Kell Brook: record, next fight and profile →
Last month, Anthony Joshua (19-0, 19 KOs) packed in a record crowd of 90,000 fans to Wembley in London - when he unified the IBO, IBF, WBA heavyweight titles with a knockout of Wladimir Klitschko. The capacity crowd broke the record set in 2014, when Carl Froch knocked out George Groves before a crowd of 80,000 in Wembley.
WBC, WBA welterweight champion Keith Thurman believes Kell Brook, who holds the IBF's version of the world title, did not do enough to prove his worth at the weight class. Brook captured his title the fall of 2014, with a close twelve round decision over Shawn Porter. But since that win Brook's opponent at welterweight have been very lackluster - with three fights against Fankie Gavin, JoJo Dan and Kevin Bizier. Brook was also sidelined more than once with injury.
According to IBF welterweight champion Kell Brook (36-1, 25 KOs), he is already on weight and ready for his mandatory showdown with Errol Spence (31-0, 18 KOs). Their fight takes place this coming Saturday night at Bramall Lane in Sheffield. There were concerns about Brook's ability to make the weight, but he was able to do so without any issues or concerns.
Lawrence Okolie has had his third professional antagonist identified. The Hackney cruiserweight, who is 2-0 with two early in the paid code since turning over in March, will fight in front of 30,000 people this weekend. Okolie, 24, will box on the undercard of Kell Brook’s IBF welterweight world title defence against Errol Spence Jr. on Saturday (May 27) at Bramall Lane in Sheffield.
IBF welterweight champion Kell Brook (36-1, 25 KOs) admits that his days are numbered in the welterweight division and because of that he plans to target a unification with WBC, WBA champion Keith Thurman at the end of the year. Thurman revealed last week that he recently underwent elbow surgery which is going to keep him out of the ring until the end of the year.
IBF welterweight champion Kell Brook is very familiar with WBC, WBA, IBO, IBF middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin (37-0, 33 KOs). Last September, Brook moved up by two full weight divisions to challenge Golovkin for the middleweight belts.
IBF welterweight champion Kell Brook does not view last year's fight with IBF, IBO, WBA, WBC middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin as a negative experience. Brook (36-1, 25 KOs) moved up by two full weight classes to challenge Golovkin for his belts last September at the O2 Arena in London. He did well in the early going of the fight, but eventually the bigger Golovkin overtook him by fracturing his orbital bone and stopping him in the fifth round.
Howard Foster has been named as the referee for a world title fight next week. The IBF have confirmed that the Doncaster man, who was the third man when Carl Froch controversially stopped George Groves inside nine rounds at the Manchester Arena back in 2013, will take charge of Kell Brook's IBF welterweight title fight against Errol Spence Jr.
Former WBC cruiserweight champion Tony Bellew knows what it's like to pull off a major upset. Back in March, he moved up to the heavyweight division to stop heavily favored David Haye in eleven rounds. On May 27th, Bellew's good friend, IBF welterweight champion Kell Brook (36-1, 25 KOs), will defend his belt as the underdog when he takes on unbeaten Errol Spence (21-0, 18 KOs) at Bramall Lane in Sheffield.
Kell Brook Training Camp Photos Gallery - Kell Brook will defend his IBF World Welterweight title against US star Errol Spence at Bramall Lane in Sheffield on Saturday May 27, live on Sky Sports Box Office and on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING in the US. Photos by Lawrence Lustig.