"THE GREATEST"
MUHAMMAD ALI
Kell Brook British welterweight & potential World champion signed (silver sharpie) Lonsdale glove.
Price: £55
Profile On Kell Brook The Next Potential Boxing Superstar From Sheffield
Kell Brook is on course for a Lonsdale belt outright - in record time. The Sheffield youngster has already stopped Barrie Jones, Kevin McIntyre and Stuart Elwell in British title fights. And he'll be looking for another KO on May 22.
Brook was supposed to meet Scottish rival McIntyre in London in June, but after he twice pulled out of the fight with a bad back, Kell was fast-tracked to a crack at the vacant title.
Fellow prospect Barrie Jones was in the opposite corner in the East End, but was given a boxing lesson by a man compared to a young Naseem Hamed. Eventually, after seven one-sided rounds, the referee decided he’d seen enough, and Brook had picked up the coveted Lonsdale belt.
It was a sweet moment for the 22-year-old, who had seen his early career blighted by pull-outs. He was supposed to fight Mark Thompson in a British welterweight title eliminator in December, only for the northerner to pull out on short notice. Tony Doherty and Gary Young also withdrew after signing terms – Doherty after injuring his thumb when he got his hand stuck in a video recorder!
And Brook was also nominated to fight for John O'Donnell's English welterweight title only for him to vacate.
But now he’s got a title, Brook will be far less avoided – especially as he has ambitions to make it to the very top.
A couple of years ago, Brook had some problems with his weight and was out of the gym for a long time with injury, but says he is now approaching his best. The Ingle camp, where Brook now trains, are backing their man to follow in the footsteps of fellow Yorkshireman Hamed and become a multiple world champion. Brook has been likened to Naz style wise, and perhaps that’s no surprise as he began boxing aged nine with Brendan Ingle in Sheffield.
"Naz was an inspiration when I was a kid, he was the man back then," said Brook, "I remember seeing him on the pads and I was mesmerised," added Brook. "Everyone in the gym wanted to be like him and I copied his style.
"Going back to the Ingles has been like going home, to be honest. It feels like I've never been away - the sparring I've had in the last six weeks has been absolutely amazing.
"It's brought back a few memories of when I was youngster and Naz was in the gym.
"He was such a great talent. Hopefully I fight like him - and if I achieve just a fraction of what he did then I'll be a very happy man." And he also says he is looking to restore some pride to the city after world title defeats for Clinton Woods and Junior Witter.