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Burgeoning welterweight talent Kell Brook put on a flawless performance this evening in his more important outing to date, halting veteran Rafal Jackiewicz at Ponds Forge Arena in Sheffield, England to win a WBA welterweight title eliminator.
From the start, Brook, coming off a solid win over aging but still dangerous former IBF light welter and IBO welter beltholder Lovemore N’dou in June, looked a class apart from his Polish adversary.
Ex-European welter champ and one-time IBF title challenger Jackiewicz came into the contest with a 23-1 record since 2005 and a reputation as a solid operator who was expected to give Brook some difficult times in the ring.
But Brook controlled the pace of the bout from the off, using a very fast jab to keep his advancing rival at a comfortable distance and on the defensive.
Jackiewicz was unable to set up his own jab due to Brooks quick reflexes and most of the Warsaw area man’s efforts with either hand found air or drew crisp counter punches in response.
Brook was simply too fast and skilled in every department and by the third frame, Jackiewicz was starting to show redness to the eyes and forehead from catching leather.
As the rounds wore on, Brook became more relaxed and efficient, strafing his rival with both hands and forcing Jackiewicz to shell up behind a high guard.
In the sixth frame, Brook was starting to find success with harder punches and after catching Jackiewicz with a good right hand and a followup glancing combination, referee Howard Foster put a stop to the one-sided bout with less than 30 seconds remaining in the round.
Although he wasn’t throwing many punches in the sixth round, Jackiewicz didn’t appear to be in trouble at the time of the stoppage and was clearly very upset at the referee’s actions.
Brook retains the WBA Intercontinental strap and goes to 25-0 (17), while Jackiewicz drops to 38-10-1 (19).
The undercard was highlighted by the appearance of heavy-handed southpaw light welter Dale Miles, 12-0 (9), who belted out durable veteran Mihaita Mutu, 27-18-2 (10), with a single left hand at 1:33 of the sixth.
