Gennady Golovkin vs. Kell Brook: The match up weighing heavy on the odds

On September 10th at the O2 Arena in Greenwich, London, IBO/WBA/IBF middleweight champion Gennady ‘GGG’ Golovkin faces off against IBF welterweight champion Kell Brook. While the fight features two elite fighters, the match up being called a mismatch by some, due to Brook climbing up two weight classes to face Golovkin and the last example of a fighter doing this resulted in a brutal knock out when Amir Khan faced Ring magazine middleweight champion, Saul Alvarez.

The odds for Golovkin-Brook also reflect the public’s view on the bout, as Brook is a heavy underdog. If you are looking to place a bet on the fight, William Hill is the place for boxing betting now, as Kell Brook is currently being listed at +450, while Gennady Golovkin is a -700 favorite.

While the odds do reflect a disadvantage for Brook, there are somethings going in his favor that could lead to him pulling in a big return if he pulls off the upset. Unlike Amir Khan, Kell Brook is a naturally large welterweight, who has been struggling to make the 147lb limit for his last few defenses, a point proven by his 30 day pre fight weight check, in which he weighed 176lbs. Brook has also weighed over 147 pounds, 11 times in his career, weighing as much as 155 for a bout.

Looking at just the weight for the bout is not the best way to call the result, as the disadvantages in size may not determine the winner, but when you compare both fighters at a skill level and see that one fighter has faced the tougher competition and is also the more experienced fighter, then you have to give them the edge heading into the match.

Golovkin and Brook both have undefeated records, with ‘GGG’ sporting a 35-0, 32 KO mark and ‘Special K’ currently sitting at 36-0, 25 KO’s, but Golovkin has had 16 defenses of his belt against increasingly tougher opposition, while Brook has defended his belt 3 times, against declining opponents. The more experienced fighter who has been facing the better level of competition is Gennady Govokin, so while the weight may not be the deciding factor, that edge could see him with his hand raised, something we will find out on September 10th.