LONDON -- Jumping two weight classes to challenge Gennady Golovkin, Kell Brook's ambitious challenge wasn't give much hope.
Despite that leap, a valiant Brook made it far tougher for the world middleweight champion than anticipated as they traded punches for four rounds in a thrilling, open contest Saturday night in London.
But Brook's vision was affected after his right eye socket was broken in the second round and the previously unbeaten welterweight champion began to fade. After the formidable Golovkin unloaded a rapid succession of powerful punches in the fifth round, the Brook's corner threw in the towel.
The 30-year-old Brook was taken to a hospital from O2 Arena in London. It was later confirmed that he suffered a broken eye socket, which he says came in the second round.
"I am gutted because there was much, much more to come from me," Brook said before leaving the ring. "I was just getting started but I was seeing five of them out there, I think I have bust an eye socket."
The 34-year-old Golovkin was full of praise for Brook but never felt his WBA, IBO, WBC and IBF middleweight belts were under threat.
Brook succumbed to the first defeat of his professional career in his 37th fight after being one of the few fighters willing to take on the fearsome Golovkin.
He now feels ready to drop back in weight, but not back to welterweight. He wants to go to junior middleweight to face the winner of next week's fight between WBO junior middleweight champion Liam Smith and Mexican superstar Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez.
"I would have to go back to the drawing board, I'd be most suited at light-middle. I know (Liam) Smith and 'Canelo' (Saul Alvarez) are fighting next week: I would love the winner," Brook said.
"It wasn't my night because there was much more to come from me but I was seeing five of them out there. I'm a warrior, I want to carry on, I was ready to fight on. Anyone who trains with me knows that. I was starting to come on. We knew the first five or six rounds would be tough, but you would have to talk to my coach to ask him why he pulled me out. I'll be back."
