Brook faces former world-title challenger Michael Jennings next

British welterweight champion Kell Brook has won the prestigious Boxing Writers' Club award as Britain's best young boxer of the year.

The Sheffield fighter edged British and Commonwealth light-heavyweight champion Nathan Cleverly by just one vote.

The result was the closest ballot in the award's 57-year history.

Twenty-three-year-old Brook (20-0, 13 KOs) makes his fourth defence against former WBO title challenger Michael Jennings in Liverpool next month.

He will be presented with the Geoffrey Simpson award at the Writers' Club's annual dinner in October.

606: DEBATE Have the Boxing Writers' Club made the right choice?

Previous winners of the prize include Ken Buchanan, John H Stracey, Barry McGuigan, Nigel Benn, Naseem Hamed, Joe Calzaghe, Scott Harrison and Amir Khan.

Unbeaten Cefn Fforest man Cleverly will defend his titles against Liverpool's Courtney Fry on 9 October at London's York Hall.

The 22-year-old had been due to fight in Belfast, but the show was postponed following an injury to headline-act Marty Rogan.

Cleverly has won all 17 of his fights with seven knock-outs, the last four ending in impressive stoppages that have convinced the likes of McGuigan that the Welshman can reach the top.

The Welshman insists that he wants to notch three more British title wins to secure a Lonsdale belt before moving on to world level.

Fry, 34, has won 13 and lost two of his bouts, including a defeat to Cleverly-victim Tony Oakey in February.

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