Kell Brook vs. Frankie Gavin: Winner, Recap and Reaction

Kell "The Special One" Brook (35-0, 24 KOs) didn't quite put on a show against Frankie Gavin (22-2, 13 KOs) at the O2 Arena in London on Saturday night, but his powerful hands and boxing acumen were good enough to earn a sixth-round TKO victory and make his second defense of the IBF world welterweight title. 

Brook had little chance to show off his full arsenal of punches for much of the bout as Gavin kept him off-kilter with his bag of defensive tricks. However the champion proved his worth and eventually found the range to punish his overmatched opposition.

Sky Sports Boxing provided a look at the stoppage:

The Sheffield man was appropriately confident heading into the bout.

"Frankie is getting nowhere near my belt," Brook said, per ESPN's Dan Rafael. "He can look at it, I might even let him touch it, but he's not taking it from me. It's my belt. It took me a long time to get it, and there's no way he's getting it.

Gavin's jittery, defensive style made things difficult for Brook early on. The titleholder landed the better shots but struggled to close down the distance and string combinations together. The southpaw Gavin kept things boring and avoided Brook's considerable power, but his jab did little to dissuade the champ from moving forward.

It's no secret Brook has bigger fights in mind than Gavin, but Bad Left Hook noted the southpaw's frustrating tactics made it tough for the champion to make a statement:

There clearly wasn't enough action for Rafael:

The fourth round saw Brook do a much better job of cutting off the ring on the fading Gavin. The close-range exchanges, while few and far between, favored the precise, powerful Brook.

A strong right uppercut with 30 seconds left in the round sent Gavin bouncing off the ropes and spurred a brief flurry of excitement from the crowd. Here's another look at the action from Sky Sports Boxing:

Brook still struggled to land follow-up shots against the hummingbird-like movements of Gavin, who rarely threw more than one or two punches at a time. Still, one could see the damage taking a toll on the 29-year-old Gavin, who lost control of his craft as the bout went on.

British Boxing News felt it was the wrong mix of styles for a main event, especially on a stacked card featuring the likes of Anthony Joshua and Lee Selby:

Brook finally broke Gavin in the sixth, picking apart his defense and landing a series of clean blows. With no power to spook Brook, Gavin was at his mercy. Brook trapped him on the ropes, and an onslaught of punches ending in a crunching right uppercut convinced the ref to stop the fight.

Although the match lacked pop, Brook outclassed Gavin and should have little trouble finding a top-tier opponent for his next match. Fellow British star Amir Khan won a tough bout against Chris Algieri on Friday in Brooklyn, making him a top candidate for a future bout.

Laceup Boxing feels it's the logical next step for both boxers:

Brook could also consider big names like Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Keith Thurman. The Brit lacks visibility in the United States, but his status as a titleholder will ensure he stays in the mix for the biggest bouts in a talented welterweight division.