."
Golovkin recently extended his unbeaten run to 35-0 with a second-round stoppage of Dominic Wade, while Brook holds a perfect 36-0 record having dispatched Kevin Bizier in similar fashion.
