Wednesday 24 May 2017 08:01, UK
Dave Coldwell fears Kell Brook may suffer the same fate of the legendary Roy Jones Jr when he moves back down to welterweight to defend his IBF title against Errol Spence Jr.
Brook returns to the ring on Saturday at Bramall Lane, live on Sky Sports Box Office, for the first time since failing in his quest to dethrone middleweight king Gennady Golovkin.
Light-heavyweight Jones Jr enjoyed better fortunes when he moved up in weight in 2003, defeating John Ruiz to claim the WBA world heavyweight title.
However, the American struggled to re-adjust when making the drop back down in weight and lost seven of his next 13 bouts, including four via knockout.
"I think the weight is a massive issue in this fight. If you go through and look at the past I remember, this could be quite similar and crucial, when Roy Jones Jr moved up to heavyweight," Coldwell told Sky Sports.
"He (Jones Jr) put on muscle and was in shape when he fought John Ruiz. We all thought he was fantastic, but when he came back down to light-heavyweight he was never the same.
"His durability had gone, his reactions were a fraction slower and we all know what happened to his career after that.
"That is my worry for Kell Brook in this fight because when he boxed GGG, he was ripped up and we were all talking about how much of a machine he looked like at middleweight. Now he has to strip that muscle."
Watch Brook vs Spence Jr, from Bramall Lane, Sheffield, May 27, live on Sky Sports Box Office. Book the event online here or via your Sky remote.
