Thursday 17 September 2015 15:42, UK
Kell Brook defends his IBF world welterweight title against Diego Chaves on October 24 live on Sky Sports Box Office, so we've picked out his best five fights so far...
Kevin McIntyre
In his fight previous to this one, Brook had become British champion by outclassing Barrie Jones at York Hall, London - and his first defence was an intimidating trip to Glasgow to face hometown hero McIntyre, who had been stripped of the title when injured and felt he was the rightful owner.
Although he had already been beaten several times in his career, the Scot had won his last four fights and his southpaw style was expected to at least push Brook into honing his technique and putting some rounds in the bank.
This was perhaps the fight that made people start to take Brook's talent very seriously. He was completely unfazed by the hostile atmosphere and was quickly to work in trying to negate the southpaw jabs and short hooks - stepping in and snapping out his orthodox left into McIntyre's face.
Brook was imposing himself in the centre of the ring and McIntyre, perhaps charged up a little too much by his vociferous supporters, strayed within range of Brook's right hook and paid the penalty of a knockdown. The challenger was quickly to his feet but suffered the same shot and the same result moments later.
McIntyre bravely stood up for more but Brook was clinical in finishing it with a right-left combination that sent the Scot tumbling backwards into the ropes, forcing referee Victor Loughlin to wave it off. The champion had taken less than two minutes to defend his title and silence Glasgow.
Carson Jones II
Brook had struggled against Carson Jones in front of his own fans in Sheffield a year prior to this fight but in the interim dispatched Hector Saldivia with gusto.
The durable American came to Hull full of confidence he could reverse the split decision he suffered the previous summer.
Jones began with purpose - claiming the centre of the ring and pushing Brook back towards the ropes in an attempt to get on the inside. His plan began to fall apart when Brook found his range, and a crisp right uppercut in the second forced the visitor to take a knee.
The body shots started landing and the jab was piercing Jones' guard. There was little the American could do to stem the tide but he dug in gamely despite seemingly fighting a losing battle.
By the eighth, Brook was at his menacing best and punching with real spite - forcing Jones to retreat to the ropes and then go on the run under a barrage, prompting the referee to give him a standing eight-count. Jones was furious when the stoppage came but it was not before time and Brook had set the record straight.
Vyacheslav Senchenko
Senchenko ended the career of British favourite Ricky Hatton in November 2012 by way of knockout. Brook's hometown fans in Sheffield were owed some excitement after the anti-climax of Brook-Jones I. It was an IBF welterweight title eliminator and plenty was on the line.
At 36, Senchenko was no spring chicken but with just one defeat on his record (to Paulie Malignaggi) and coming off the back of the Hatton win and a fourth-round stoppage of Carlos Adan Jerez, Brook was going to have to be at his best to secure the world title shot.
Brook, as usual, used the first round to size up his opponent - throwing feints to draw leads from the Ukrainian and gradually finding his range with the jab before introducing the right. By midway through the third, he was well in control and after two heavy right hands, knocked Senchenko down with another back-hand hook.
The veteran made it to the bell but the inevitable stoppage came in the fourth. Up until the decisive blows, Senchenko was having his best round and bloodied Brook's nose, backing him up against the ropes with a big right-hand counter that had Brook stunned for 30 seconds.
When the end came, it was classy. Brook drew Senchenko forward and timed a thudding right to the jaw, following up with another solid left and - fortunately for the visitor - just missing with an uppercut as his man tumbled forward to the canvas. Senchenko rose but his legs were clearly gone and the fight was over. Brook had earned his shot.
Shawn Porter
Here it was. The unbeaten Shawn Porter for the IBF world welterweight belt. The American had taken the title from Devon Alexander the previous year and stopped Paulie Malignaggi inside four rounds in his first defence four months later.
Brook was the underdog. Porter's all-action style had impressed everyone and he was expected to overwhelm Brook with his work-rate. While Brook was there on merit, he had never faced a pressure fighter with such speed in such terrific shape. Could he make the step up to the very top?
Porter came out of the blocks at a million miles an hour. His sheer volume of punches and the conviction with which he came forward was a concern for Brook fans as the opening rounds flashed by in a blur of American aggression. Brook did brilliantly to weather the storm and evade most of the shots or at least deflect them.
By the middle rounds, Brook was timing his jab and right crosses beautifully to catch Porter on his way in and then immediately cover up and in the seventh, the slowing champion was caught with a crisp right uppercut which Brook followed up with a quick-fire left-right combination.
Porter was running out of puff, his nose bloodied and Brook clearly the more accurate with his punches. The American threw almost 200 more than the challenger yet landed four fewer, and Brook became champion of the world with a majority decision, 116-112, 117-111, 114-114.
Jo Jo Dan
In the summer following his world title glory, Brook suffered a horrific stab wound in his leg during an altercation in Tenerife. Fears for his life dissipated, but fears he would never fight again stuck around a bit longer as he began the long road to recovery.
Brook, nearly 29, set about his rehabilitation with great commitment and surged ahead of schedule. He was back in the gym sooner than expected and took a mandatory defence against Jo Jo Dan, a Canadian resident of Romanian descent who had fought primarily in Quebec.
Nobody knew if Brook would be the same. It had been just five months since his famous win in California and he had been through the mill since, but all the questions were answered emphatically - much to the delight of his hometown crowd.
The southpaw Dan showed some decent footwork and head movement in the opening minute but the gulf in class was soon apparent as Brook staggered his man with two right crosses. In the second, Dan hit the deck after a stinging right uppercut and was knocked down a second time soon after with a solid right cross.
Dan survived the third, primarily through holding, but had no answer in the fourth. A cuffing left hook brought him to his knees and he was on the floor again before quitting on his stool at the end of the round. Brook was back.
