The 'secret' training camp of Kell Brook's nemesis

Gifted southpaw Errol Spence Jr shocked world boxing by knocking out world champion Kell Brook on his home turf at Bramall Lane in May, 2017.

Spence had prepared hard for the battle, finishing off his training at Glyn Rhodes' Sheffield Boxing Centre.

The hosting of an away fighter in a fight city like Sheffield - on the eve of such a big-stakes event - isn't going to win you many friends.

But SBC rolled out the welcome mat for Spence, who went on to leave South Yorkshire with Brook's IBF welterweight crown under his arm.

Modern-day youngsters at the Hillsborough gym didn't believe the story of Spence's 'secret camp.'

So yesterday Rhodes posted these shots of him on his Facebook account.

"We have a 17-year-old prospect, Tierry Griffith, who is a big Errol Spence fan and he didn't believe his hero had trained at our gym, so I put the pictures up," said the trainer.

"I remember getting a phone call from Matchroom (promoters) asking me if he could train at our place and I thought: 'Well this is going to upset a few people.'

"But it was a good thing for the gym, so I said yes.

"When he came through the door with his trainer Derrick James, his Dad, and a big entourage, I thought there might be a big-shot attitude from the Americans.

"But they showed how wrong you can be, every one of them was brilliant."

Rhodes had a chance to watch the Texan work through routines that eventually led to Brook suffer a broken eye socket, at Sheffield United's ground.

Spence called it a "legacy-defining win" over the Ingle champion.

"Unfortunately for Kell, he was taken to pieces that night, but that happens to the best of 'em.

"Spence went on to do really well and have some great fights" - which included bouts with Lamont Peterson, Mikey Garcia, Danny Garcia and Shawn Porter, the latter boxer who had lost to Brook in a memorable US title fight in 2014.

Pound-for-pound king Terence Crawford, who took Brook's scalp in 2020, ended Spence's unbeaten run last year.