Brook vs Spence Jr: Kell Brook would be 'mad' to stay at welterweight, says Johnny Nelson
Sunday 28 May 2017 11:16, UK
Johnny Nelson is adamant Kell Brook will be back, but says the 'Special One' would be "mad" if he didn't return at super-welterweight.
The Sky Sports pundit watched his Sheffield friend lose his IBF world welterweight title to American Errol Spence Jr at a sold-out Bramall Lane on Saturday night.
Brook was stopped in the 11th round with an injury to his left eye - he suffered a fractured socket to his right eye in his defeat to Gennady Golovkin - but Nelson felt dropping back down from middleweight to the familiar 147lbs was the catalyst.
A fighter who is tight and struggles at the weight is always weaker when it goes down the stretch and that's what happened
"Kell will carry on, but to me it can't be at welterweight," Nelson told Sky Sports.
"What he will do is go back, lick those wounds and then come back at light-middle. He'd be mad to come back at welterweight.
"Light-middleweight - or super-welterweight - that is where his strength lies.
"He wasn't as strong in the second half as he'd been in the first half and was manhandled and pushed back by Errol Spence.
"Errol said he'd found Kell so strong, so he knew he'd have to wait for the second half.
"A fighter who is tight and struggles at the weight is always weaker when it goes down the stretch and that's what happened. There was nothing in his tank, he was being bullied in the end."
However, Nelson would not be surprised to see Brook back at his beloved Bramall Lane.
The vociferous sell-out crowd supported their local hero as well as backing George Groves on his way to winning a world title at the fourth attempt, and seeing Yorkshire heavyweight Dave Allen fail to win the vacant Commonwealth title on a busy night at the home of the League One champions.
"What a night and how great for Sheffield was that?" said Nelson. "I am sure Kell would love to do it again and with more coming through behind him, Sheffield will get behind them.
"It meant something for all of us from the city and I am sure we will have more nights like that."
