This wasn’t part of the script.
Kell Brook lost his IBF welterweight championship bout to Errol Spence Jr in his hometown on Saturday night.
Brook was favourite for the fight and was expected to find a way past the American at Bramall Lane in Sheffield.
But the 31-year-old, who has been IBF champion since 2014, succumbed to the second defeat of his career. Despite suffering what appeared to a serious injury to his left eye, Brook bravely attempted to fight on.
However, Brook was caught with a series of shots in the tenth round…
ERROL SPENCE JR STOPS KELL BROOK AND IS NOW THE NEW IBF WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPION OF THE WORLD!!! #BrookSpence pic.twitter.com/q91EugrunG
— Strictly Boxing Fans (@BoxingBritain1) May 27, 2017
And was stopped in the next round, after succumbing to what could be a serious eye injury.
Brook’s eye was swollen and almost completely closed when he took a knee in the penultimate round.
The referee stepped in and put a stop to the fight, with the Sheffield fighter in obvious pain in front of his hometown crowd.
https://twitter.com/Celticsnuts/status/868596414263250944
Brook takes a voluntary knee…the left eye is shut and he's clearly unable to see anything.
RECAP: https://t.co/OFyf4XzBBx pic.twitter.com/Z1CdFOx2Sx
— Sky Sports Boxing (@SkySportsBoxing) May 27, 2017
Following the fight, Brook’s promoter Eddie Hearn said he could be facing eye surgery again.
Brook underwent surgery on his right eye socket after his defeat to Gennady Golovkin last September.
Kell Brook could be facing a second major eye surgery….
A sad end to #BrookSpence pic.twitter.com/pJeN9IIb7c
— BBC 5 Live Sport (@5liveSport) May 27, 2017
