KELL LOSES THE VERBAL WAR

KELL BROOK has walked on to the first big punch from Team Golovkin, 48 hours before he faces the Kazakh KO king for the world middleweight title. The final media conference at London’s O2 Arena began with more talk of how Brook has put on the pounds in readiness for taking on Gennady Golovkin. ‘If anyone thinks Golovkin will have a size and weight advantage,’ said Brook’s trainer Dominic Ingle, ‘they are very mistaken. We have put on the pounds technically. Kell’s size and muscle will come as a shock to Golovkin.’ But Golovkin’s trainer Abel Sanchez hit back, saying: ‘Kell Brook will brutally discover that it takes more than a 10-week scientific experiment to beat Triple G.’ It was a classic put-down, though Brook replied: ‘I can’t wait to pull off the biggest upset by a British boxer, to take over from Golovkin as the best boxer in the world.’ At which Golovkin smiled and said: ‘Well, I’m not frightened.’