Brook vs Spence Jr: Remembering the Wincobank Gym's best boxers
Wednesday 24 May 2017 14:18, UK
Kell Brook is one of a number of champions to come from the famous Brendan Ingle owned Wincobank Gym in Sheffield.
The 'Special One' will return to his hometown and defend his IBF welterweight title at Sheffield Utd's Bramall Lane on May 27, live on Sky Sports Box Office against mandatory challenger Errol Spence Jr in what will be the fourth defence of his crown.
Brook is currently trained under the guidance of Brendan Ingle's son Dominic and is the current flag-bearer for the new crop of fighters coming through the gym.
We look at the fighters who have successfully come through and implemented the famous Ingle 'switch-hit, don't be hit' style which is embedded in every Wincobank fighter.
Johnny Nelson (45-12-2-KO29)
Sky Sports' Johnny Nelson lost his first three professional fights but went on to become WBO cruiserweight world champion, making a record-equalling 13 successful defences of his crown. His seven-year reign still means the Sheffield fighter is the longest serving cruiserweight champion of all time.
Nelson was eventually forced to retire in 2006 before a scheduled all British showdown against Enzo Maccarinelli due to injury.
Naseem Hamed (36-1-KO36)
Naseem Hamed is arguably the most naturally gifted and flamboyant fighter to have come from these shores.
Under the guidance of Brendan Ingle, the 'Prince' became unified featherweight world champion in an elusive style which engrossed all before him.
However, Hamed would officially split with Ingle in 1998 and lost his undefeated record to Marco Antonio Barrera in 2001 in what turned out to be his only career defeat.
Junior Witter (43-8-2-KO23)
Witter failed in his attempt to capture the IBF super-lightweight title in his 18th fight against Zab Judah at Hampden Park. However, 'The Hitter' strung together 19 straight wins to claim the vacant WBC world super lightweight title when he defeated DeMarcus Corley in 2006 before succumbing to up-and-coming star Tim Bradley in his third defence.
The Sheffield man lost to Devon Alexander for the same vacant title a year later and would not fight at world level again.
Kell Brook (36-1-25KO)
Brook fulfilled his lifelong dream away from home in Carson, California when he ripped the IBF welterweight title from the previously unbeaten Shawn Porter in 2014.
An incident outside the ring a few weeks later threatened to end his career short, but the 'Special One' came back and made three defences before moving up to middleweight to take on the much vaunted Gennady Golovkin. Brook put up a brave fight against 'GGG' before but was pulled out of the fight by trainer Dominic Ingle due to an eye injury.
He now returns to his natural 147lbs weight to defend his prized IBF belt against Errol Spence Jr.
Clifton Mitchell (18-2-KO16)
Mitchell was a silky heavyweight to come out of the Wincobank Gym. At the start of his career he notched up 13 knockout victories out of 14 but was beaten when he stepped up to both British and European level, suffering defeats to both James Oyebola and Zeljko Mavrovic.
The likeable heavyweight now owns his own security company and is a prominent figure at ringside.
Herol Graham (48-6-KO28)
To many observers, it is quite baffling how Herol Graham did not win a world title that his talents deserved.
The 'Bomber' came close on three occasions, but lost to elite super-middleweight fighters in Julian Jackson, Mike McCallum and Charles Brewer before eventually retiring in 1998.
In truth, Graham's talents were so great that many of the best fighters in his career avoided him as he cast the role of mere spectator in the Benn, Eubank, Watson and Collins era.
He is arguably one of the best fighters in boxing history not to win a world championship title.
Ryan Rhodes (46-6-KO31)
Rhodes made history to become the youngest post-war holder of the British title when he beat Paul 'Silky' Jones for the vacant title in 1996. He then went on to win the belt outright in a record time of 90 days.
Despite such early promise, Rhodes never fulfilled his destiny to become a world champion, losing to Otis Grant for the vacant WBO middleweight title and Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez in the Mexican's 37th fight for the WBC super-welterweight strap.
Kid Galahad (22-0-KO13)
The unbeaten 27-year-old claimed the British, Commonwealth and European super-bantamweight titles by his 17th contest and will be looking at securing a world title shot at super-bantamweight or featherweight having returned to sport in 2016 from an enforced ban.
Watch Brook vs Spence Jr, from Bramall Lane, Sheffield, May 27, live on Sky Sports Box Office. Book the event online here or via your Sky remote.
