Sheffield boxing: Kell Brook's power will soon get Gennady Golovkin's respect

Ecclesall’s IBF welterweight takes on WBA, WBC and IBO middleweight title holder ‘GGG’ at London’s O2 on September 10. Nobody has come close to taking out the specialist KO artist who boasts 32 stoppages in 35 unbeaten fights.

But Etches, who is recovering from a medical procedure on a cyst on his hand and is out until before Christmas, says Brook and maybe WBA kingpin Andre Ward stand a chance of beating Golovkin around the 11 st 6 lbs mark.

“Kell is often around that weight anyway, it’s natural to him and he’s more than comfortable with it - he’s massive to be campaigning at welter.

“I think GGG is the best boxer around but if anybody can match him it would be Kell and maybe Ward. GGG would have made a mess of Chris Eubank Jr but Kell’s style will make it a great match. There’s no point going in there just for a fight, you have to mess him around and grab him if necessary, like Kell did against Shawn Porter.

“Kell might not punch as hard but he has got more than enough power to get GGG’s respect.”

US trainer Freddie Roach claims 30-year-old Brook is too small to have a chance of beating Triple G, describing the contest as similar to the Saul Alvarez vs. Amir Khan fight in May. But Etches said: “Look what Manny Pacquiao achieved, (eight-division world champion.) Anything is possible. Yes GGG is favourite but Kell, in my eyes, has got what it takes to win.”

The Birley Bomber, 25, remains an admirer of the 34-year-old Kazakh who has 35 straight wins. “He has excellent footwork, cuts the ring off well and when his hands go, they speak for themselves. He had a great amateur career - losing around 10 of the 300 he was in - and carried on when he went pro.”

Etches added: “His last 20 or so fights have all been world titles so they’d hardly be against journeymen.

“He is good all round - just because he punches well GGG doesn’t get the credit he deserves as a boxer.”