KELL OF A LAUGH
BOXING Brook happy to weight for glory
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KELL BROOK says moving up to middleweight has turned him from Mr Grouchy to Mr Happy.
And his missus is reaping the rewards at home. The Sheffield star steps up from welterweight to face WBA, IBF and WBC middleweight king Gennady Golovkin on September 10 at London’s 02.
Brook, 29, is usually starving at this stage before a fight himself to make the 10st 7lb welterweight limit. But now he has more pounds to play with to make the 11st 6lb middleweight limit, it means more smiles at home with partner Lindsey and their two kids.
Restrict
The IBF welterweight champion said: “It’s fantastic. I’m a nicer guy. If my missus was here, she’d tell you how nice it’s been at home. I’m not grouchy because I don’t have to restrict myself in what I can eat.
“I’m able to eat and she’s super happy with me. I’m happy because I can eat. It’s good. It’s been a fantastic training camp.
“I’ve been getting plenty of sleep because I’ve got a belly full of food.
“I struggled to sleep when you’re so hungry. Making those lighter weights, you don’t get much sleep. You get woken up easily.
“I can train hard and that’s making me sleep because I’m taking the fuel on.
“I’m sleeping like a baby, ready to perform the next day.” Brook is preparing for the biggest challenge of his career against one of the sport’s most-feared fighters, who has knocked out 32 of his 35 victims.
But the happy home has led to Lindsey putting a block on a return to the welterweight division and those few weeks of strict dieting.
Unbeaten Brook said: “I think she will ban me from going to welterweight again. She said I’ve been fantastic – and I have. I’ve got loads of energy and I’m playing with the kids.
“It’s those little things and I don’t get ratty like I am when I’m making those lighter weights and restricting my food. It’s all very good.
“We’ll see what comes. Once I beat Golovkin, I’m the man, so who knows what will come next.” 7