Kell Brook left devastated after defeat to Gennady Golovkin

Brook, stepping up two weight divisions with only 10 weeks notice, was left devastated after trainer Dominic Ingle threw in the towel during the fifth round of a barnstorming battle at an electric O2 Arena.

The challenger had landed his fair share of superbly-timed combinations on the tough 34-year-old champion, but eventually the relentless pressure and undoubted power of Golovkin took it's toll and Ingle was forced to call a premature halt to proceedings.

The Sheffield man said: "I'm devastated. I expected him to be a bigger puncher. I think in the second round broke my eye socket, he caught me with a shot and I was starting to settle into the fight but I was seeing three or four of them so it was hard to get through it."

Seeing one Golovkin hunting you down must be bad enough, but Brook admitted following his eye injury, that he was seeing several of the Kazakh man coming towards him.

"I was tricking him, his shots were coming underneath and I was frustrating him," added Brook.

"I was starting to settle into him but when you see three of four of them, it is hard to carry on.

"Believe me, I hurt him. When you're in a fight, you can see every movement of a fighter and I saw his legs buckle a couple of times.

"I was starting to settle in. He's a scary champion, nobody wants to fight him but I would fight him again.

"He is a great champion. I'm trying to give back to the fans and I hope they enjoyed the fight while it lasted.

"I wished I could go on but when there are five of him you don’t know which one to hit."

Promoter Eddie Hearn was proud of Brook's efforts and also backed the decision of Ingle to throw in the towel.

He said: "He would fight all night but – I know the fans want to see the fight go on as long as possible – but you can’t be fighting a guy like Golovkin when you can’t focus on the guy.

"Kell deserves a huge amount of respect and I believe he is still one of the best fighters in the world.

"For five or six rounds he has given Golovkin a hell of a fight.”

Golovkin, who admitted he wants to come back to the UK after sampling a stunning atmosphere at the packed O2 Arena, said he was left with nothing but respect for Brook.

The Kazakh said: "I wanted to bring the drama show because I know Kell is a very good fighter but sorry, he's not a middleweight.

"I know my style, I respect him, he's good but not so strong. He just touched but I didn't feel his power. So many punches but I didn't feel them.

“I respect Kell, he is real and thanks to his corner, for his career and for his family, it's correct because I feel it's game over, it's finished."

Read more on Kell Brook v GGG in Monday's YP Sport.