Golovkin vs Brook: The Panel reveal who they'd hate to fight two weight classes up
Frampton, Selby, Warrington,, Yafai, Barker and more
Thursday 8 September 2016 19:24, UK
Kell Brook is hoping to align himself with the all-time greats by jumping up two weight divisions to win the middleweight world title.
The Sheffield fighter and current IBF world champion wants to mirror his heroes, Sugar Ray Robinson and Sugar Ray Leonard, who both moved up from welterweight to defy the odds at 160lbs.
In Brook's way though is the most feared man in boxing, Gennady Golovkin, who he will battle with at the O2 Arena on Saturday, live on Sky Sports Box Office.
In the wake of Brook's mighty leap of faith, we asked several fighters who would be their nightmare opponent should they bravely opt to follow suit…
Kal Yafai (Super-flyweight)
My nightmare opponent would be the Cuban Guillermo Rigondeaux who has brilliant technical ability. He's about the same size as me so wouldn't be that bad, but when you're boxing someone two weights above who is very big and strong it could be an issue.
The problem is that he just doesn't get hit, he makes you miss and then makes you pay. I wouldn't want to fight him, he is an unbelievable fighter.
Anthony Ogogo (Middleweight)
I would not fancy facing Andre Ward. The problem is that I respect him so much as a fighter and I know what I'd be against. I could stand and watch him punch a bag for an hour and would just be in awe of him. In the ring, I'd just be like 'wow, it's him' and the next thing I know he would have hit me. I love the man.
Lee Selby (Featherweight)
Jorge Linares would be the toughest opponent for me at lightweight. He lets his hands go, and is very experienced. The only promising thing is that he has been hurt a few times and may be a bit chinny, but overall he is very good.
Stuart Hall (Bantamweight)
At featherweight, I would pick Lee Selby as my nightmare opponent. He is very awkward and I don't like facing awkward fighters, I prefer being up against fighters who come forward and have a go.
Carl Frampton (Featherweight)
Mikey Garcia is the best lightweight in the world at this minute and I think he beats them all. He's only just come back, but he beats the rest. He'd be the one I'd least like to fight because he'd just be too big and too good for me at that weight. He's a class act. He's got it all and there is more to come.
Josh Warrington (Featherweight)
I am cheating a bit because's he's only up at super-featherweight at the moment and could well go up again, but it would have to be Vasyl Lomachenko. The guy is special and he does everything well. Like GGG, he's a bit of a freak. He is up there in the pound-for-pound rankings, never mind one of those featherweight world champions who has opened it all up. He can probably move up - or down - no problem at all. Maybe my best bet is waiting until he's moved up to heavyweight! That'll be in a few years' time and he'll probably have slowed down a bit.
Jamie Moore (Retired super-welterweight)
It's tough to remember who was around when I was good. I was British super-welterweight champion so we're looking for super-middleweights and there would have been the likes of Roy Jones Jr and Joe Calzaghe. At super-middleweight Roy Jones Jr is probably one of the best fighters to have ever lived. Joe Calzaghe was a southpaw and I didn't mind southpaws. I know Joe could punch but he always had problems with his hands. Calzaghe and I would have been an entertaining fight at a nice high tempo, but a peak Jones Jr would have been my worst nightmare.
Lee Haskins (Bantamweight)
I would definitely step up two weights to fight anyone, I'd even go up four weights! I'd like to fight Carl Frampton as that would be a great fight, whilst I'd probably avoid Lee Selby as he would be very awkward.
Darren Barker (Retired middleweight)
I would run away from Sergey Kovalev, I certainly wouldn't fancy that fight. Kovalev is an absolute animal, he can box, he can fight he is tough and is a star of the sport. He is like a bigger version of Golovkin in a way, brutal in everything he does. Having to spend twelve rounds in the ring with him would not be something I would look forward to.
Watch Gennady Golovkin v Kell Brook, live on Sky Sports Box Office from The O2, on September 10. Book the event via your Sky remote or online here.
