Phil D. Jay
WBN Editor
Tight points decision earns IBF chance
WBN Editor
Sheffield’s Kell Brook suffered a broken nose on his way to
a tight points’ victory over visiting American Carson Jones at the Motorpoint
Arena tonight to improve his chances of fighting for the IBF welterweight
title.
The undefeated 26 year-old started well, gaining the advantage
over the opening few rounds, before ‘Mr. Jones’ found his range and made what
turned out to be an entertaining contest, nip and tuck right until the final
bell.
Despite taking Brook’s best shots in the early exchanges,
Jones was undeterred and found success easy to come by from the halfway stage.
A crunching uppercut in the eighth had Brook’s nose gushing with blood
and Jones had much the better of the affair from then on as ‘The Special One’
struggled with the injury.
Brook showed a good chin and plenty of heart though to hang
on and did have his own successes as Jones piled in. At the final bell, Brook
looked relieved to get through what was certainly his toughest test yet and was
given a 116-113, 115-113 decision by
two of the judges at ringside to claim a majority victory.
Third judge Manfred Kuechler saw the fight 114-114 to the
amazement of some in the arena - although it is not impossible to see how as I
gave Brook just a one round win with a card of 115-113.
The Yorkshireman could now be in line to face Hector Saldivia in a final eliminator for a shot at the IBF belt, with promoter Eddie Hearn admitting that Brook had some way to go before he could call himself the finished article.
The Yorkshireman could now be in line to face Hector Saldivia in a final eliminator for a shot at the IBF belt, with promoter Eddie Hearn admitting that Brook had some way to go before he could call himself the finished article.