By Ben Jacobs

At the time Diego Chaves was not impressed with Kell Brook’s withdrawal from their proposed October 2015 contest.  Indeed, he had a few choice words for the Sheffield man on his own Facebook account.  Nevertheless, the 30-year-old has nothing but respect for Brook’s recent challenge to middleweight King Gennady Golovkin.

“I think that Kell Brook fought a very good fight,” Cháves told BoxingScene.com. “The rounds that he had he fought really well.  He also got a lot of money!

“He knew that Golovkin’s punching power was too much for him but he did what he could.  He connected on Golovkin a lot more than people expected and he also took a lot of good shots. 

“I hope he can go back to welterweight as he is a great champion, he showed that against Golovkin.  I also hope I can have that chance to fight him as I still want that fight which didn’t happen!

“But to go up two weight classes like he did against Golovkin shows what a great champion he is as few fighters would do it.”

Cháves also touched on one of the most anticipated bouts in the sport which will take place in the early part of 2017 between Danny García and his former opponent Keith Thurman.  Diego tends to lean more to the Florida man in what will be a unification bout for the WBA and WBC titles.

“I think it’s a hard fight.  Danny García has a hard punch, and Thurman is more of a boxer -  he has better rhythm, he has more speed and he has a pretty hard punch himself. 

“But if I were to bet on who would win I would bet on Thurman as he is more of a boxer.  For sure it’s going to be a tough fight,” he concluded. 

Chaves (25-2-1, 21 KOs) returned to the ring on Friday night and blew away Luis Pablo Zarate (21-4, 12 KOs) in the first round at the Club Social y Deportivo El Porvenir in Quilmes, Buenos Aires, Argentina.