Kell Brook will make a successful transition to light middle, says ex world champ

Clinton Woods believes that the change of course Kell Brook has chosen in weight division will have the same positive effect as the one he once enjoyed.
Kell BrookKell Brook
Kell Brook

In 1998, Woods lost the Commonwealth super middleweight title to David Starie, in Hull, the first blemish on his record. But 12 months later, having gone up a weight, Woods won the same strap at light heavyweight beating Crawford Ashley at Manchester - setting the course for a later, successful assault on world honours.

In present day, Brook is moving up from welterweight, where he was deposed as world champion last May, to light middleweight. He fights Siarhei Rabchanka, at Sheffield Arena, on March 3.

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Woods said: “I think this is going to be a very good move for Kell. They say it has nearly killed him to make welterweight before - and if that’s the case, in the back of any boxer’s mind, you are always going to be wondering if you are going to struggle to do the rounds.

“If he feels stronger and more confident, then he’ll be even more confident going into fights and have more power in his hands. He always looked big at welterweight, and for a few rounds did well when he fought at middleweight against Gennady Golovkin. So this will be more natural.”

Some boxing fans have expressed disappointment at the selection of Rabchanka as his opponent - the Belarussian has only boxed once last year.

“What are these people on about - who did they expect for a comeback fight?” asked Woods. “It seems a good match-up to me. I hope Rabchanka has trained hard and comes to have a go - then we will see how it is going to be for Kell in this division.”