Here’s Sachin Nakrani’s report from Bramall Lane:
That’s all for now. Thanks as always to following along with us and check back later our a full report from Sheffield.
Spence is only the seventh American to win a world title in the UK, according to Showtime. He’s just reasserted to the US cable network that he wants a unification bout with Keith Thurman, who is coming off a split-decision win over Danny Garcia that unified the WBA and WBC titles at 147lbs.
Spence led on all three official scorecards at the time of the stoppage: 97-92, 96-93 and 95-94. (The Guardian had it 96-93 to the American.)
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Brook says he took a shot to the left eye in the seventh round that compromised his vision. Then he was caught there again in the 11th and the double vision didn’t go away.
“I couldn’t see, I had to stop,” Brook says. “When you can’t see, there’s nothing you can do.”
Brook adds: “Spence is one of the best kids I’ve been in with, if not the best.”
When asked about his future plans, Brook says he can make welterweight if he needs to, but will fight wherever the money is or whoever the fans want to see.
Promoter Eddie Hearn notes afterward that he believes Brook’s future is at 154lbs, perhaps in a long-awaited matchup with rival Amir Khan, who took in Saturday’s action from ringside.
“He’s a tricky fighter,” Spence says afterward. “He’s awkward. He’s very strong and he can punch. I proved today I have a chin and I have true grit.”
Spence, who gives himself a “D-minus” for his performance, says he wants to fight Keith Thurman and then Manny Pacquiao next to unify the undisputed welterweight championship of the world.
The official time of the stoppage is 1min 47sec of the 11th round. Errol Spence is your new IBF welterweight champion. Brook a warrior to the last, likely smart to acquiesce when he did.
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Errol Spence Jr stops Kell Brook in the 11th round!
Spence swarming and pressuring as they exchange jabs early. A good combo by Brook, but now Spence fires back to the body and head. A devastating left to the body for Spence. Brook looks in trouble, his left eye nearly closed. And Brook has taken a knee. Oh dear. He might be finished. And that’s going to be it.
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Round 10 (Brook 8-10 Spence Jr)
Spence all over Brook from the bell and Brook goes down early in the 10th. Brook beats the count and showing incredible heart to stay in this fight. A big left uppercut by Brook! And another! Brook is coming back in the round as Spence misses wildly. Brook is back from the brink of a stoppage to claw his way back into the fight.
Guardian’s unofficial score: Brook 8-10 Spence Jr (Brook 93-96 Spence Jr)
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Round 9 (Brook 9-10 Spence Jr)
Brook’s left eye is swelling, not the surgically repaired one. Early on the action is stopped so the ringside doctor can take a look. Spence is now dominating the action with Brook fighting off the back foot for the first time all night. Brook, now looking exhausted, backing Spence up against the ropes and opening up with educated combinations. Brook raises his fist to the crowd after the bell rings but that was the best round of the fight for Spence, who takes it easily.
Guardian’s unofficial score: Brook 9-10 Spence Jr (Brook 85-86 Spence Jr)
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Round 8 (Brook 9-10 Spence Jr)
What was thought to be a major step up in class for Spence is turning out to be just that. Brook comes alive and rocks Spence with an uppercut. Spencemay be hurt! Brook opens up and rocks his opponent backwards. Spence survives and then smacks Brook flush with a counter left with moving backwards. A beautiful feat of athleticism, that. Now Spence rallying, putting together one inside combination after another. The round is up for grabs with 30 seconds left. Brook connects over the top but Spence finishes strong and I believe he’s nicked it.
Guardian’s unofficial score: Brook 9-10 Spence Jr (Brook 76-76 Spence Jr)
Round 7 (Brook 10-9 Spence Jr)
We’re past the midway point and both men still operating with blinding hand speed. The pace has slowed a bit here, both man possibly catching a breather for the championship rounds ahead. Spence scoring with the left, but Brook landing the bigger shots. And by the end it’s turned into an easy round for Brook, but Spence is taking these punches well.
Guardian’s unofficial score: Brook 10-9 Spence Jr (Brook 67-66 Spence Jr)
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Round 6 (Brook 9-10 Spence Jr)
A big right hand by Brook early in the round sends Spence staggering backward into the ropes. Was he off-balance or hurt? Looks like the former as Spence fires back with a good combo to the body. Spence doing great work to the body here. Brook comes back with a hook but Spence is giving no quarter and has an answer for everything. Spence came back nicely from that early shot. So little to separate the fighters in these rounds. Another narrow one to Spence.
Guardian’s unofficial score: Brook 9-10 Spence Jr (Brook 57-57 Spence Jr)
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Round 5 (Brook 9-10 Spence Jr)
The chess match continues into the fifth. Brook doing nice work to the body, following it up with a sharp right cross to the chin. Spence connects with a lunging left hand lead. Lots of feints and counters. Brook winning the round on activity but Spence comes alive over the last 30 seconds to steal it: two lefts to the body followed by a four-punch combo upstairs that sends Brook back into the ropes. Another close one to Spence.
Guardian’s unofficial score: Brook 9-10 Spence Jr (Brook 48-47 Spence Jr)
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Round 4 (Brook 9-10 Spence Jr)
Spence staying dedicated to the body attack and doing a bit better defensively early in the fourth. A good combination by Spence but Brook responds with an uppercut. Both men showing off a high level of skill. A good counter left by Brook but now Spence comes back. So little to separate these two. Another closely contested round, this one to Spence.
Guardian’s unofficial score: Brook 9-10 Spence Jr (Brook 39-37 Spence Jr)
Round 3 (Brook 10-9 Spence Jr)
Spence using the jab to keep the pressure on Brook. He’s starting to put his punches together. Brook holding on a bit here. A great start for the Texan. But Brook he snaps Spence’s head back with a straight right. That might have hurt Spence! Brook coming back nicely in this round. Brook finding his range with that right. The clearest round yet for Brook, who’s up three-nil on my card (albeit the first two were very narrow).
Guardian’s unofficial score: Brook 10-9 Spence Jr (Brook 30-27 Spence Jr)
Round 2 (Brook 10-9 Spence Jr)
Both fighters trading lead hands. A faster pace this round. Brook staying busy and troubling Spence with directness and accuracy. Lands a sharp right-hand lead followed by a hook to the stomach. Both fighters are connecting but neither guy has landed a telling blow just yet. Another close one to Brook but Spence heating up.
Guardian’s unofficial score: Brook 10-9 Spence Jr (Brook 20-18 Spence Jr)
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Round 1 (Brook 10-9 Spence Jr)
And they’re off! Spence wearing white and gold trunks, Brook in red and white shorts with a black stripe, Sheffield United colors. Brook the more aggressive fighter from the jump, coming over the top Spence’s jab. A battle of jabs throughout the first two minutes with neither fighter making too much headway. Spence coming on later in the frame, landing a few good shots to the body. A close round that could have gone either way. I’ll tip it to Brook.
Guardian’s unofficial score: Brook 10-9 Spence Jr
Now it’s Michael Buffer making the final introductions. Not much longer now. We’ll pick it up with round-by-round updates from here.
Anthem time in Sheffield. First the Star-Spangled Banner for Spence. Then God Save the Queen for Brook. Just a touch more crowd participation for the latter.
The fighters are making their entrances. First it’s the undefeated American challenger, who makes the long way from the tunnel to the ring amid a cascade of boos and jeers. And now it’s the homestanding champion, who emerges to the strains of Kanye’s All of the Lights. Somehow this crowd feels even bigger and louder than 27,000.
Watching tonight’s fight from ringside: Sheffield’s own Prince Naseem Hamed. The featherweight great, who earlier visited Brook’s locker room to pass along his best wishes, was just announced to a raucous reception from the estimated 27,000 spectators on hand.
Former and current world champions... 'Prince' Naseem Hamed and @specialkellbrook embrace before the fight 🇬🇧🥊
— Sky Sports Boxing 🥊 (@SkySportsBoxing) May 27, 2017
BOOK: https://t.co/cLSKRdqRtL pic.twitter.com/DysK8CylQJ
Here’s a look at how my colleague Sachin Nakrani sees tonight’s main event. (For the record, I’ve got Spence on points.)
Spence Jr arrives in England with a reputation as one of the most exciting fighters around at 147lb. The 27-year-old Texan has won all 21 of his contests after having excelled as an amateur, reaching the quarter-finals at the 2012 Olympics and going on to align his skills from those days with a level of vicious accuracy that has seen him stop his seven most recent opponents. He is the mandatory challenger for Brook’s title for a reason and it says a lot when Sugar Ray Leonard is among those who describe the softly-spoken father of two as “the real deal”.
Spence Jr, who weighed in at 146lb 5oz and also looked in excellent condition, will cause Brook problems, particularly given he is a southpaw. For the champion comes the benefit of the most emphatic home advantage possible – a sellout crowd at Bramall Lane, the home of his boyhood football club, Sheffield United, and what is sure to be the scene of fevered and frantic noise; 27,000-plus voices willing the champion to victory from first bell to last.
That, allied to his superior experience and punching power, should be enough to see Brook record a 37th win and fourth as the IBF champion.
George Groves has finally become a world champion! He began to dominate Chudinov in the sixth with a series of big punches thrown in combination and the Russian’s inability or unwillingness to throw back forced the referee’s intervention. A good stoppage. Now the 29-year-old from Hammersmith has picked up the vacant WBA super middleweight title.
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Hello and welcome to tonight’s IBF welterweight title fight between Kell Brook and Errol Spence Jr. Brook (36-1, 25 KO) is making the fourth defense of his 147lb strap against Spence (21-0, 18 KO) at Bramall Lane Football Ground in Sheffield. It’s a delicious matchup between two of the division’s best.
That fight should go off in about a half hour. Right now George Groves and Fedor Chudinov are in the sixth round of their fight for the vacant WBA super middleweight title, a fight that Showtime is streaming here.
Bryan will be here shortly. In the meantime, here’s Sachin Nakrani’s look ahead to tonight’s main event.
