Sheffield welterweight Kell Brook will return to his home city in October to face the man who ended Ricky Hatton's career. Last week Brook's promoter Eddie Hearn announced that the unbeaten 27-year-old will face Vyacheslav Senchenko on October 26 at Sheffield Arena. Brook's last appearance in the Steel City came in October last year when he knocked out Hector Saldivia in an IBF eliminator, but a string of injuries stopped him fighting Devon Alexander for the world title.
He remains the IBF's number-one ranked challenger to Alexander's belt and returned to action after a nine-month lay-off with an impressive win over Carson Jones in Hull two weeks ago. Ukrainian veteran Senchenko has lost just one of his 33 career fights and is known to British fans after stopping Hatton in his comeback-from-retirement scrap in Manchester last November. Since then he has not fought again but is slated to meet Carlos Adan Jerez next month.
"It's a tough task but I'm very excited," Brook told Sky Sports News. "Anyone who stops Ricky Hatton is a dangerous fighter and one that I will take very seriously, so I can't wait to get in there and train very hard to put on a good show for my fans in Sheffield.
"He's been a world champion, been there and done it, so he will be out to prove that he's worthy of another crack at being on top of the world. I really get up for it when I box in Sheffield, it'll be packed to the rafters and they are really passionate fans - so I can't wait to be back in my Arena, in a big fight that will take me closer to a world title shot. I'm on the doorstep of a world title and I'm ready to show I have what it takes to win it."
