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Frankie Gavin confident he can upset Kell Brook: 'I've got the style to beat him'

Frankie Gavin was expected by many to be here already, but feels he's getting a fight with Kell Brook at the right time.

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Scott Christ is the managing editor of Bad Left Hook and has been covering boxing for SB Nation since 2006.

Frankie Gavin isn't exactly seen as a world-level contender, but the 29-year-old Birmingham fighter is anxious to get into the ring with IBF welterweight titleholder Kell Brook on May 30, and believes he does have the style to score the upset.

"I expect to come out on top. I know Kell Brook is a great fighter but I can beat him. I've got the style to beat him. ... I'm a good counter-puncher and I think technically I'll be the best fighter Kell will have been in with. I think many would agree. ... I'm going to give him problems he's never faced before."

Gavin (22-1, 13 KO) has had a bit of an odd pro career since moving to the paid ranks in 2009. He was a major amateur name, winning the 2007 World Amateur championships as a lightweight, and the 2008 European Amateur championships as a light welterweight, but he couldn't make weight for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, and weight has been a topic of discussion ever since.

Many have felt over his pro career that Gavin would be better off as a junior welterweight, as he's tall but lean for a welterweight. Still, despite some fairly frequent criticism of his pro performance to date, he has lost just one fight, a debatable decision against Leonard Bundu last August. Since then, he's won three straight, including a win over fellow prospect Bradley Skeete in November.

Brook (34-0, 23 KO) has looked at the top of his game in his last two fights, the title-winning effort over Shawn Porter last year and his first defense against Jo Jo Dan in March.

Can Gavin meet his potential at the exact right time and give Brook some trouble, or will he wind up overmatched?

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