Monday 8 January 2018 16:19, UK
Errol Spence Jr can see Kell Brook winning a world title at super-welterweight.
Brook will make his debut at 154lbs against Sergey Rabchenko on March 3, live on Sky Sports, almost 10 months since losing his IBF world welterweight title in an 11th-round stoppage defeat to Spence Jr at Bramall Lane last May.
Spence Jr defends that belt against Lamont Peterson on January 20 and although he wants to prove he is the best 147lbs fighter in the world, the 27-year-old is expecting Brook to succeed at his new weight.
Kell Brook is a guy that has a lot of heart, a lot of balls and is a real fighter
"I don't see why Kell can't win a world title at that weight," Spence Jr exclusively told Sky Sports.
"No one will know what my fight has done to him until we see him fighting again, but he is a good fighter and we had expected him to move [up a weight] for a while.
"Kell is a guy that has a lot of heart, a lot of balls and is a real fighter.
"He could easily have vacated the belt and moved up but he wanted to fight me and not give it up, so I applaud Kell Brook for being a real fighter."
Spence Jr admitted he will eventually move up to super-welterweight himself and would "definitely" face Brook again if there was another world title on the line.
But Spence Jr is in no rush and wants to use his New York defence against Peterson to fire out a warning to the rest of the division.
"Lamont Peterson is very experienced and he's got a big heart," Spence Jr said.
"We know he is a guy that knows how to fight, but I don't think he's got anything I haven't come across before. He might be as strong as Kell Brook, so I will be physically prepared and mentally prepared - even if it is a tougher fight than Kell Brook.
"He has all that experience but I have fought with other guys with that and I feel like being a world champion now, I have more experience now. You can't get more experience than I did going over to Sheffield fighting against Kell Brook.
"Everybody wants to be that No 1 guy in boxing, not just in their weight division, or even their country.
"With Floyd Mayweather and Andre Ward gone, that just leaves it wide open to see who is the best fighter in the world.
"I think that's what we are all fighting for, that's what Terence Crawford, that's what (Vasyl) Lomachenko are fighting for, and that is what I am after. Expect a damn good performance from me."
