At 21-0 with 18 KOs on his resume to this point, 27-year-old welterweight contender Errol Spence Jr. has long been considered one of boxing's top young talents. His old school approach to becoming a world champion in the loaded 147-pound division meant he had no hesitation in taking on the challenge of facing IBF champ Kell Brook in his hometown of Sheffield, England.
The two will clash on Saturday, May 27th, on Showtime Championship Boxing, with Spence looking to land the biggest win of his career, his first world title belt and notoriety as one of boxing's top pound-for-pound forces all in one night.
Brook won the belt via Majority Decision against Shawn Porter in August 2014, when he came across the pond to fight in Southern California. Since then, he’s successfully defended the belt three times, and his only setback came last year when he was stopped by Gennady Golovkin after moving up in weight to challenge the middleweight king.
Now, Spence will attempt to do what no other 147-pounder has been able to do in defeating Brook. The setting for the showdown will be a unique one, taking place outdoors at Bramall Lane, the home of Sheffield United, in front of 30,000 of Brook’s hometown supporters.
Should Spence be able to bring the belt back to America, it could ignite the fans’ hunger for several major match-ups that can be made at 147-pounds, including those with the likes of unified champion Keith Thurman, former champions Danny Garcia and Shawn Porter, or a host of others in one of boxing’s glamour divisions.
Spence earned his first title shot thanks to two massive, nationally televised knockouts in 2016, first in April against former world champion Chris Algieri, then against once-defeated Leonard Bundu in August in a final IBF eliminator.
