We thought Errol Spence Jr. had all the makings to be great. The unbeaten welterweight did nothing to disprove that theory on Saturday.
In the biggest test of his young career, Spence traveled across the pond and captured Kell Brook’s IBF welterweight title by 11th-round TKO in a thrilling test of high-speed chess at Bramall Lane in Sheffield, England.
Spence (22-0, 19 KOs) showcased skill and poise by trading at close range and pounding Brook (36-2, 25 KOs) into submission due to a badly swollen left eye. But more importantly, the native of Desoto, Texas, proved he had both a chin and a backbone to overcome an incredibly stiff challenge in enemy territory.
“[Brook] is a tricky fighter, he’s awkward. He’s very strong and he can punch,” Spence said. “But I proved today that I have a chin and that I have true grit. It’s a legacy-defining fight and that’s what true champions do. You go anywhere to fight. He came to America and took the title, so I came over here to take the title from him.”
Spence, 27, did nothing to suggest he doesn’t posses the kind of potential to one day sit atop boxing’s pound-for-pound list. The southpaw targeted the body throughout and outlanded Brook 246-136, according to CompuBox.
The bout was close throughout, featuring plenty of even rounds as both fighters routinely answered one another with powerful and accurate combinations from close range. Brook led on two of three scorecards at the midway point, but Spence began to come on and firmly establish himself after Round 8 when Brook, with his left eye beginning to swell, started to fade.
“I watched some of his fights and he liked to fight at a certain pace,” Spence said. “But once you pick up the pace on him, he kind of breaks down a little bit and can’t throw a lot of punches. I decided to press the action, make him fight at a pace he didn’t want to fight at and he started breathing hard and slowing down. I knew that I had him.”
