Errol Spence v Kell Brook: Annihilation II

On Wednesday, May 24, this is how the prequel concluded:

“I think Brook will hit Spence cleanly in a way we haven’t seen before, perhaps even have control of the fight for awhile. It’s just that fighters like Spence come around only once a generation, and once he solves the Brit while finding something that works, he will indeed ‘annihilate’ Brook. The pick here is Spence via 11th round TKO in a thriller.”

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You saw what happened.

Errol Spence (22-0, 19KO's) physically overwhelmed and dismantled a gallant Kell Brook (36-2, 25KO's) to capture the IBF welterweight crown. He spawned a new reign of terror by essentially striking Brook with enough “chocolate brownies” to produce a diabetic effect on his will.

The knockdown and subsequent knee Brook took to end things in the 11th round, was due mostly to both attrition and the relentless nature of Spence– who fought like a southpaw Sonny Liston on adderall.

He smashed the “other” orbital bone not broken by Gennady Golovkin last September, while defeating a better version of Brook than the one GGG faced.

Brook is a naturally huge welterweight and had never been beaten at that weight class. That he was defending his title in the gaudy confines of Bramall Lane in Sheffield, only adds to the quality of Spence's victory; for even the ugly, beer can bombing, racially charged crowd at Wembley that witnessed Marvelous Marvin Hagler's destruction of Alan Minter in September 1980 would agree.

Ringside commentator and former world champion Tony Bellew sounded a little pissed and thought Brook could've continued. So did IBF super featherweight champion Gervonta Davis, who took to Twitter while seemingly scratching his head. Super lightweight king (and possible future Spence adversary) Terence Crawford also threw shade at Brook for “quiting”. Even Chris Eubank Jr (who didn't have the balls to face GGG) decided to give Brook the ‘Gas Face'.

But to the 27,000 or so partisan fans on hand, it seemed all too apparent that this southpaw 147lb version of a black Triple G was gradually forcing Brook to surrender. I honestly believe Crawford, or WBC/WBA welterweight champion Keith “One-Time” Thurman (who also took to Twitter to put Spence on notice) would be forced to do the same thing.

WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao will never be in the same zip code as Spence, let alone a ring. Freddie Roach would never allow it. He'd probably dance and make it rain at a Floyd Mayweather owned strip club in Las Vegas before he allowed that savage encounter to happen.

Errol Spence Jr is “The Truth”, and if you believe his own assessment of his performance against Brook, then Keith Thurman (most likely next, hopefully at Barclays in Brooklyn) is in serious trouble.

“I give myself a B-minus,” Spence told Sky Sports after his victory. “I was a little bit off with my offense and defense, but I give Kell a lot of credit. This is what true champions do. You go anywhere to fight.

“He's a true champion, and I wanted to fight him. He's a tricky fighter and awkward. He's also a strong fighter who can punch.”

As for Brook, the vanquished champion whose all but fell in one after another world class beating, he could only tip his cap to the new king.

“I got caught in the seventh round in the left eye,” said Brook, who will sit down with his team to discuss the now cloudy future.

“It was like the Golovkin fight, although not quite as bad. He caught me in the 11th and the double vision just stuck. I'm gutted that, in front of my home fans, I've lost my belt. But he's one of the best kids I've been in with, if not the best.”

The new IBF welterweight champion is the best fighter in the division and will climb the RING rankings as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world.