Gruelling sparring challenges means Kell Brook is ready for his big fight against Sergey Rabchenko

Sheffield’s former world champion has been pounded by Liam Williams, Jason Welborn and Jason Quigley at the Ingle gym, as he prepares for the Belarusian hard case.

Welshman Williams, 25, has a 16-2-1 record and was a WBO world title contender only to be beaten by Liam Smith.

Son of the Midlands Welborn, 31, has competed for the IBO Continental and won the WBC international silver trinket and has a 22-6-0 form chart.

Then there is unbeaten Irish middleweight Quigley, 26, (W13) who has brought a breath of fresh air since arriving at the Wincobank gym.

They are all a handful - a chain gang of power and speed which has presented Brook with just the sort of challenge he needs as he moves up from welterweight against Rabchenko, who is 32, at Sheffield Arena, on Saturday.

“I have been sparring with guys who have certainly been testing my eyes out” said Brook, a reference to the fractured eye sockets received in his last two fights against Gennady Golovkin and Errol Spence Jr.

“I’ve not had a shiner like I got from one of them for a long time, but there was no issues (with the sockets) and it’s been useful to have these tough fighters in camp. They have been giving me hell - so I have worked hard enough that the fight will be easy!”

Brook says he has enjoyed the run-up to Saturday’s showdown. “With new characters in the gym we seem to have raised the bar even higher than before.

“We have all been competing to beat each other in runs and general training and it has been a benefit to us all.”