A Brook vs Spence welterweight showdown could be on the horizon in the not too distance future. Well, at least on paper anyway.

A fight that had been previously speculated during the summer could become a reality in 2017 if both teams can reach a deal.

Mitch Abramson of Ring TV reported yesterday that the IBF have ordered both teams to begin negotiations on October 26th to agree a potential fight.

If a deal then can’t be reached after 30 days following that, as Spence is Brook’s mandatory challenger a purse bid situation would then arise.

From a boxing perspective what a fight though.

Brook is currently recovering from a damaged eye socket sustained against the middleweight hammer fists of Gennady Golovkin, so one would imagine it will be a while yet before the Englishman is fit to box.

The fight with Golovkin took place at 160lbs so Brook will also need to come back down two weight divisions to revert to his normal welterweight class where he holds the IBF title.

The history of boxing has been littered with tales of woe when fighters go up in weight and then try to jump back down again.

A famous example of that is Roy Jones Jr.

Brook’s promoter Eddie Hearn also mentioned after the recent Golovkin fight that his charge would return to action in the new year as a junior-middleweight (154lbs).

It’s for that reason I’m not sure we’ll see the fight with him and Spence, although it would represent arguably the coming together of the two best welterweights in the world right now.

Spence Jr is a serious operator, perhaps one of the best American boxers of recent times and would represent considerable risk for Brook who is coming off the back of his first loss in his career too, so I just can’t see them sitting down and negotiating the fight in all honesty.

Furthermore, there are probably even more lucrative pay days at 154lbs – notably against Canelo Alvarez if the fight could get made.

Brook vs Spence is an immense fight if it does happen though. Time well tell.