By Edward Chaykovsky
IBF/IBO/WBA/WBC middleweight champion Gennady 'GGG' Golovkin (36-0, 33KOs) was expected to have an easy time on Saturday, but there were moments of brilliance for IBF welterweight champion Kell 'Special K' Brook (36-1, 25KOs), who moved up by thirteen pounds to face Golovkin at the full middleweight limit of 160-pounds.
Brook did very well in the fight, but suffered a fractured eye socket in the second round and the injury grew worse as the fight continued. Eventually Brook was having issues with his vision, which led to to his trainer Dominic Ingle unexpectedly throwing in the towel.
The sold out crowd at the O2 Arena in London was very upset with Ingle's decision, but they were unaware of the injury.
One of Brook's biggest supporters at ringside was former world champion and Sky Sports pundit Johnny Nelson. He was impressed with Brook's performance and saw him doing much better in the contest than most middleweights who stepped in the ring with Golovkin.
"Kell impressed me with his courage. His cool was unbelievable. You have got to give him credit and Dominic Ingle credit. It was a brave decision to throw in the towel. Just before he threw the towel in Kell's hands were down. It was a hard decision to accept from the fans but the right one. Nobody expected Kell to get past three rounds, his eye socket went, end of story. It is nothing to do with weight," Nelson said.
"Golovkin is an amazing puncher, he didn't bully Kell around the ring,we just know he's an amazing puncher. If that was any other middleweight in the world what would have happened? You could see Kell getting in the ring with anyone like Liam Smith or Canelo Alvarez, this kid could give them a run for their money if not beat them."
