Kell Brook facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Kell Brook |
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Brook in 2020
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| Statistics | |
| Real name | Ezekiel Brook |
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| Rated at |
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| Height | 5 ft 9 in |
| Reach | 69 in |
| Nationality | British |
| Born | 3 May 1986 Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 43 |
| Wins | 40 |
| Wins by KO | 28 |
| Losses | 3 |
Ezekiel "Kell" Brook (born 3 May 1986) is a British former professional boxer. He competed in boxing from 2004 to 2022. Kell Brook was a world champion, holding the International Boxing Federation (IBF) welterweight title. He held this title from 2014 to 2017. He also fought for a world title in the middleweight division in 2016. Many people considered him one of the best welterweight boxers in the world in 2017.
Contents
- Becoming a Boxer: Amateur Years
- Starting His Professional Boxing Journey
- Winning British Titles
- Becoming Young British Boxer of the Year
- More Wins and New Challenges
- Big Fights and World Title Dreams
- Chasing the World Title
- Becoming a World Champion
- Defending His World Title
- A Big Challenge: Moving Up in Weight
- Back to Welterweight and Another Big Fight
- Moving to Light-Middleweight
- The Long-Awaited Rivalry Fight
- Retirement
- Personal Life
- Images for kids
- See also
Becoming a Boxer: Amateur Years
Kell Brook started boxing when he was just 12 years old. He trained with a famous coach named Brendan Ingle. During his amateur career, he was very successful. He won 31 out of 36 fights. He also won two important titles in England. These were the Amateur Boxing Association of England titles. He also won two National Association of Boys Clubs British Boxing Championships. Kell also earned a gold medal in the 4 Nations competition. A big inspiration for him was another famous boxer, Naseem Hamed. Hamed also trained at the same gym in Wincobank.
Starting His Professional Boxing Journey
Kell Brook began his professional boxing career in September 2004. His very first fight was in Sheffield. He won that fight against an experienced boxer named Peter Buckley. In his first four months as a pro, he fought five times and won all of them. He kept learning and improving his skills. By June 2008, he had won 16 fights in a row. This winning streak earned him a chance to fight for the British welterweight title.
Winning British Titles
Kell Brook fought for the British welterweight title in London. He won the title by stopping his opponent, Barrie Jones, in the seventh round. After winning, he had to defend his title against the former champion, Kevin McIntyre. Brook won this fight quickly in the first round. He knocked McIntyre down three times.
In 2009, Brook defended his title two more times. He won both fights by stopping his opponents early. By winning his third defense, he earned the special Lonsdale belt outright. This showed he was a top boxer in Britain. He then challenged Michael Jennings, saying he wanted to prove he was the best.
Becoming Young British Boxer of the Year
In September 2009, Kell Brook received a special award. He was named Young British Boxer of the Year. This award is given by the Boxing Writer's Club. It was a very close vote. He joined a list of many famous British boxers who had won this award before. This included names like Naseem Hamed and Amir Khan.
More Wins and New Challenges
In 2010, Brook won another title, the WBO Inter-Continental title. He beat Krzysztof Bienias from Poland. Later that year, he finally fought Michael Jennings. Brook won this fight in the fifth round. This win was his fourth defense of the British title. It also kept him ranked number one with the WBO.
In 2011, Kell Brook joined a new boxing promoter, Matchroom Sport. He was very excited about this change. His first fight with them was in Sheffield. He won against Lovemore N'dou and gained another title, the WBA Inter-Continental title.
Big Fights and World Title Dreams
On 17 March 2012, Kell Brook continued his winning streak. He beat Matthew Hatton, who is the brother of famous boxer Ricky Hatton. Brook won by a clear decision in front of nearly 10,000 fans in Sheffield. This fight was very popular on TV. He then said he wanted to fight Amir Khan.
Brook faced Carson Jones in July 2012. It was a tough fight. Brook started strong but got tired later on. He even broke his nose in the eighth round. But he managed to win the fight by a close decision. After this, he had surgery for his nose.
In October 2012, Brook fought Hector Saldivia. The winner of this fight would get a chance to challenge for the IBF welterweight world title. Brook won quickly in the third round. He knocked Saldivia down twice before the referee stopped the fight.
Chasing the World Title
Kell Brook was set to fight Devon Alexander for the world title multiple times. However, the fight kept getting postponed. This was due to injuries on both sides. Eventually, the fight was cancelled completely.
After the cancellations, Brook had a rematch with Carson Jones in July 2013. Brook looked much stronger this time. He won the fight in the eighth round. Soon after, he fought Vyacheslav Senchenko. Senchenko was known for beating Ricky Hatton. Brook wanted to "get revenge" for his friend. Brook won this fight in the fourth round. He knocked Senchenko down twice before the fight was stopped.
Becoming a World Champion
After these wins, Kell Brook became the mandatory challenger for the IBF welterweight title again. He faced the champion, Shawn Porter, on 16 August 2014, in California, USA. Porter was expected to win. But Brook stayed calm and showed great skill. He landed clean punches throughout the fight. Brook won the fight by a close decision, becoming the new IBF welterweight world champion! After winning, Brook said he wanted to fight Amir Khan.
Defending His World Title
Six months after a serious injury, Brook made his first defense of the IBF title. He fought Jo Jo Dan on 28 March 2015, in his hometown of Sheffield. Brook dominated the fight. He knocked Dan down several times. Dan's corner stopped the fight after the fourth round.
On 30 May 2015, Brook defended his title again. He fought Frankie Gavin in London. This was the first time two British welterweight boxers fought for a world title. Brook successfully defended his title for the second time. He stopped Gavin in the sixth round.
In March 2016, Brook made his third defense. He fought Kevin Bizier in Sheffield. Brook won very quickly, stopping Bizier in the second round. After this win, Brook and his team talked about fighting other big champions.
A Big Challenge: Moving Up in Weight
In July 2016, a huge announcement was made. Kell Brook would move up two weight divisions to fight Gennady Golovkin. Golovkin was an undefeated middleweight world champion. This fight took place on 10 September 2016, in London. Many people were excited about this brave challenge.
During the fight, Brook showed great courage. He traded punches with Golovkin. However, he suffered a serious eye injury. His trainer stopped the fight in the fifth round to protect him. This was Brook's first loss in his professional career. Even though he lost, many people admired him for taking on such a tough challenge. Brook had successful surgery on his eye after the fight.
Back to Welterweight and Another Big Fight
After recovering, Brook returned to the welterweight division. He was in talks to fight Amir Khan. But instead, he faced Errol Spence Jr. for his IBF welterweight title. This fight happened on 27 May 2017, in Sheffield.
In front of 27,000 fans, Brook lost his title in the eleventh round. Spence Jr. landed many strong punches. Brook's eye was injured again, and he couldn't see properly. His trainer stopped the fight. Brook later confirmed he had broken his eye socket again.
Moving to Light-Middleweight
After his second eye injury, Kell Brook decided to move up to the light-middleweight division. He hoped to become a world champion in a second weight class. On 3 March 2018, he fought Sergey Rabchenko in Sheffield. Brook won quickly in the second round. He knocked Rabchenko down with a powerful punch. This win earned him the WBC Silver light-middleweight title.
Brook continued to fight in the light-middleweight division. He won against Mark DeLuca on 8 February 2020. He knocked DeLuca out in the seventh round.
The Long-Awaited Rivalry Fight
On 14 November 2020, Brook moved back down to welterweight. He fought Terence Crawford for a world title in the USA. Crawford won the fight in the fourth round.
Finally, on 19 February 2022, Kell Brook faced his long-time rival, Amir Khan. This was a fight many fans had wanted to see for years. Brook dominated the fight. He stopped Khan in the sixth round, winning by technical knockout.
Retirement
Kell Brook announced his retirement from boxing in May 2022. He ended his career as a former world champion.
Personal Life
Kell Brook has faced some challenges outside the ring. In September 2014, while on holiday, he was attacked and stabbed in the leg. He recovered from this injury and returned to boxing.
Kell Brook is in a relationship with fellow former world champion boxer Ebanie Bridges. They welcomed their first child on 20 February 2025.
Images for kids
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Brook in 2020
See also
In Spanish: Kell Brook para niños
