In what amounted to target practice, Kell Brook made the first defense of his IBF welterweight title with a four-round stoppage of woefully ill-equipped mandatory challenger Ionut Dan Ion on Saturday in his native Sheffield, England. Brook dropped Ion four times before the challenger’s corner kept him on his stool after round 4.

Brook (34-0, 23 knockout) had suffered a gruesome leg injury when attack while on vacation in Spain six months ago, but his recovery was never tested by Ion (34-3, 18 KOs), a 33-year-old Montreal-based southpaw from Romania, who clearly didn’t belong in the ring with an elite talent.

Brook, who won the IBF title with a majority decision over Shawn Porter in the U.S. last August, couldn’t miss with his right hand as the awkward southpaw lunged forward time and time again. Ion was dropped twice in Round 2 and twice in Round 4 before his corner and referee Earl Brown had seen enough.

A full ringside report from Eliot Worsell will be posted shortly.