Ambitious Brook only interested in title date

Sheffield's Kell Brook (right) in action against Alvaro Robles at the Echo Arena Liverpool.

Brook is now the mandatory challenger for the IBF welterweight title and will face the winner of Shawn Porter-Paulie Malignaggi in the summer after avoiding a potential banana skin on Saturday night.

The unbeaten Yorkshiremam extended his record to 32-0 and recorded his 22nd win inside the distance after Robles’s corner stopped the fight midway through the eighth round, with the underdog shipping far too much punishment.

Brook dominated from start to finish but found an opponent who was willing to walk through his best shots in the first half of the fight.

The Briton stepped up his performance in the seventh round and landed at will, with Robles attempting to battle back but finding himself outgunned.

It was more of the same in the eighth and with Robles on shaky legs, his corner wisely decided to throw in the towel one minute and 35 seconds into the round.

Despite being relatively untroubled Brook declared himself unhappy with his performance and admitted he lacked motivation against the journeyman, who fell to 17-3 following his loss.

“It’s getting hard for me to get up for these kind of kids now. I’ve moved on,” said Brook.

“It is kind of tough starting from the beginning, a training camp, I was self-motivated for this fight, but it’s still hard to get up at five and six in the morning. I’m only up for elite fighters.

“I’m happy I got this out of the way, the next one is going to be for the IBF strap.”

The IBF earlier this week ruled that the winner of Porter-Malignaggi must take on Brook within 90 days of their clash on April 19.