West Ham fans have chance to get behind fellow Hammer Gennady Golovkin during showdown with Kell Brook at London's O2 Arena

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Sam Long8 September 2016

West Ham fans will have an opportunity to get behind a fellow Hammers supporter when Gennady Golovkin faces Kell Brook on Saturday night.

The Kazakh fighter will put his four world titles on the line at London's O2 Arena but, if things had panned out differently, he could have been taking to the ring inside the London Stadium.

Golovkin visited the Boleyn Ground in January and watched the Hammers draw 2-2 with Manchester City, which struck a chord with the 34-year-old, who is undefeated in 35 fights.

"They are beautiful people and it feels like a big family. I have a lot of respect for them," he told West Ham's official website in the wake of his trip to east London.

"It was my first visit to the Boleyn Ground but I really enjoyed it and I have become a fan!"

A super-fight in the capital was on the cards back then, with Golovkin's promoter Tom Loeffler admitting the London Stadium was a potential venue.

But Golovkin has signed a deal to fight Brook - rather than Chris Eubank as many fans expected - and will make his London debut a few miles down the road in Greenwich this weekend.

'GGG' may not be regarded as the home fighter but a proportion of the O2 Arena's crowd could get behind him due to his association with claret and blue as he battles for supremacy with Brook.

Meanwhile, Hammers boss Slaven Bilic will be rooting for Golovkin: “I remember he came to the Manchester City game and we chatted for a few minutes.

"He declared himself as a big Hammer. We wish him luck.”

View the gallery at the top of the article to see Golovkin's trip to the Boleyn Ground.....

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