Tom tears up rivals
The IBF world welterweight champion faces a tricky fourth title defence against unbeaten American Errol Spence Jr at Sheffield United’s Bramall Lane on Saturday.
The Blades supporter hopes he will also have the backing of Sheffield Wednesday fans, who will be looking for a boost after losing in last week’s Championship play-off semi-final to Huddersfield.
Brook, who returns from a training camp in Fuerteventura today, said: “I’m feeling more like I want to make Wednesday feel better than put another one on them.
“I would love it for one night only for Wednesday and United fans to be united because it’s Sheffield versus America.
“It’s not like football, it’s about Sheffield and getting behind their man in a world title fight.
“It’s going to do great things for the Steel City. I’m a born-and-bred Sheffield man and I just want the city to do well with sport.”
Brook, 31, is confident his experience will see him triumph in his first fight since suffering a broken eye socket in his fifth-round loss to world middleweight No.1 Gennady Golovkin in September.
But Brook insists there are no concerns for his health or for unbeaten mandatory challenger Spence, who has 18 KOs from 21 fights, ahead of Saturday.
He said: “They took my eye out and went in through my mouth and into my eye to get the titanium plate put in place.
“They then drilled in three or four screws. That was pretty gruesome but that’s what was necessary.
“Everything is fine now and there are no worries about getting hit there.
“Spence is a bit of a talker but he can actually fight. They’ve got him as the next big thing in America but TOM DUMOULIN boosted his Giro d’Italia chances after coming out on top in a dramatic summit finish yesterday.
The Dutchman, who has never finished on the podium in a tour event, extended his lead over his nearest challenger Nairo Quintana by 14 seconds after he caught and passed him in the last 300m of the 14th stage in Oropa. The Team Sunweb rider beat Russian Ilnur Zakarin by three seconds and Spain’s Mikel Landa by nine while Quintana ended up in fourth place.
Overall, Dumoulin now leads Quintana by 2mins 47secs and France’s Thibaut Pinot, who was 35 seconds off the pace in fifth yesterday, is third.
He said: “When Quintana attacked I did not panic, I paced myself and gave it everything.” SEBASTIEN OGIER goes into the final day of Rally Portugal with a slender 16-second lead over Thierry Neuville. The Belgian won the final stage yesterday to reduce the gap at the top by six seconds. Ford’s Ogier had inherited first place from team-mate Ott Tanak earlier in the day after he suffered suspension damage.