Friday 17 February 2017 15:22, UK
Danny Garcia says weight concerns surrounding Kell Brook could give Errol Spence Jr the edge in their IBF title fight.
The Sheffield man has agreed to defend his belt IBF welterweight belt against mandatory challenger Spence Jr, with Bramall Lane being considered as a possible venue for May 27.
Brook is moving down in weight after stepping up to middleweight for a brave stoppage defeat to Gennady Golovkin last September, and American rival Garcia has expressed fears about the 30-year-old's physical condition.
Garcia, who is preparing to battle Keith Thurman for the WBC and WBA belts, told Boxingscene: "I think it's a good matchup.
"I think the timing favors Spence a little bit because Brook just fought Triple-G. All that weight, saying he couldn't make the weight, to come back down, we don't how he's physically gonna feel.
His skills will be there, but when you fight a young, hungry fighter, you've gotta make sure you're on top of your game.
"His skills will be there, but when you fight a young, hungry fighter, you've got to make sure you're on top of your game. But I think it's a 50-50 fight."
The highly-rated Spence Jr holds an unbeaten record, but Garcia is waiting to see how the 27-year-old will cope with the more experienced Brook in Britain.
"It's tough, man, because I think Kell Brook is the more battle-tested fighter," Garcia said. "He's the more seasoned fighter. He's got everything in his home court. Everything's gonna be to his advantage for this fight.
"But I don't know if he could make welterweight no more, and I don't know if the Triple-G fight took a toll on him.
"Those are the questions, but if that Triple-G fight didn't happen, or if it went the distance, I would definitely pick him. But right now, I would say it's 50-50."
